For Simple Souls
BELLARMINO, Roberto.
Dichiarazione della dottrina cristiana ... Revista ed approvata. Brescia, Bendiscioli, 1815.
12mo, pp. 283, [1 (blank)]; each page within typographic frame, woodcut of the Crucifixion to verso of title, 7 in-text woodcuts of the sacraments; small tears to p. 3 and to final leaf (not affecting text), some light creasing to corners; sewn longstitch in carta rustica and covered in blocked pastepaper, edges cut flush and mottled red; light wear to extremities.
Very rare vernacular Brescia edition of Cardinal Bellarmino’s so-called ‘small catechism’ (Doctrina Christiana), composed in dialogue format for the education of children and ‘simple souls’, this copy an unusual example of a patterned paper used to cover a longstitch carta rustica binding.
Besides the opening woodcut of the Crucifixion (signed ‘AB’), there are seven small woodcuts depicting the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, holy communion, penance, anointing the sick, holy orders, and marriage.
Only one copy recorded on OCLC, at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore.