En Cordoua, por la Viuda de Andres Barrera, 1617.
4to [270 x 193 mm] of (8) ll., 300 ll., (6) ll. Woodcut representing the Virgin on the title. Bound in 18th century restored calf, spine ribbed decorated with gilt fleurons, red morocco lettering piece, mottled edges.
First edition of the utmost rarity, published eight years after and in order to follow the “Primera Parte de los Commentarios reales de los Incas”.
Sabin 98755; Leclerc, 1741; Palau, VII, p. 126.
“This volume, printed eight years after the ‘Primera parte de los Commentarios reales, que tratan del origen de los Yncas’ (Lisbon, 1609), and in a different town, is hardly found joined to the first one. The second one (‘Historia del Peru’) is printed in a larger format than the first one.” (Leclerc).
“Uncommon first edition which is very sought-after. The first part, printed in Lisbon, bears at the end the date 1608. There are copies of the second part with a title dated 1617, and one of these has been sold for 30 fr. Langlès, even though it did not contain the l. of approbation and errata.” (Brunet, II, 1483)
The present work, written by the Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, deals with the conquest of Pizarro and with the activities of Spain in the following years.
Garcilaso de la Vega (whose real name is Gómez Suárez de Figueroa) is a Amerindian Spanish-speaking chronicler, born on April 12th, 1539 in Cuzco, vice-kingdom of Peru, and died on April 23rd, 1616 in Cordoba in Spain.
This métis, son of a noble Spanish conquistador, Sebastián Garcilaso de la Vega y Vargas, and of the Inca princess Isabel Chimpu Ocllo, lives in Cuzco, former capital of the Inca empire, until 1560, date of his father’s death, year during which he leaves Peru for good to settle in Spain.
He is the first great Peruvian writer. He was also the first Latin-American to write on America, from Europe.
He writes the Comentarios Reales de los Incas (Royal commentaries of the Incas) in two parts: the first one is the history of his maternal ancestors, the second one deals with the conquest of Peru.
This book is a unique testimony on the history of the Incas with a less European vision than the other works published at the time.
According to Palau: “Fue el primer escritor americano de raza indigena […] naturalmente, en virtud de su origen todo lo publicado por él desperto en alto grado la curiosidad. Su fama se estendio por todo el mundo, y sus obras fueron leidas con avidez”.
Precious copy of this sought-after first edition, a unique testimony about the history of the Incas.
