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A unique collectors’ edition: only 33 copies Hand-bound in the studio of the Vatican Secret Archives
And the possibility of paying a unique visit to the Vatican Secret Archives For only € 4950
For more information: Astrid Fobelets, [email protected]
The Vatican Secret Archives – VdH Books 1 Presentation collectors’ edition
Coinciding with the publication of The Vatican Secret Archives , VdH Books is issuing a unique collectors’ edition for the most important book collectors around the world.
Only 33 copies , 3 of which are reserved for the Pope, the Vatican Library and the Vatican Secret Archives, will be published on request in Italian, English, French or Dutch .
Those books will be printed on request on high-quality Basix felt (170g) and fully hand- stitched with cotton thread on the nerves and fastening ties of white leather. They are hand- bound in the studio of the Vatican Secret Archives in sheep parchment with reinforcements in leather in geometric drawings.
In addition, the collectors’ editions will be numbered, stamped and certified with a Proof of Authenticity signed by Msgr. Pagano, Prefect of the Vatican Secret Archives.
With each book being made on request in the studio of the Vatican Secret Archives , delivery times of several months should be expected. If you wish, you can have your book personalised with your name or ex libris.
For those who make a decision quickly , there is also the possibility of paying a unique visit to the Vatican Secret Archives. A once in a lifetime experience !
The collectors’ edition is priced at € 4950 (incl. VAT, exc. shipping costs, payable on order).
When the full production has been completed, purchasers will receive a list of the 33 buyers. It is also possible to be listed as anonymous.
How to order:
Please contact Astrid Fobelets ( [email protected] ; +32.(0)2.733.66.07) to place your order. Your book will be put into production upon receipt of your payment.
The Vatican Secret Archives – VdH Books 2 Presentation book
The Vatican Secret Archives have fuelled people’s imagination for centuries. This is largely due to its incomparable long and interesting history. Today, the entire documentation kept in the Vatican Secret Archives occupies 85 kilometres of bookshelves and is constantly growing. It covers a continued chronological space of over 800 years. Moreover, its unique location, the majestic documentary treasures and the limited access contribute to this aura of mystery. The shroud of secrecy that has always surrounded this important cultural institution of the Holy See, due to the allusions to inaccessible secrets, as well as to the publicity it has always enjoyed in literature and in the media, makes this publication even more attractive.
And now, for the first time, a publisher was allowed to walk around this wonderful location without any restrictions. The result is a magnificent book with impressive and atmospheric illustrations. Take an unforgettable walk past the most exceptional places and documents in these secret archives, including reading rooms that are only open to academia, as well as rooms that remain closed to the public, some of which are decorated with gorgeous 16th and 17th century frescos, while others accommodate several thousands of documents.
You will be able to discover more than 100 of these documents in this book. Specialists of the Vatican Secret Archives have selected these documents and provided each one with a precise explanation. It is a careful selection of documents that show the richness of the Vatican Archives’ contents.
A highly appealing, unique and attractive book, for a large audience as well as for the academic!
The Vatican Secret Archives – VdH Books 3 Document selection criteria
A special commission of four specialists associated with the Vatican Secret Archives selected the documents that have been included in this book.
The documents selected provide a chronological journey through the meandering history of the past centuries. The starting point is the oldest document contained in the Vatican Secret Archives: the famous Liber Diurnus Romanorum Pontificum , an old book containing formulas in use by the Papal Chancellery, which dates back to the end of the 8th or the beginning of the 9th century. The Τόµος of Patriarch Athenagoras , from 1965, is the final destination on this journey.
We stop at some of the most important events in the history of the Church, Europe, and beyond: including the Concordat of Worms, Pax Veneta, the Union of the Greek and Latin Churches, The Council of Trent, The Peace of Tolentino, papal letters (incl.: Letter of Clement VII for the Coronation of the Emperor Charles V, Letter of Pius XI to Hitler), from emperors (incl.: Letter of the Emperor Frederick II, Letter of Hirohito to Pius XII) and from saints (incl.: Letter of St Teresa of Avila, Autographical letter of St. John Bosco, Letter of Sr. Bernadette).
In addition, documents were selected that relate to the most important people from cultural history (culture, philosophy and art). That includes the following documents: Notary Instrument certified by Brunetto Latini, Letters of Erasmus of Rotterdam, Michelangelo Buonarroti , Acts of the Process conducted against Galileo Galilei, Voltaire’s letter to Pope Benedict XIV, Conferring the Golden Spur on Mozart.
The documents also reflect geographic dispersion/origins; the Archives contain documents from far beyond the geographic territory of the Church. Examples include: Letter from Patriarch Tikhon, Letter of Clement XII to the Dalai Lama of Tibet, Letter of the Caliph of Morocco, Abu Hafs ‘Umar al- Murtada, Letter of the Great Khan Güyük to Pope Innocent IV.
And finally, attention is also given to documents that owe their special place to their material value and rarity: Diploma of Emperor Otto I on purple parchment and with golden ink, Letter of Empress Helena of China on silk and Letter of American Indians to Leo XIII on birch bark.
The reader will discover through this book a series of unique and valuable documents that represent the history of the Church and the world.
The Vatican Secret Archives – VdH Books 4 List of documents
Note: the documents shown in blue have not been published previously, although their contents are known.
1 Liber Diurnus Romanorum Pontificum End of the 8th century - beginning of the 9th century
2 Donation to the Church of San Pietro in Castello of Verona 809 May 13, Verona
3 Diploma of Emperor Otto I 962 February 13
4 Privilege of Leo IX 1051 October 11
5 Precept of Gisulph II, Prince of Salerno 1054 September, Salerno
6 Copy of the Register of John VIII 1070-1075
7 Register of Gregory VII 11th century ex.
8 Concordat of Worms between Callixtus II and Emperor 1122 September 23, Worms Henry V
9 ἀντ ίγραµµα ǀ γραφή of Emperor John II Comnenus to Pope 1139 June, Constantinople Innocent II about the Union of the Greek and the Latin Churches.
10 Diploma of Emperor Frederick I 1164 August 10, Pavia
11 Pax Veneta 1177 July 22 - September 17
12 Diploma of Emperor Henry VI 1195 April 27, Ortona
13 Register of the Diocese of Tivoli 12th century
14 Registers of Innocent III 1198-1216
15 Diploma of Otto IV of Brunswick, King of the Romans 1209 March 22, Spire
16 Register of Honorius III 1222-1224
17 Letter of the Emperor Frederick II 1233 August 14, Enna
18 Letter of Béla IV, King of Hungary to Gregory IX 1238 June 7, Zólyom
19 Letter of the Great Khan Güyük to Pope Innocent IV 1246 November 11-13, Karakorum The safe conduct granted by Abaγa, Ilkahn of Persia, to a papal embassy returning to the West 1267 (of 1279) November
The Vatican Secret Archives – VdH Books 5 20 Letter of the Caliph of Morocco, Abu Hafs ‘Umar al- 1250 June 10, Marrakesh Murtada
21 Notary Instrument certified by Brunetto Latini 1263 September 15, Arras - 1263 September 26, Paris
22 The Council of Lyons and Gregory X’s approval of ‘Ubi 1274 July 13, Lyons periculum’
23 Letter of the Patriarch John XI Vekkos 1277 April, Constantinople
24 A Medieval Accounts’ Book 1279-1285
25 Letter of the Sacred College of Cardinals to Pietro Morrone 1294 July 11, Perugia announcing his election as pontiff
26 Three Documents from the Register of Boniface VIII 1300-1314
27 Letter from the Nestorian Catholicos Yahballaha 1302
28 The Trial of the Knights Templar 1308-1310
29 Notary Instrument of the Public Retraction of Meister 1327 February 13, Köln Eckhart
30 Petition of Francesco Petrarch to Clement VI 1347 September 9, Avignon
31 The ‘Registrum’ of Cardinal Gil de Albornoz aa. 1355-1357
32 Papal dispensation for Giovanni Boccaccio 1360 November 2, Avignon
33 Leonardo Bruni and the Re-foundation of the University of 1406 September 1, Rome Rome
34 Sentence of the Council of Pisa deposing Benedict XIII and 1409 June 5, Pisa Gregory XII
35 The Council of Constance 1413 December 9, Lodi 1415 October 13, Constance
36 Decree of the Council of Florence for the Union of the 1439 July 6, Florence Greek and Latin Churches
37 Collectanea’ of Documents of the Chancellery and of the 1456 (post an.) Camera Apostolica compiled by Cardinal Nicolás Rossell (called the Cardinal ‘d’Aragona’)
38 Tracts on the Life and Visions’ of St. Francesca Romana 1469
The Vatican Secret Archives – VdH Books 6 39 The ‘Liber privilegiorum Romanae Ecclesiae’ of Bartolomeo circa an. 1475-1480 Sacchi, il Platina
40 The Bull ‘Inter cetera’ of Alexander VI addressed to the 1493 May 4, Rome Spanish Monarchs following the Discovery of the New World
41 Autograph Letter of Lucrezia Borgia to Pope Alexander VI 1494 June 10, Pesaro
42 Ciphered letter of Francisco Prats, Nuncio in Spain, to 1494 July 14, Madrid Alexander VI and a minute of Alexander VI’s letter to Giulia 1494 October 22, Rome Farnese
43 Enrolment of the First Contingent of the Swiss Guard and 1505 June 21, Rome (St. Peter’s) its Statute 1561 March 20
44 Nomination of Raphael Sanzio as Scriptor of Apostolic 1509-1518 Briefs and his contribution to the plans for Piazza del Popolo
45 The Tribunal of the Roman Rota 1508-1690
46 The Bulls Condemning and Excommunicating Martin 1520 June 15 - 1521 January 3, Luther Rome
47 The Edict of Worms 1521 May 8, Worms
48 Letter of Erasmus of Rotterdam to Clement VII 1524 February 13, Basel 1524 October 9, Basel Letter of Erasmus of Rotterdam to Gian Matteo Giberti
49 The Sack of the Vatican Palaces of 20 September 1526 and 1526 September – November, the Papal Reaction Rome
50 Letter of Clement VII for the Coronation of the Emperor 1530 March 1, Bologna Charles V
51 Henry VIII’s ‘Great Matter’ and the Letter of the Peers of 1530 July 13, Ex Anglia England to Clement VII
52 Order for Payment of the Camera Apostolica in favour of 1535 January 5, Rome Benvenuto Cellini
53 Michelangelo Buonarroti and Paul III 1535-1550
54 The Council of Trent 1542-1563
The Vatican Secret Archives – VdH Books 7 55 Tintoretto 1551 November 6, Venice
56 Philip II’s Oath of Fealty to Pope Paul IV 1555 October 1, Brussels
57 Autograph Letter of St Teresa of Avila to Fr. Ambrosio 1577 February 6, Toledo Mariano de San Benito
58 Letter of Queen Elizabeth of England to Cardinal Tolomeo 1579 July 24, Greenwich Galli
59 The Gregorian Calendar and the ‘Lunario Novo’ of 1582 1582
60 Manuscript of selected lyrics of the 16th century Persian 1582 poet Muhtašam-i Kāšānī
61 Letter of Mary, Queen of Scots, to Pope Sixtus V 1586 November 23, Fotheringay
62 The Union of Brest’ 1596 October 18, Brest’
63 Summary of the Process against Giordano Bruno 1597-1598, Rome
64 Letter of Antonio Manuel ne Vunda (il Negrita) to Paul V 1606 October 28, Madrid
65 Acts of the Process conducted against Galileo Galilei 1616-1633, Rome
66 The Brief ‘Zelo Domus Dei’: Innocent X and the Peace of 1648 November 18, Rome Westphalia
67 Letter of Empress Helena of China 1650 November 4
68 The Abdication of Queen Christina of Sweden 1654 June 1, Uppsala
69 Notices of Payment to Gian Lorenzo Bernini 1669 October 10 – 1670 February 5, Rome
70 Innocent XI, John III Sobieski, King of Poland, and the 1683 September – October 10 Liberation of Vienna
71 Bartolomeu Lourenço de Gusmão’s air ship 1709 (post)
72 Letter of Clement XII to the Dalai Lama of Tibet 1738 September 24, Rome
73 Voltaire’s letter to Pope Benedict XIV 1745 August 17, Paris
74 Conferring the Golden Spur on Mozart 1770 July 4, Rome
The Vatican Secret Archives – VdH Books 8 75 The Final Ballot of the Conclave of Pius VI 1775 February 15, Rome
76 The Peace Treaty of Tolentino between the Holy See and 1797 February 19, Tolentino the French Republic
77 The ‘Cerimoniale’ for the Consecration and Coronation of 1804 December, Paris Napoleon I, Emperor of the French
78 Petition of Alessandro Manzoni to Read Prohibited Books 1810 December 30, Milan
79 Giacomo Leopardi’s request for employment in the papal 1825 August 3, Milan administration
80 Ignacio Sánchez de Tejada, ambassador of Simón Bolívar to 1827 February 2, Rome the Holy See, and the new Churches in Colombia
81 The Borghese Family Jewels 1834-1837
82 Letter of Giuseppe Garibaldi to the Internuncio Mons. 1847 October 12, Montevideo Gaetano Bedini
83 Retraction of Antonio Rosmini-Serbati on the Question of 1849 Episcopal Elections
84 The Dogma of the Immaculate Conception 1854 December 8, Rome
85 Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis 1863 September 23, Richmond 1863 November 16, Washington
86 The Bull indicting the First Vatican Council 1868 June 29, Rome
87 Autographical letter of St. John Bosco to Cardinal Giuseppe 1874 November 7, Turin Berardi
88 Letter of Sr. Bernadette to Pius IX 1876 December 17, Nevers
89 Letter of American Indians to Leo XIII 1887 May 21, Grassy Lake
90 The Popes and the First World War: Letter of Emperor Franz-Joseph of Austria-Hungary to Pius 1914 August 2, Vienna X 1915 janvier 12, The Vatican Letter of Benedict XV to Emperor Franz-Joseph of Austria- Hungary
91 The papal court in Gala Train to the ‘Cappelle Pontificie’ 1915
The Vatican Secret Archives – VdH Books 9 92 Letter from Patriarch Tikhon 1921 July 5, Moscow
93 The religious death of Giacomo Puccini 1924 December 9, Brussels
94 Luigi Sturzo’s Vatican Passport 1926 September 1, Rome
95 The Lateran Treaty between the Holy See and Italy 1929 February 11, Rome
96 Appeal of Mons. José de Jesús Manríques y Zárate, Bishop 1932 September 17, Washington of Huejutla, in exile in Texas
97 Letter of Pius XI to Hitler 1934 December 30, The Vatican
98 Radio message of Pius XI of 29 September 1938, with 1938 September 29 autographic corrections
99 Letter of Hirohito to Pius XII 1939 June 7, Tokyo
100 The Vatican Information Office for Prisoners of War (1939- 1939-1947 1947)
101 Request for Information concerning Edith Stein and her 1945 September 18, The Hague Sister Rosa
102 The Dogma of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary 1950 November 1, Rome
103 The Bull ‘Humanae Salutis’ of John XXIII convoking the 1961 December 25, The Vatican Second Vatican Ecumenical Council
104 Design for the pontifical audience hall “Paolo VI” by Pier Luigi Nervi
105 The Τόµος of Patriarch Athenagoras 1965 December 7, Phanar (Istanbul)
The Vatican Secret Archives – VdH Books 10 Technical Information
Title: The Vatican Secret Archives
Publisher: Paul Van den Heuvel - VdH Books
Authors: Luca Becchetti, Luca Carboni, Giovanni Castaldo, Marcel Chappin, Giovanni Coco, Daniele De Marchis, Alejandro Mario Dieguez, Francesca Di Giovanni, Enrico Flaiani, Barbara Frale, Marco Grilli, Marco Maiorino, Aldo Martini, Sergio Pagano, Angelo Michele Piemontese, Luca Pieralli, Pier Paolo Piergentili, Giuseppina Roselli, Alfredo Tuzi, Gianni Venditti
Foreword: Cardinal Raffaele Farina, S.D.B., Archivist and librarian of the Holy Roman Church
Introduction: Prefect Sergio Pagano, B.
Translation: Mons. James O'Brien, Official of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments
Photography: Philippe Debeerst, Andrea Marini, Enrico Ottaviani
Copy editing: Astrid Fobelets, Francesco Lippa
ISBN: ISBN 9789088810237 (English ed.)
Pages: 252 Photos: In colour, 160 atmospheric illustrations, 184 illustrations of documents Size: 297 mm x 297 mm (interior book pages) Finishing: See specifications p. 2 Price: € 4950 Languages: Available on demand in Italian, English, French and Dutch
The Vatican Secret Archives – VdH Books 11