4to, (185 x 135mm). 16 ff., 480 pp. [foliation skips pp. 273-276]. Contemporary limp vellum, manuscript title on spine, later endpapers, textblock detached, laces and caps renewed, some wear. Some staining especially on title, waterstaining. Small hole to the inner margin of the first leaves, foxing and browning, some leaves slightly cropped, some natural paper flaws that sometimes affect some letters, dampstaining and scattered staining throughout.

Saint Teresa of Avila (1515-1582) was a popular but controversial Spanish mystic, reformer and theologian, and is regarded as one the great female figures of the 16th century. She was the granddaughter of a marrano (a Jewish man forcibly converted to Christianity). Best known for the reforms she introduced to the Carmelite Order and her ecstatic visions, she was then seen as a threat to the established Catholic order. The emphasis she placed on prayer and her practical guidance on spiritual life reflect her balanced approach to mysticism and personal piety.

Saint Teresa, closely watched throughout her lifetime by her masculine superiors, had surmounted all challenges to her orthodoxy: she was beatified in 1614 and eventually made a saint in 1622, thus becoming the first female saint of the Spanish Empire including America. The beatification of Santa Teresa was part of a campaign orchestrated by the Crown and religious orders to create new Spanish saints to enhance the prestige of the monarchy and the Spanish Church. It has also been seen as an attempt to promote an internal religiosity and closeness to believers in opposition to the bellicose nature of the figure of Santiago whose cult showed worrying signs of ebbing. The proclamation in 1618 of Santa Teresa as patron saint of Spain, however, provoked a reaction from those who wanted Santiago as the sole patron, among them the Cathedral of Santiago which derived great financial benefits from his cult. An acrimonious debate resulted in the revocation of the nomination by the King the very same year. Further attempts to make her co-patron of Spain with Santiago also failed. In 1970, Saint Teresa was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Paul VI.

“St. Teresa’s spiritual writings, especially the Camino de Perfección, reveal a profound psychological understanding of the human soul's relationship to God, and how prayer transforms both the intellect and will.” ([translation] V. Vázquez de Prada, Teresa de Jesús y la experiencia mística)

Provenance: “es de dona de 1609.. del Monestir religiosas del R. Valldonzella”, contemporary ownership inscription on title; Don A. Canovas del Castillo bookplate on front pastedown; bookplate of Pippo Bodini.

Palau, 266837.