Bibliothecae.it (Dec 2021)
Searching for Conrad Gesner in the Brazilian tropics: the documentary presence of Gesner bibliographical works in heritage libraries
Abstract
The paper offers a historical-bibliographical discussion of the copies of Bibliotheca Universalis (1545), Pandectae (1548) and Bibliotheca instituta et collecta (1574), by Conrad Gesner (1516-1565), present in two Brazilian heritage libraries: the Library of Saint Benedict’s Monastery of São Paulo (BMSBSP) and the National Library of Brazil (BN), in Rio de Janeiro. The contextualization and characterization of the copies are based on the following theoretical-methodological course: 1) presentation of the Gesnerian bibliographical studies in Brazil; 2) considerations on the presence of the Gesnerian editions in libraries; 3) historical comments on BMSBSP and BN; 4) historical notes and analysis of the copies of Bibliotheca Universalis (1545), Pandectae (1548) and Bibliotheca instituta et collecta (1574) safeguarded in BMSBSP and BN, highlighting their extrinsic and intrinsic aspects from their analytical bibliographical description. The copies of BMSBSP and BN have values that are expressed in two keys: 1) “universal” historical-cultural value, linked to the role of these works in bibliographical studies and in Gesnerian Studies; 2) “local” historical-cultural value, linked to the institutional context, modality and motivations of acquisition, preservation, mediation, use, control, circulation and appropriation of the copies. In the landscape of the two heritage libraries highlighted here, the Gesnerian universality - although it can be reviewed, relativized, and even tensioned in the context of the tropics - constitutes a geographical and conceptual space that includes not only the Old World, but also the New World. Indeed, the Gesnerian bibliographical works trace an intriguing and passionate historical-bibliographical thread between the 16th century polymath and the Bibliography of the Brazilian tropics.
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