Scarce and perhaps unique manuscript of the Spanish Counter-Reformation

[Order of Santiago]. Reformacion de los conventos de la Orden de Santiago.

€ 9,500.00

A scarce manuscript from one of the oldest Catholic Orders in Europe, known to the market only in this possibly unique copy and in a printed edition; the printed edition is itself likewise only extant in a single copy held by the Biblioteca Nacional de España, Madrid. Both the printed book (dated to 1566/67) and this manuscript (dated by its scribe to 1569) are copies of an older manuscript, itself penned no earlier than 1560. This original manuscript was designed to be kept in the archives of the Order of Santiago, while copies were spread far and wide, as is stated in the Order's original orders to printers and scribes: "[...] so that it is not lost or broken while travelling through many hands, we allow you to print in as many volumes, as many will suffice [...] for a long time, and this original remains in the archive" (f. 132 verso). It is unknown whether the Order of Santiago, which continues to this day, holds the original manuscript in its archives as intended; currently no such manuscript is listed on any public digital database.

The present manuscript of 'Reformacion de los conventos de la Orden de Santiago' was copied within ten years of the original manuscript, and discusses in great detail the reforms undergone by the Order of Santiago the 16th century. At this point the Order, founded in 1170 CE, was already an ancient institution, with religious and political influence in Europe and the Americas. They would weather the Renaissance and the Catholic Counter-Reformation to survive to the present day; 16th century monastic reforms such as those documented here are part of that long history, and especially important to the history of the Counter-Reformation.