Historia dell'origine di tutte le religioni, che fino ad hora sono state al mondo, con gli autori di quelle: in che provincia, sotto qual imperadore, e papa, & in che tempo hebbero i loro principii. Oltre a molte illustre donne, che spreggiarono i regni, e fecero vita religiosa. Con l'origine ancora de le religioni militari. Raccolta dal R.P.F. Paolo Morigia milanese [...]

8vo (144x98 mm). [8], 275, [1] leaves. Collation: a8 A-Ll8 Mm4 (l. M4 is a blank). With the printer's device on the title page, woodcut initials, head- and tail-pieces. With a dedicatory letter to Giovanni Delfino, Bishop of Vercelli, a table of contents and the final colophon. Contemporary vellum with manuscript title on the spine and a more recent manuscript title on a paper lettering piece accompanied by some decoration on the spine, traces of ties (binding slightly soiled, new endleaves). Occasionally slightly browned, bottom of the ll. a2v and a3r soiled, small marginal paper loss to l. S6, all in all a good and fresh copy.
First enlarged edition, fourth overall (first: Pietro da Fino, Venice, 1569; reprinted by Fino in 1575 and 1576) of these work by the Milanese Jesuate in which he traces the history and origin of religions including many biographies of saints and founders of orders and congregations. His Historia dell'origine di tutte le religioni has proved to be an invaluable resource on the development and growth of organised religions from a Jesuate perspective, with a focus on the papacy and emperors of the world. It also presents an interesting perspective on the role of women (nuns) in these religions. Some of the specific topics include: Ethiopian monks, friars and nuns, the principled doctrine of Carmelite monks or the religions of Japan and India (Buddhism).
Paolo Morigia was born in 1525 in Milan. He took his vows in 1542, after the death of his father, in the Jesuati convent of San Girolamo in Milan. At San Girolamo, he was elected master of novices at the age of 28, vicar of the convent at 29 and prior at 30. Morigia was also prior of other Jesuati convents in Lucca. From about 1590 he was procurator general of the Congregation for 16 consecutive years, in which capacity he published a new rule (Regole e constitutioni della Congregazione de' Frati Giesuati di S. Girolamo) in 1580. Morigia also wrote many works of historical and pastoral content, with the aim of recovering the essence of the Jesuati vocation and identity. He was a very prolific writer on many different subjects such as ecclesiastical and urban history, hagiography and moral edification. He was on friendly terms with many personalities of the time, including Popes Pius IV, Sixtus V and Gregory XIV, Cardinals Alessandro Crivelli, Giovanni Antonio Serbelloni, Ludovico Simonetta, Francesco Abbondio Castiglioni, Marcantonio Da Mula, Ippolito Rossi, Vincendo Laureo, Gabriele Paleotti, Giulio Sfondrati, and Carlo Borromeo. Morigia died in Milan in 1604 in the convent of San Girolamo. His most famous work remains Nobiltà di Milano (Milan, 1595) (I. Gagliardi, Morigia, Paolo, in: “Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani”, vol. 76, Rome, 2012, s.v.).
Edit16, CNCE40783; BMSTC, London, 1958, p. 449; Library of Congress, The National union catalogue pre-1956 imprints, London, 1968-1981, vol. 395, p. 260; E. Zanzanelli & V. Pratissoli (eds.), Le cinquecentine della Biblioteca Panizzi, Reggio Emilia, 1995, no. 3886; Nouvelle biographie Générale, vol. 35-36, col. 584.