The National Library of Montenegro “Đurđe Crnojević” purchased three Latin incunabula of the first South Slavic typographer and publisher Andrija Paltašić Kotoranin from the “Biblos” Antique Store from Zagreb, with the funds allocated by the Ministry of Culture and Media of Montenegro.
These are printed books from the 15th century, bound together, with original Italian half-parchment 'monk' binding on wooden boards, with elegant floral and geometric decorations on pigskin. Each of these three books is decorated at the beginning with beautiful initials in gold and colors (minium red, cobalt blue and copper green), in typical Venetian style.
These are collections of love poetry by the Latin poets Tibullus, Catullus and Propertius, printed in 1487 and 1488 in Venice. The names of the three poets of “Propertio Catullo Tibullo” are handwritten and still legible on the front cover.
According to relevant data published by Dr Miloš Milošević in the book “Andrija Paltašić Kotoranin” (Matica Crnogorska, 1994), in the period from 1477 to 1499, Andrija Paltašić printed 37 incunabula independently and 4 together with other printers. Almost half of Paltašić's editions in around 40 copies have been preserved in South Slavic areas, of which 33 are in Croatia, 3 in Montenegro and 1 in Slovenia. NLM “Đurđe Crnojević” has owned one of the three that can be found in our country since before, and it is Paltašić's first incunabula “Attic Nights" (“Noctes Aticae”) from 1477.
For the purpose of professional expertise, NLM hired prof. Dr Božidar Šekularac, a distinguished historian who is engaged in the study and research of old printing in the area of Montenegro. In Zagreb, he inspected the authenticity and the state of the books on the spot and submitted a written report about it, which, among other things, states:
“Paltašić worked as a publisher and printer in Venice between 1476 and 1499, where he became one of the most famous Venetian masters of printing.
According to scientific knowledge, Paltašić published his first incunabulum at the beginning of 1477, and the last in 1499. He published mainly works of Greek and Roman classics, contemporaries - humanists, historiographers and lexicographers, and older contemporary theological writers. He published his publications in Latin and Italian. Among others, these are the works of Cicero, Diodorus, Gellius, Pliny the Elder, Virgil, Ovid, etc. and the works of authors whose books were the subject of our interest: Catullus, Propertius and Tibullus.
It is estimated that Paltašić's books are among the most successful creations of early medieval printing in the 15th century in terms of their graphic design, workmanship and aesthetic appearance. This particular copy, apparently an unknown edition not recorded in the ISTC (International Standard Text Code), contains the final register for all three volumes.
It is assumed that he personally wrote the prefaces and after words for his books. He proudly emphasized his name, surname and place of birth – “If you are looking for an artist, who is he, and what is his birthplace - it is Andrija, son of Jakov, and Kotor is his hometown”.
It should be noted that in the 15th and 16th centuries, at the transition between the Middle Ages and the New Age, “printers from the area of Montenegro produced 70 books: until 1500 - 46 incunabula and during the 16th century (until 1597) - 24 post-incunabula.” The circulation of these editions has not yet been precisely determined. Through these works, Montenegro has placed itself on an equal footing in the European and world cultural heritage, in the epochal period of the invention of printing, occupying the first place among the South Slavs in terms of both Latin and Cyrillic books. Therefore, we believe that the priority of the State of Montenegro, the Ministry of Culture and Media and the National Library “Đurđe Crnojević” is to dedicate themselves with special attention and care to the collection of our written cultural heritage, which is scattered all over the world.
NLM “Đurđe Crnojević” would like to thank the Directorate for Cultural Diplomacy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Embassy of Montenegro in the Republic of Croatia, who helped deliver these priceless editions to Montenegro.
The National Library of Montenegro “Đurđe Crnojević” purchased three Latin incunabula of the first South Slavic typographer and publisher Andrija Paltašić Kotoranin from the “Biblos” Antique Store from Zagreb, with the funds allocated by the Ministry of Culture and Media of Montenegro.
These are printed books from the 15th century, bound together, with original Italian half-parchment 'monk' binding on wooden boards, with elegant floral and geometric decorations on pigskin. Each of these three books is decorated at the beginning with beautiful initials in gold and colors (minium red, cobalt blue and copper green), in typical Venetian style.
These are collections of love poetry by the Latin poets Tibullus, Catullus and Propertius, printed in 1487 and 1488 in Venice. The names of the three poets of “Propertio Catullo Tibullo” are handwritten and still legible on the front cover.
According to relevant data published by Dr Miloš Milošević in the book “Andrija Paltašić Kotoranin” (Matica Crnogorska, 1994), in the period from 1477 to 1499, Andrija Paltašić printed 37 incunabula independently and 4 together with other printers. Almost half of Paltašić's editions in around 40 copies have been preserved in South Slavic areas, of which 33 are in Croatia, 3 in Montenegro and 1 in Slovenia. NLM “Đurđe Crnojević” has owned one of the three that can be found in our country since before, and it is Paltašić's first incunabula “Attic Nights" (“Noctes Aticae”) from 1477.
For the purpose of professional expertise, NLM hired prof. Dr Božidar Šekularac, a distinguished historian who is engaged in the study and research of old printing in the area of Montenegro. In Zagreb, he inspected the authenticity and the state of the books on the spot and submitted a written report about it, which, among other things, states:
“Paltašić worked as a publisher and printer in Venice between 1476 and 1499, where he became one of the most famous Venetian masters of printing.
According to scientific knowledge, Paltašić published his first incunabulum at the beginning of 1477, and the last in 1499. He published mainly works of Greek and Roman classics, contemporaries - humanists, historiographers and lexicographers, and older contemporary theological writers. He published his publications in Latin and Italian. Among others, these are the works of Cicero, Diodorus, Gellius, Pliny the Elder, Virgil, Ovid, etc. and the works of authors whose books were the subject of our interest: Catullus, Propertius and Tibullus.
It is estimated that Paltašić's books are among the most successful creations of early medieval printing in the 15th century in terms of their graphic design, workmanship and aesthetic appearance. This particular copy, apparently an unknown edition not recorded in the ISTC (International Standard Text Code), contains the final register for all three volumes.
It is assumed that he personally wrote the prefaces and after words for his books. He proudly emphasized his name, surname and place of birth – “If you are looking for an artist, who is he, and what is his birthplace - it is Andrija, son of Jakov, and Kotor is his hometown”.
It should be noted that in the 15th and 16th centuries, at the transition between the Middle Ages and the New Age, “printers from the area of Montenegro produced 70 books: until 1500 - 46 incunabula and during the 16th century (until 1597) - 24 post-incunabula.” The circulation of these editions has not yet been precisely determined. Through these works, Montenegro has placed itself on an equal footing in the European and world cultural heritage, in the epochal period of the invention of printing, occupying the first place among the South Slavs in terms of both Latin and Cyrillic books. Therefore, we believe that the priority of the State of Montenegro, the Ministry of Culture and Media and the National Library “Đurđe Crnojević” is to dedicate themselves with special attention and care to the collection of our written cultural heritage, which is scattered all over the world.
NLM “Đurđe Crnojević” would like to thank the Directorate for Cultural Diplomacy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Embassy of Montenegro in the Republic of Croatia, who helped deliver these priceless editions to Montenegro.