LUSIGNAN Étienne de Description de toute l’Isle de Cypre, et des Roys, Princes, et Seigneurs, tant Payens que Chrestiens, qui ont commandé en icelle (…) iusques en l’an (…) mil cinq cent soixante & douze.

Brunet, III, 1239 ; Cioranescu, 13849 ; not in Adams.

First edition of the first French translation.

This important historical and physicial description of Cyprus was first published in Bologna in 1573 under the title Chorograffia et breve historia universale dell’isola de Cipro. The author, a Dominican historian born in Nicosia (Cyprus), was bishop of Limassol before living in Italy and then in France, where he died in 1590. He is the author of several historical and religious works, four of which are devoted to the illustrious house of the Lusignans. Originally from the Poitou region, the family took part in the Crusades, and subsequently became kings of Cyprus, Jerusalem and Little Armenia. The work included a description of the situation of the island, anchorages, climate, towns, villages, origins of the Cypriots, kings of Cyprus and Jerusalem, kings of Armenia (descendants of Hugues de Lusignan), coats of arms, domination of the Venetians, advent of the Turks, governments, men and women of Cyprus, natural resources (agriculture, stockbreeding, horticulture, simple, minerals), etc. The work concludes with two writings by the Dominican friar Angelo Calepio: La Vraye et fidele narration du succes des assaults, defenses, & prinse de Nicosie, and La Vraye & fidele narration de l’expugnation & defense de Famagoste.

A very good copy in its first binding. 

Genealogical annotations in ink in the margins of some leaves; quires R and S bound in reverse order ; vellum a little creased and shrunken, small holes on the lower board.

Provenance: bookplate and ex-dono in ink from the 17th century (religious institutions). – Paul du Chastel de la Howarderie (ex-libris in pen, 1871) – Count Paul-Armand du Chastel de la Howarderie (bookplate printed in Latin).