Long-lost 16th century book returns to Olomouc thanks to Italian police
A valuable book from the early 16th century, which went missing from the Olomouc Archbishopric more than 80 years ago, was recently rediscovered. The postil, or a set of comments on Biblical texts, was officially handed over this week by the Italian police, who seized it at an auction in Trieste last year.
The lost and found 16th century book, which disappeared from the Olomouc Archbishopric in the 1940s, contains interpretations of New Testament epistles and gospels that were read at Mass during the liturgical year. Its editor was an unknown Dominican, William of Paris, who died in 1485.
The copy in question was published in Basel in 1518. It is lavishly decorated with woodcuts by a local artist and bound in brown leather adorned with a blind-print of the Crucifixion. How it got from Basel to Olomouc is also a bit of a mystery, says archivist Štěpán Kohout:
“We know that it was in the hands of a Bohemian Protestant who wrote down notes in the margins, some with a strongly anti-Catholic tone. Then it somehow came into the hands of the Olomouc priest David Pipper of Jáchymov, who was also the chapter librarian, and he donated the book to the library.”
The book remained there until the 1940s, when it disappeared under unknown circumstances. Luckily, it was marked shortly before its disappearance, which helped the Italian police officers to identify its origin.
The book was something of a bestseller in its time, having been published in at least 140 editions all over Europe. This is the reason why quite a few copies survived to this day, explains Mr. Kohout:
“The book, published in a single volume and a handy size, provided basic commentary on the mass texts. The priest who was preparing for a mass would find the relevant passage, read the interpretation, and find inspiration as to what to talk about.
“That was the intention of the publisher, as he explains in the preface, to provide instructions for inexperienced clerics and not very learned preachers. And the book seems to have perfectly fulfilled its purpose.”
The book, which is valued at around 30,000 euros, was officially handed over in Olomouc by a deputy commander of a north-Italian police unit, specializing in cultural heritage protection. While they managed to trace its journey from Vienna to Italy, how it got from Olomouc to Austria will likely remain a mystery.
Marek Dráč from the Ministry of Culture, who was also present at the hand-over ceremony, says finding lost or stolen cultural objects, which often come from churches, is not that uncommon:
“Especially in the 1990s, there were massive thefts and looting of churches in the borderlands and many of the stolen items ended up in the neighbouring countries, especially in Germany and Austria, but also in Italy.
“The Ministry of Culture is currently working with the Italian police on the return of a statue, which has been recently secured by the Italian police in an antique shop in Venice.”
