The Gentleman, the Virtuoso, the Inquirer - Cambridge Scholars ...

The Gentleman, the Virtuoso, the Inquirer: Vincencio Juan de Lastanosa
and the Art of Collecting in Early Modern Spain
dscriuiala [sic] El Solitario al Dor Don RFancisco [sic] Filhol… We have
selected the copy preserved in the Biblioteca del Palacio Real de Madrid 4 .
Catálogo Sparvenfeldt refers to the manuscript catalogue that Lastanosa
did of the books and curiosities preserved in his library. Entitled Catálogo
de los libros de D. Vincencio Ioan Lastanosa. Por orden de alfabeto, is an
exhaustive record of books, manuscripts, maps, scientific instruments,
coins and antiquities hoarded by Lastanosa along his life. Two copies of
the Catalogue existed. One is an eighteenth century extract. The other one
is a complet copy preserved in the Royal Library of Stockholm from the
end of seventeenth century. Everything relative to books and manuscripts
was published by Karl Ludwig Selig in 1960. Nevertheless, Selig did not
include in his edition the part of the catalogue in which Lastanosa detailed
the maps, mathematical instruments, coins and antiquities of his collection.
That is why we appealed the original manuscript as source 5 .
Narración de 1662 is a manuscript relation that Lastanosa did of his
collections. Under the title Narración de lo que le pasó a Don Vincencio
Lastanosa a 15 de octubre del año 1662 con un religioso docto y grave,
remain two copies. One, incomplete, in the Biblioteca Nacional de
Madrid 6 ; and the other one, preserved in the Hispanic Society of America,
which is the used one 7 .
Habitación de las Musas is a manuscript praise that the son of Lastanosa,
Vicente Antonio, wrote of the collections of his father. Entitled Habitación
de las musas, recreo de los doctos, asilo de los virtuosos. Elogio de
Lastanosa escrito durante los últimos años de su vida por su hijo y
heredero Vicente Antonio remains just an exemplar in the Hispanic
Society of America, which is the used one 8 .
***
The selection of these primary sources differentiates our International
Conference from everything made till now. Previous the existence of
Lastanosa Porject the historians who studied the life and works of the
Aragonese patron were using two basic sources. On one hand, Adolphe
4 sig. IX/5024(2).
5 Ms U-379.
6 Ms. 18727 55 .
7 Ms B2424, ff. 52r-79vº.
8 Ms B2424, ff. 1r-5vº.
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