UNRECORDED ABC AND CATECHISM
[CATECHISM.]
A B C D … Orazione Dominicale … Salutazione Angelica …
Bologna, [Ferdinando Pisarri] ‘all’insegna di S. Antonio’, [early 1700s].
8vo, ff. [8]; title taken from opening contents, text in Latin and Italian, first page printed in red and black within typographic border, several woodcuts within text, the first in red ink, the remainder in black; small ink stain at foot of A2, toned, occasional marks, very small marginal loss to lower corner of final leaf; good, pamphlet-stitched (thread renewed); juvenile inscription at foot of first page ‘Magiati Domenico’; housed in paste-paper clamshell box, with gilt green morocco label to spine.
An apparently unrecorded ABC and catechism for children, illustrated with small woodcuts, printed at Bologna in the early eighteenth century, most likely by Ferdinando Pisarri (1659–1737).
Son of the printer Antonio Pisarri, Ferdinando operated ‘all’insegna di S. Antonio’ from 1703, largely publishing devotional, musical, and literary works. The nearest comparable text printed by him that we have been able to trace is a broadsheet entitled Atto di fede teologica issued in 1708, recorded on OPAC SBN in a single copy at the Biblioteca dell’Archiginnasio in Bologna.
Beginning with upper and lower case alphabets in roman and italic, and a basic syllabary, and ending with a table for learning numbers from 1 to 5000, the body of the text found here comprises fundamental Christian texts in Latin and Italian. In Latin we have the Pater Noster and Ave Maria, graces for before and after eating, the Apostle’s Creed, Psalms 109–113, 116, 129, and 50, the Magnificat, Nunc dimittis, Ave maris stella, and Salve regina, the opening verses of St John’s Gospel, and texts for the celebration of Mass, while in Italian we find Acts of faith, hope, charity, and penitence, the Ten Commandments, and the Five Commandments of the Church.
The woodcuts accompanying the text depict children kneeling before a cross (a model of piety for the pamphlet’s young readers to emulate), Christ’s agony in the garden, the Annunciation, King David harping, St John writing, and a priest officiating at the altar, while the twelve articles of the Apostle’s Creed are laid out alongside charmingly naïve woodcuts of the twelve Apostles and their attributes.
No copies traced on OCLC or OPAC SBN.
