Lapidario del Rey D. Alfonso X. Códice original

Madrid: Imprenta de La Iberia, 1881 4to (29 cm), [4], XX, [6], [4] pp facsimile of a letter, [118] ff facsimile of the manuscript, [2], 76 pp. Contemporary leather-backed boards, front cover gilt, gilt-lettered spine (binding slightly rubbed, blind stamp of the binder J. Gomez, Madrid, outer margins of two leaves worn, last leaves somewhat warped). An interesting example of 19th-century facsimile printing. The Lapidary of Alfonso X the Wise (1221-84) was produced in the Castilian royal scriptorium in the second half of the thirteenth century. The term "Lapidary" originally referred to a treatise on gemstones and their properties, but in the context of Alfonso X, it encompasses a broader range of topics. The book is a compilation of medieval knowledge about natural history, astronomy, astrology, medicine, and other subjects. It includes information on the properties of gemstones, their supposed magical or medicinal uses, and their astrological associations. The work reflects the medieval worldview that saw connections between the natural and supernatural realms. This facsimile includes an introduction by José Fernandes Montaña, a facsimile, and a transcription of the letter from the Real Academia de la Historia, a facsimile of the manuscript, and commentaries.