Antique book L’Arte dello Spetiale by Francesco Sirena, Venice, 1680 in 8° (22.5 x 16.5 cm), bound in full contemporary parchment, pp. (8) 1040 (12) with four plates of engravings in the text depicting distillation instruments and other apothecary’s tools. Text in two columns. Second edition following the first from 1679. A rare recipe book compiled by Francesco Sirena, apothecary at the Convent of Santa Croce in Pavia, which provides, for each of the 1,261 recipes, a detailed description and the opinions of other eminent authors regarding the preparation. A comprehensive alphabetical index allows for easy consultation. On the reverse of the flyleaf is a handwritten recipe, likely from the same period. An authentic and very complete copy in a slightly loose binding. Some pages are slightly yellowed.

L’Arte dello Spetiale is a historical treatise of great significance, written by Fra Francesco Sirena in 1679. This work offers a fascinating glimpse into 17th-century pharmacology, alchemy, and monastic medicine.

Fra Francesco Sirena was a Carthusian monk. In the 17th century, monasteries (particularly those of the Carthusian and Franciscan orders) were the true epicenters of medical and pharmaceutical knowledge in Italy. The monks managed complex apothecaries (the ancient pharmacies) where they cultivated medicinal herbs, prepared remedies, and treated both the monastic community and the local population.