![Compendiose notizie sulla congregazione de' monaci Armeni Mechitaristi di Venezia nell'isola di S. Lazzaro. [Title also in Armenian].](/photos/1228/full/1228.jpg "Compendiose notizie sulla congregazione de' monaci Armeni Mechitaristi di Venezia nell'isola di S. Lazzaro. [Title also in Armenian].")
from the Armenian monastery at Venice
(ARMENIAN).
Compendiose notizie sulla congregazione de' monaci Armeni Mechitaristi di Venezia nell'isola di S. Lazzaro. [Title also in Armenian].
[Island of San Lazzaro, Venice: Tipografia di Sudetta Isola, 1819.
Small 8vo (160 × 100 mm.), pp. 127, [1], engraved portrait and a view of the monastery. Text in Armenian and Italian. Some light spotting throughout. Contemporary ?German quarter calf, flat spine with orange morocco label, gilt. Marbled boards. Corners worn with some loss of the marbled paper covers. Early inscription to front pastedown, unobtrusive early library stamp to title. A good copy
First edition of a lovely example of the Armenian typography of the Mekhitarist monks of the island of San Lazzaro in the Venetian lagoon. The island was granted to a small group of Armenian monks led by Mekhitar escaping Turkish persecution in 1717. The monastery (which came to occupy the entire island) became a centre of scholarly renown in the fields of oriental study and philology, welcoming scholars from all over the world. Byron notably spent part of 1816 on the island studying Armenian. This scarce history is in both Armenian and Italian, and includes several notices of the earlier productions of the Mekhitarist press.
£250.00
US$496.97*
* Given as a guide only. Based on an exchange rate of £1 = US$1.987896 for the day 5 July 2008 but liable to fluctuate.
5 July 2008