Adding to the distinctive collections of Latin Americana at UC Berkeley Library!

Besides Mexico City, Lima served as an important center for early colonial publishing in Spanish South America (Virreinato de Nueva España). We know that Antonio Ricardo (originally from Turin) was the first printer in South America, and he published the first book in South America in Lima in 1584. It was entitled, “Doctrina Christiana y catecismo para instruccion de los Indios.”  Since then Lima continued to serve as an important printing center for the Viceroyalty of New Spain. We were able to acquire a few Lima related imprints for the UC Berkeley Library.  A 1668 hagiography of the first Catholic Saint in Americas St. Rosa de Lima. This will be the only physical copy for now in the United States in our understanding.

Compendiolvm Vitæ Admirabilis Et Pretiosæ Mortis B. Rosæ De S. Maria Limensis Peruanæ, Tertii Ordinis S.P. Dominici à S.D.N. Clemente IX. Beatis Annumeratæ Juxta exemplar Romanum
Author: Antonius González de Acuña; Leonhard Hansen; Rosa, Limensis; Simon Utzschneider
Publisher: Augustae Vindelicorum Utzschneider 1668.

The other books that we acquired are indicated below. These will be housed in Bancroft Library for custodial reasons. I wanted to thank Bancroft Library’s staff for all their help.

Rodrigo de Alloza y de Olivan (Rodrigo) and Blasquez de Balverde (Juan), Por el capitan Pedro de Vera Montoya con el alférez Francisco de Aguilar, como marido, y conjunta persona de Doña Catalina de Alarcón, sobre la nulidad que se opone, contra el testamento de Doña Juana de Luque y Alarcón, muger legitima, que fue del dicho Capitan Pedro de Vera Montoya*
(Lima, Pedro de Cabrera, 1640?)

Folio. Title page, 22 f., old water stains, Modern boards.

Very rare Lima imprint: Only copy traced: /Biblioteca Nacional de Chile/ Medina, Imprenta en Lima, III, 2311, Vargas Ugarte, Rubén: Impresos peruanos,(1584-1650), p. 166, n° 282, Araujo Espinoza, Graciela, Adiciones a La imprenta en Lima, 1584-1824. CCBSF-25341. Iberian Books, 50644.