List 1-2013.pdf - Libreria Antiquaria Alberto Govi

o n spirits a n d t h e k n o w l e d g e o f a b s e n t a n d s e c r e t t h i n g s
1. [ACETI DE’ PORTI], Serafino (1496-1540). Opera nova del discernimento delli spiriti... Mantova, [Venturino Ruffinelli?],
1545.
8vo; early 19 th century marbled boards, marbled edges; 50, (1) ll. Entry of ownership on the title-page, very light waterstain in the first half
of the volume, but a very good copy.
RARE FIRST EDITION. In this sort of devotional handbook, the author instructs the reader on the “knowledge of absent and secret
things”, on “miracles” and “divine revelations”, and explains how to correctly interpret the “spirits” and “many other signs” (cf. P. Zovatto-C.
Cargnoni, eds., Storia della spiritualità italiana, Roma, 2002, p. 267).
Serafino Aceti de’ Porti (also known as Serafino da Fermo or Serafino da Bologna),
member of a noble family from Fermo, received the first education in his hometown, then moved
to Padua to study medicine. Here, after 1520, he met Antonio Maria Zaccaria, the future
founder of the Barnabites in Milan. Back to Fermo, around 1523 he entered the Canons Regular
of the Lateran Congregation. After the profession of faith, he was ordained a priest and
completed the theological studies probably in Ravenna around 1527. He then began a long
series of preaching journeys that took him to many cities in central and northern Italy; he was
in Milan around 1530, when he met again Zaccaria, deepening their friendship. Aceti pursued
his career as a preacher, especially in Mantua, Modena, and towards 1538 in Bologna. In 1539
he hurried at Zaccaria’s deathbed in Cremona. Aceti died the following year and was buried
in the church of the convent of S. Giovanni in Monte at Bologna.
Aceti was a prolific author. Among his many religious writings, mostly directed to contrast
the expansion of Lutheranism in Italy, we quote the Trattato della discretione, the Della
Diffidentia et Confidentia, the Vita di due beatissime donne, Margarita et Gentile, the Trattato
utilissimo et necessario della mental oratione, the Trattato per la vita christiana utilissimo,
della cognitione et vittoria di se stesso, the Modo brevissimo di confessarsi, the Problemi
sull’oratione, the Breve dichiaratione sopra l’Apocalisse di Gioanni, the Specchio interiore,
and the Apologia di fra’ Battista da Crema (the Apology of Fra’ Battista da Crema, Aceti’s
spiritual master). The majority of Aceti’s works, which were separately reprinted several times,
were gathered and published posthumously at Venice in 1548. He also gained European
fame thank to the Latin translation of his opera omnia, which was printed for the first time in
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