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To ring the church bells

ROCCA, Angelo.
De campanis commentarius a Fr. Angelo Roccha episcopo Tagastensi, et apostolici sacrarii praefecto elucubratus, ad. sanctam. ecclesiam Catholicam directus, in quo multa non minus admiratione, ac scitu digna, quàm lectu iucunda, in Ecclesia Dei reperiri narratur. I uxta diversa qualita, quae in pagina quinta videre licet.

Title within architectural woodcut borders, several woodcut initials, and 4 beautifully engraved plates (unnumbered A-D), of which two folding.

Rome, Guillielmo Facciotti, 1612. 19th century pigskin, spine ribbed with blind-stamped title, blind-stamped ornamental borders and central ornament on front cover. Title within architectural woodcut borders, several woodcut initials, and 4 beautifully engraved plates (unnumbered A-D), of which two folding. VIII, 166, (6), (2 blank), (19), (1 blank) pp.

First edition of one of the first monographs on church bells, carillons and bell ringing by the Italian philologist Angelo Rocca or Roccha (1545-1620). The first (folding) plate shows the 24-hour astrological clock with its bells in the tower on St. Marks' square in Venice, the second (folding) shows figures striking the bells of the chiming clock of St. Lambert's Cathedral in Liège, the third a bell that requires 24 men to ring and the fourth a carillon of bells played from a manual and pedal keyboard.
Rocca is the founder of the Angelica Library at Rome. He was received at the age of seven into the Augustinian monastery at Camerino, studied at Perugia, Rome, Venice, and in 1577 graduated as doctor in theology at Padua. He became secretary to the superior-general of the Augustinians in 1579, was placed at the head of the Vatican printing-office in 1585, and entrusted with the superintendence of the projected editions of the Bible and the writings of the Fathers. It is mainly to his efforts that we owe the edition of the Vulgate published during the pontificate of Clement VIII.
He was appointed papal sacristan in 1595. Being a papal sacristan Rocca acquired a broad knowledge of the nature and use of bells, and in De campanis commentarius Rocca addresses the origins of bells, the rite of consecration for bells, the ecclesiastical usage (including the liturgy), the office of bell ringer, secular uses of bells, musical uses of bells, and clock chiming. The work was republished in Rome in 1745.

Good copy with ms. ownership's entry "Wm. Meredith Morriss. 10 Nov. 1909" on front cover and fly-leaf.- (Covers slightly damaged, some foxing throughout, one plate shaved and repaired).

STC, Italian 756 (2 copies, one wanting the plates); Gregory, Cat., of early printed books on music in the Libr. of Congress, p. 233; Maggs Bros, Cat. 849, Florence and Tuscany. Music, 419; B. Huys, Cat. des imprimés musicaux des XVe, XVIe et XVIIe siècles, 376.

Related Subjects: Churches Music

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