Lot N. 316
Capitoli della Venerabile Ducale Archiconfraternita di S. Giovanni Battista
Rare 18th-Century Edition Containing the Statutes and Regulations of the Venerable Ducal Archconfraternity of St. John the Baptist, popularly known in Modena as the confraternity “della Morte.”
The volume represents an important historical and religious testimony to the associative life of Modena under the Este period.
Title Page:
Features a rich woodcut frame with plant and geometric motifs. At the center, a fine engraved medallion depicts St. John the Baptist with the Lamb, accompanied by the confraternity’s motto.
Typographical Data:
Modena, MDCCLXXXII (1782)
Printed by the heirs of Bartolomeo Soliani, Ducal Printers, with the license of the superiors.
Binding:
Contemporary full rustic paper (or flexible parchment, to be verified by touch), of sober craftsmanship, typical of institutional editions of the period.
Historical Notes:
The Confraternity of St. John the Baptist of the Death was one of Modena’s most influential institutions, dedicated primarily to the assistance of prisoners and the comfort of those condemned to death, as well as the burial of the poor.
Condition:
The copy appears complete. Minor age-toning and small losses at the margins of the title page (upper left corner) do not affect the readability of the text. Wide margins and paper still crisp.