SAVONAROLA Girolamo Expositione del Reuerendissimo in Christo, padre Frate Hieronymo de Ferrara dellordine de predicatori sopra la oratione della Vergine gloriosa, composta da lui in lingua uulgare ad instantia dicerte deuote suore ferrarese.

Hain, 14449 [sans date] ; Proctor 6286 [sans date] ; BM Italian books, p. 422 [1495 ?] ; BMC VI 663 [sans date] ; Butler, Newberry librayr, Fifteenth century books in Chicago, 1376 [1498] ; Goff, Incunabula in American libraries, S-197 [vers 1495] ; Pellechet (Cat. gén. des incunables des bibl. publiques de France – ms.) 10263 [vers 1496] ; Gesamtkatalog der Wiegendrucke (Catalogue complet des incunables), 40440 [après avril 1496] ; ISTC (Incunabula Short-Title Catalogue), is00197000 [après avril 1496].

First edition of this sentence-by-sentence commentary on the prayer to the Virgin, composed by Savonarola “in the vernacular at the request of certain devout nuns from Ferrara”.

This type of short work (commentaries on prayers such as the Pater noster, Ave Maria and the Psalms) was initially circulated in Italian, in keeping with Savonarola’s habit of addressing his faithful directly. By 1496, his influence was considerable; regarded as the spiritual guide of Florence, he was still resisting pressure from Rome, which disapproved of his criticisms, whilst the number of printed editions of his sermons and commentaries in the Italian vernacular was increasing.

This publication also bears witness to his influence amongst women’s communities (Dominican or otherwise), which were devoted to penance and Marian devotion. The devout nuns of Ferrara, Savonarola’s birthplace, were receptive to his reformist preaching.

Excommunicated in 1497, he was executed in 1498.

The binding is slightly scuffed.