De Civitate Dei
Saint Augustine (1477)
Printed by Mathaias Moravus in Naples, this contains text by Augustine; one of the most widely read early Christian books.
Incunabula: The Early Printed Books
De Civitate Dei
Saint Augustine (1477)
Johannes Gutenberg first thought of the principles behind movable type in 1439. But it was not until 1452 that he finally brought his magnificent idea to fruition and published a complete book, the Gutenberg Bible, in the typographic style.
Gutenberg changed the way Europe thought of the book and heralded a new era of mass communication. For the first time in western history it was possible to quickly, and relatively cheaply, produce hundreds or even thousands of copies of a single work.
Today book collectors also view the invention of the printing press as a major cultural turning point - books made before and after this point are vastly different and so booksellers, collectors and historians dub books printed in this time of transition as ‘Incunabula.’
The term Incunabula (also incunable or incunabulum) refers to a book, pamphlet or other document that was printed, and not handwritten, before the start of the 16th century in Europe. The first recorded usage of the term incunabula came in 1639 when the noted bibliophile Bernhard von Mallinckrodt issued a pamphlet to mark the bicentenary of the advent of printing by movable type titled De ortu et progressu artis typographicae (“Of the rise and progress of the typographic art”).
It was within this pamphlet he used the phrase prima typographicae incunabula, “the first infancy of printing” to describe books printed before the date 1500. The date was chosen arbitrarily, probably because it was a nice round number that followed the invention, but it stuck.
The new technology caught on fast and Incunabula can be found in more than 15 languages. Today, you will find examples in the world’s most famous libraries.
Examples of Incunabula
Liber Sextus Decretalium cum Apparatu Ioannis Andreae
by Pope Bonifacius VIII (1470)
Six Books of Decretals, which are
letters issued by the pope that
influence ecclesiastical law.
Bucolica Cum Commento Familiari
by Vergilius Maro Publius (1497)
Title translates as ‘Comments Made
by an Intimate Friend’
De Victoria verbi Dei in Tredecim Libros Diuisum
by Abbot of Deutz Rupertus (1487)
An important book for the time, explaining how people become
good or evil.
Epistolae, libri X. De Vocatione; Sermones; Orationes; de Sacramentis; de Virginibus; de
viduis. de Helia et Ieiunio
by Ambrosius (1490)
Letters and sermons of Bishop Ambrosius of Milan, a key
ecclesiastical figure of the 4th century.
Historiae Florentini Populi
by Brunus Leonardus (1492)
History of the Florentine people. Leonardo Bruni of Arezzo has been called the first modern historian.
Joannes Gerson de Immitatione Christi Et de Contemptu Mundi in Vulgari Sermone
by Joannes Gerson (1491)
The ‘Imitation of Christ’ is a religious instruction manual – this copy is written in Venice’s vernacular language.
Sermones de laudibus sanctorum
by Roberto Caracciolo (1490)
Title translates as sermons in the praise of the saints. A key
religious text of the time.
Scrutinium scripturarum
by Paulus de Sancta Maria (1470)
The analysis of the scriptures written by a Jew who converted to
Catholicism.
Vitae Caesarum
by Svetonio (1493)
Suetonius was a historian who wrote about the Roman Empire’s leaders.
Rosarium decretorum
by Guido de Baysio (1480)
A commentary on the Decretum of Gratian, which Guido de Baysio
wrote about the year 1300.
Comedia
by Dante Alighieri (1491)
Dante’s poem with commentary from Cristoforo Landino, a key figure of
the Florentine Renaissance.
Liber Chronicarum. Chronique de Nuremberg
by Schedel (1493)
The Nuremberg Chronicle
summarised the geographical and
historical knowledge of the era.
Rudimentum Novitiorum
(1500)
An early history of France and especially its links with the Catholic church.
Sententiarum libri IV
by Petrus Lombardus (1491)
Printed by Anton Koberger, an
important religious text with illuminations.
Historia Ecclesiastica
by Eusebius di Cesarea (1479)
A history of the Church from the Apostles to medieval times.
Impression Incunable Koberger
(1483)
A single sheet from a Koberger bible – Anton Koberger was a German printer of great importance.
Articuli fidi vitia et virtutes
by Articuli Fidei (1492)
An early printed book from Lyon in France – a book of devotion about vices and virtues.
Imitatio Christi
by Johannes Gerson et al (1501)
The ‘Imitation of Christ’ is a work of spiritual devotion, designed as a religious instruction manual.
Liber de Proprietatibus Rerum
by Bartholomaeus Anglicus (1491)
A medieval encyclopedia of natural science by a scholarly Franciscan friar.
Missale Secundum Conscietudinem Romanae curie
by Missale Romanum (1484)
The first book from Georg Stuchs’ print shop - Stuchs was an important printer of liturgical works in the late 15th century.
Opuscula
by Saint Anselm (1497)
Works of a philosopher, theologian & employee of the Archbishop of Canterbury in the 11th century.
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