Life of St Catherine of Siena

Life of St Catherine of Siena

This is one of only two surviving specimens of a work that appeared in a single edition and is, according to Konrad Haebler (1857–1946) “…the source of so many bibliographic errors that it is difficult to believe”. Perhaps it is a good thing then that it is such a rare incunable, or early printed book that originated before 1501, because it contains two works regarding the life of St. Catherine of Siena (1347–80), one of the most important figures in the history of the Middle Ages and the Catholic Church. The first work, La Vida de Sancta Catherina de Sena, was written by St. Antonius of Florence (1389–1459), while the latter, Cobles en Lahor dela Gloriosa Sancta Catherina de Sena, was written by the Valencian poet, lawyer, and politician named Narcis Vinyoles (ca. 1442–1517). The collected volume was published on May 11th, 1499 in the Valencian print shop of Cristóbal Cofman and its beautifully printed Gothic script is adorned with masterful woodcuts. This is a fantastic artifact of late-medieval Valencian culture and the emerging art of printing on the Iberian Peninsula.

The Most Saintly Catherine

Saint Catherine of Siena was one of the most prominent spiritual figures of the Middle Ages. Along with the Florentine Girolamo Savonarola (1452–1498), she was a leading voice of criticism against the luxury and corruption of the Catholic Church and of the growing secularism and materialism of late medieval society. Nonetheless, she was an prominent actor in the tumultuous politics of 14th century Italy, having convinced Pope Gregory XI (ca. 1329–1378) to end the Avignon Papacy and return the Holy See to Rome in 1377, and continued to act as a representative for the papacy and attempted to resolve the emerging Western Schism. A cult of devotion emerged almost immediately after her death and she was declared the Patron Saint of Europe by Pope John Paul II (1920–2005) in 1999. St. Catherine is also famous as an author, being only one of four women to be declared a Doctor of the Church, and for her pseudo-anorexic asceticism and stigmata, contributing to her early death. The saint is also venerated by some Protestant sects, speaking to her great piety and theological influence.