RAGGUAGLIO DELLA SOLENNE TRASLAZIONE DEL CORPO DI S. LEONE MAGNO: SEGUITA GLI 11. APRILE 1715 NELLA BASILICA VATICANA ALLA SANTITA DI N. S. PAPA CLEMENTE XI

Rome: Nella Stamperia di Gio. Maria Salvioni, 1715. 273 x 200 mm. (10 3/4 x 8"). 3 p.l., 31, [7], 31-83, [1] pp.
Contemporary sprinkled sheep, raised bands, spine gilt in compartments with central fleuron, red morocco label, marbled pastedowns. Engraved vignette on title page featuring a portrait of Pope Clement XI, four engraved six-line historiated initials, four decorative head- and tailpieces, large headpiece vignette of the Translation ceremony, and TWO ENGRAVED PLATES of the coffin and tomb of St. Leo the Great. Not in Ruggieri or Cicognara. ◆Joints a bit rubbed at head, minor wear to extremities, one quire lightly browned, other inconsequential imperfections, but an excellent copy, clean and very fresh internally, in a solid, pleasing binding.

This is a rarely seen copy of the "Report of the Solemn Translation of the Body of St. Leo the Great which took place on 11 April 1715 in the Vatican Basilica," written by the Vatican official who served as Prefect of the Basilica. Born into a noble family of Siena, Lodovico Segardi (1660-1726) pursued a career in the Roman Curia, where he had an important friendship with Cardinal Pietro Ottoboni, vice-chancellor of Rome. As prefect of St. Peter's Basilica, Sergardi would have overseen the ceremony in which the body of the fifth century pope Leo I was moved (or "translated") to a more prominent tomb in the Basilica. (In another context, Sergardi, writing under the pseudonym Quintus Sectanus, was famous in the early 18th century for his scathing satires of Roman academicians.) Leo (d. 461) was known as "the Great" for his handling of theological controversies, his defense of papal primacy, and his efforts to defend Rome from barbarian invaders; he was named a Doctor of the Church in 1754. In keeping with the pomp and elevation of the book's subject matter, the volume is richly decorated. OCLC finds just 10 copies of this work in libraries, two in North America, and we could trace just two copies at auction..