SUAREZ DE FIGUEROA (Christoval). PLAZA Universal de todas Ciencias y Artes. En Madrid: Por Luis Sanchez, 1615.

SUAREZ DE FIGUEROA (Christoval). PLAZA Universal de todas Ciencias y Artes. En Madrid: Por Luis Sanchez, 1615.
SUAREZ DE FIGUEROA (Christoval)
PLAZA Universal de todas Ciencias y Artes. Parte Traducida de Toscano y parte compuesta por el Doctor Christoval Suarez de Figueroa [...]. En Madrid: Por Luis Sanchez, 1615.

¶4, ¶4, A-Z, Aa-Zz, Aaa-Zzz, Aaaa-Zzzz4; [8], 368 ff.; 195 mm. Tired full calf with losses of leather on spine and corners; wormholes on spine; red edges; stained.

FIRST EDITION. The work is based on another by Tomaso Garzoni, published in 1585 and entitled 'Piazza universale di tutte le professioni del mondo' and which was one of the most popular at the end of the s. XVI and s. XVII, having known at least fifteen editions until 1675. More than a translation, the work of Suarez de Figueroa is a free adaptation to the Castilian language that keeps about half of the original content and that presents numerous additions that reflect the Spanish reality of the time. . To this end, in addition to changing many of the Italian places used in the original text to other places in the city of Madrid, the changes also reveal the political and moral context of the Spanish author. Furthermore, as the work covers a wide range of professions, the Spanish author often substitutes the names of Italian artisans for Spanish ones. Among the many professions described, attention is drawn to texts on prostitutes, thieves, con artists and gamblers, some professions related to horse riding, hunting or agriculture, those on apothecaries, alchemists, doctors, mathematicians, cosmographers, astrologers, astronomers, or, finally, those about crafts such as blacksmiths, potters, shoemakers, carpenters, booksellers, printers, among many, many others. Very rare and valuable.