Historia della Madonna Santissima d’Oroppa ne’ monti della città di Biella nel Piemonte. Divisa in libri trè.
8vo (17.9 x 11.5mm). 1st ed. Illustrated engraved title-page (“Historia divotione, e miracoli della Madonna Ssma. D’Oropa”), [12], 267 pp. Text set within typographical borders, with 3 full-page engravings (of the Black Madonna of Oropa, the Church of Santa Maria d’Oropa, and the Sacro Monte d’Oropa) and 24 two-thirds page engravings (of the devotional chapels in the Sacro Monte) in the text. A few toned leaves, and light tide lines affecting pp. 15-48 and pp. 239-267, the latter touching but not affecting four of the two-thirds page engravings of the buildings and chapels. Bound in old Italian cartonato. Generally a fine and genuine copy. Very rare (and likely first edition) guide to the Marian sanctuary of Sanctuary of Oropa near Biella in Piemonte, located near Biella in an idyllic mountainous landscape. According to legend, a black wooden statue of the Virgin Mary carved by Saint Luke was found in Jerusalem by Saint Eusebius of Vercelli (c. 283-371), who carried it to Oropa and placed it in a small niche within a large boulder. In the Middle Ages, a church was built around the niche housing the statue, and this was replaced in the early 17th century with the Church of Santa Maria d’Oropa, built as the result of a vow made by the city of Biella during a plague in 1599. Throughout the years, famous architects like Filippo Juvarra, Guarino Guarini, Filippo Beltrame, Ignazio Galletti, and Pierpaolo Bonora contributed to designing and developing the group of buildings which make up the sanctuary. The numerous chapels in the Sacro Monte di Oropa, not far from the sanctuary, were also built in the 17th century. Today this devotional path comprises 12 small chapels, plus another seven nearby, containing groups of polychromatic statues representing scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary. During the following centuries, several other buildings were added to the complex, including the royal apartments of the House of Savoy, a large library, and the Royal Gate, a masterpiece designed by Juvarra in the 18th century. The entire Sacro Monte—the sanctuary complex and the surrounding chapels—is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The present work is divided into three books. Book 1, “Inventione, figura, et frequenza della divotione della Madonna Santissima di Oropa” (pp. [1]-83), covers the origin and history of the Madonna of Oropa and describes in great detail the Sacro Monte and its surroundings, the Church of Santa Maria d’Oropa and its interior, the various chapels that dot the pilgrimage path, and the administration and governance of the sanctuary. Book 2, “Gratie, et miracoli della Madonna Santissima di Oropa” (pp. [85]-175), describes the numerous miracles and protections of the Black Madonna of Oropa, tracing their history from Saint Eusebius to the days before the publication. Several pages are devoted to the Black Madonna’s divine intervention in plagues, famines, and war, and in healing the sick, with details of particular incidents. Book 3, “Orationi, et essercitii spirituali soliti farsi nel Sacro Monte della Madonna Santissima d’Oropa” (pp. [177]-267), describes the devotions and prayers associated with the Black Madonna, the main sanctuary, and the surrounding Sacro Monte and chapels. Several pages (pp. 197-246) are devoted to each of the small chapels that dotted the Sacro Monte in the late 17th century—and most of which are still present today—with engravings illustrating the exterior of each chapel, followed by its name and a short meditation and prayer appropriate for the setting. The Historia della Madonna Santissima d’Oropa is dedicated to Christine Marie of France (1606-1663), Duchess of Savoy from 1630 to 1637 as the consort of Duke Victor Amadeus I. She was the daughter of Henry IV of France and sister of Louis XIII. Following her husband’s death in 1637, she acted as regent of Savoy between 1637 and 1648. According to Piantanida (citing Lozzi), an even earlier edition appeared in 1657; however, the present 1659 edition ends with a colophon of approbation dated 5 March 1659 and signed by Valerianus Castilioneus, abbot of Montecassino. In addition, we are unable to trace an edition dated before 1659 in OCLC.
* S. Piantanida et al., Autori italiani del ‘600 (1986), vol. 3, no. 4524.
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