Aurea Expositio Hymnorum una cum Textu

Aurea Expositio Hymnorum una cum Textu – Vicent Garcia Editores – R/39638 – Biblioteca Nacional de España (Madrid, Spain)

Zaragoza (Spain) — February 1st, 1515

Dedicated to Queen Isabella I of Spain and groundbreaking for the Castilian language: Antonio de Nebrija's treatise on Spanish grammar and at the same time a Latin primer with 24 religious woodcuts

  1. Born Antonio Martínez de Cala (1441–1522), he Latinized his name as a nod to the Roman name for his hometown

  2. Nebrija presented the first treatise on Spanish grammar to Queen Isabella I (1451–1504) in 1492

  3. It was his express desire to elevate the Spanish language by standardizing it along the same lines as Latin and Greek

Aurea Expositio Hymnorum una cum Textu

Facsimile Copy Available!
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  1. Description
  2. Facsimile Editions (1)
Description
Aurea Expositio Hymnorum una cum Textu

A Latin textbook is not particularly noteworthy, unless it was written by one of the most important Spanish grammarians of all time: Antonio de Nebrija. Furthermore, the codex is a fascinating artifact from the early years of book printing, and offers insights into the process. In it, woodcuts accompany various biblical texts that serve as a Latin primer.

Aurea Expositio Hymnorum una cum Textu

An instructive text for learning Latin from one of the most important grammarians in Spanish history: Antonio de Nebrija (1441–1522). Born Antonio Martínez de Cala, he Latinized his name, as was the style at the time, to Aelius Antonius Nebrissensis, a nod to the Roman name for his hometown of Lebrija, Nebrissa Veneria. Descended from converted Jews, Nebrija was active as a teacher, historian, poet, and astronomer, but is best remembered as a Castilian grammarian, having published and presented the first treatise on Spanish grammar to Queen Isabella I in 1492. It was his express desire to “transform Castilian speech into an artifact so that whatever henceforth shall be written in this language may be of one standard tenor, one coinage that can outlast the times. Greek and Latin have been governed by art, and thus have kept their uniformity throughout the ages. Unless the like of this be done for our language, in vain Your Majesty's chroniclers ... shall praise your deeds.” That being said, this work, the Aurea Expositio Hymnorum una cum Textu, deals with Latin. It consists of a selection of 85 hymns with two dozen woodcuts with scenes from the life of Christ and other biblical tales. Printed by Jorge Coci in 1515, the edition actually contains a print error with regard to its exact date of publication: although February 1st is listed, this is actually the date on which a previous edition was published in 1508. This rare mistake is a glimpse into the process of publishing while the craft was still in its infancy, and is an additional feature of this splendid Latin primer.

Codicology

Size / Format
132 pages / 21.0 × 15.0 cm
Origin
Spain
Date
February 1st, 1515
Language
Illustrations
24 xylographic engravings with religious motifs
Content
85 didactic hymns
Artist / School

Available facsimile editions:
Aurea Expositio Hymnorum una cum Textu – Vicent Garcia Editores – R/39638 – Biblioteca Nacional de España (Madrid, Spain)
Vicent Garcia Editores – Valencia, 2004
Limited Edition: 3160 copies
Facsimile Editions

#1 Aurea Expositio Hymnorum una cum Textu

Vicent Garcia Editores – Valencia, 2004
Aurea Expositio Hymnorum una cum Textu – Vicent Garcia Editores – R/39638 – Biblioteca Nacional de España (Madrid, Spain)
Aurea Expositio Hymnorum una cum Textu – Vicent Garcia Editores – R/39638 – Biblioteca Nacional de España (Madrid, Spain) Photos with courtesy of the publisher

Publisher: Vicent Garcia Editores – Valencia, 2004
Limited Edition: 3160 copies
Binding: Binding of parchment on wooden board
Facsimile Copy Available!
Price Category: €
(under 1,000€)
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