123. "Chiriacodromion" Bălgrad (Alba Iulia), 1699, collectible item

The origin of the title Chiriacodromion can be found in Greek: kiriakos-kiriaki = Sunday, Sunday-related, Sunday sermon or "Homily" (Cazanie). A first initiative to print such a collection of homilies belonged to Varlaam, Metropolitan of Moldova, materialized in 1643, in Iași with support from the ruler Vasile Lupu; the book will remain imprinted in the memory of the Romanians with the title of Varlaam's Homilies. If in the case of the Homily the table of contents indicates 74 sermons, the Balgrad Chiriacodromion comprises a number of 81 homilies, being a volume in 4° format, with [3] pages and other 415 numbered pages, printed in black and red for the title page, the rest of the text being rendered in black; the text on each page is framed in a linear border. The typographer of the book was Mihai Iștvanovici. On the back of the title page was printed the coat of arms of the Metropolitanate of Balgrad. The preface attests to the publication of the book with the support of the Metropolitanate of Balgrad and the Lordship of Wallachia, the important fact being that this book was published at the expense of the ruler Constantin Brâncoveanu. The Voivode's cultural patronage ("the common good") is highlighted by the scholar-typographer thus in the book's preface: " I Constantin Brâncoveanul Basarab Voivode, who not a little proved himself (and always does so) as the enlightener of the faith, strengthening it with his books, printing them in every way possible, who being the true patron of the Holy Metropolitanate of Ardeal and of all those who seek the mercy of His Majesty, did not pass your request, but according to your desire and that of the holy assembly, not having yet found here in Ardeal a craftsman for the work of the printing press, His Majesty was gracious enough, for the love of the holy church, to send me to the service of his holiness and of the holy assembly, so that whatever may be lacking in the holy churches may be supplied...". The paper used for the printing of this rather large book has a particularly varied origin, several types of paper (paper mills) being identified by means of watermarks, either Italian, Austrian, French, German, possibly even paper of Polish origin (the possibility of using paper sheets of Transylvanian origin is not excluded whatsoever). The print run does not seem to have exceeded 1000 copies, which is still a relatively large print run for the period. Following an approach by the metropolitan synod, the selling price of a copy of the book was set at 20 zlotys [florins], a relatively high sum for the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Copies of the work are preserved in collections such as the Library of the Romanian Academy Bucharest, the Library of the Romanian Academy - Cluj-Napoca branch, BCU Cluj, Batthyaneum Library Alba Iulia, Brukenthal Museum Library Sibiu, National Museum of Unification Alba Iulia, Orthodox Archbishopric Alba Iulia, Orthodox Metropolitan Sibiu, County Library "Gheorghe Șincai" Oradea etc.

Informacije o istraživanju

BRV, I, p. 372

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