An authentic 1661 edition of Conciones Rurales (“Rural Sermons”), printed in Salzburg by Johann Baptist Mayr and written by Christoph Ulrich Neuburger.
This volume was produced for Catholic clergy as a collection of sermons arranged according to the liturgical year, providing concise homilies for each Sunday. The book begins with the First Sunday of Advent and follows the Church calendar, making it a practical preaching companion for parish priests in seventeenth-century Europe.
One of the most remarkable features of this copy is its original binding, which is covered in a genuine 15th-century illuminated liturgical manuscript written on vellum. During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, worn medieval manuscripts were frequently recycled by bookbinders, preserving fragments of the Middle Ages in later printed books. The binding displays Gothic script, red rubrication, and decorative initials dating approximately two centuries before the book itself was printed.
The volume also retains its Imperial printing privilege issued during the reign of Emperor Leopold I, an early form of copyright protection granted to the author and printer.
An unusual feather impression remains preserved within the pages, likely the result of a feather that rested inside the closed book for many decades. While not original to the book’s production, it represents an intriguing piece of the volume’s later history.
Details
- Printed: 1661
- Place of printing: Salzburg, Austria
- Printer: Johann Baptist Mayr
- Author: Christoph Ulrich Neuburger
- Language: German with Latin
- Original 15th-century vellum manuscript binding
- Contemporary handwritten spine label
Condition
Condition is consistent with age and includes spine loss, edge wear, old repairs, staining, creasing, and general signs of use. The medieval manuscript binding remains intact and highly attractive despite the expected wear associated with a volume over 360 years old. Please examine all photographs carefully for condition details.
A remarkable example of early modern Catholic printing housed within an authentic medieval manuscript binding.
Guaranteed authentic.
