Mid 18th century Italian language religious book,

with Red Rose fore-edge painting.

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Esercizio del Cristiano 

overo 

Orazioni Divote 

Raccolte dalle Opere de'Santi Padri,

ed altri celebri Autori.

A Sua Eccellenza

La Signora

D. Giacinta

Orsini Boncompagni Ludovisi

Duchessa d' Arce

In Roma 

MDCCLVII

Presso Gioacchino , e Gio. Giuseppe Salvioni

Stampatori Vaticani

Con licenza de Superiori 

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(translation)

Christian Exercise

or

Devoted Prayers

Collected from the Works of the Holy Fathers and other famous Authors.

To Her Excellency The Lady D. Giacinta , Duchess of Arce

In Rome , 1757

By Gioacchino and Giovanni Giuseppe Salvioni

With license from Superiors

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Full tooled leather binding.

Five raised spine bands.

Initials " V. G. " stamped onto the front cover.

Initials " M. C. " stamped onto the rear cover.

Dentelle decorated in gold at the inside of the covers, at the outer edge.

Marbled endpapers.

4" x 6 3/4"

(8) + 360 pages.

18th century Italian language religious book, published in Rome in 1757.

Embellished with a fore-edge painting.

Illustrated with a plate showing Jesus Christ and the disciples / apostles.

Several woodcut decorations, including putti and birds device, botanical decorations, and putti with papal tiara (crown) and keys.

Vanishing fore-edge painting ( visible when pages are fanned ).

Red rose with banners above and below. Hand-lettering on the banners (difficult to read).

Additional lettering, " Decore " (decorated?)

also, "-- AD ---- " ( this is hard to read; probably the initials of the painter and a date ).

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Condition.

The page edges were gilt, once upon a time, but only the slightest hint of the gold remains.

The page edges have darkened, which has rendered the fore-edge painting less clear.

The book itself is in as-is condition.

Worn binding.

The front cover became detached long ago, and a former owner stitched it back in place.

There is also a strip of tape at the inside of the front cover hinge.

The rear cover is still attached, with a few stiches add (long ago) to tighten up the upper 1.5".

Lacks the front pages, with the first present page being the title-page (see the photos).

Lacks the rear blank pages, with the last present page being the last page of the Index (with "Il Fine").

From the title-page to the last Index page, all pages are present.

Foxed throughout, with some other page staining.

The plate (Jesus and Disciples) has a closed tear (roughly horizontal) from the inner edge to about the middle of the plate.

(this tear has been closed with a little glue, though the tear-line is visible; see the photos)

Some old ink lettering on the title-page verso.

" D. Dominico " hand-written in old ink on page 324.

In general, condition is less than ideal in this mid-1700s book by Salvioni, official printers to the Vatican.

The original fore-edge painting, however, does improve its desirability.

Carefully packed for shipment to the buyer.