COLLECTIONS OF FOREIGN RARE BOOKS FROM THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY IN THE LIBRARIES OF THE CROATIAN FRANCISCAN PROVINCE OF SS CYRIL AND METHODIUS: FRANCISCAN MONASTERY OF ST PETER APOSTLE IN CERNIK

Sa？etak Croatian Franciscan Province of Ss Cyril and Methodius since 2011 systematically itemizes holdings of its libraries. The focus of this catalogue is on the most precious holdings and modern standardization through usage of informatics and communication technologies. With such an approach the processed material is available in publicly open digital catalogue on the address http://193.198.235.162. Collection of old books from the sixteenth century (1505 – 1600) in the library of the Franciscan monastery in Cernik does not hold many books (exactly 22 items and 29 titles). However, its content is quite interesting and kind of unique. This article reveals catalog of the Collection itself, including the comments and necessary explanations regarding the most interesting titles. Beside the philosophical and theological titles (St Gregory pope, St Augustine, St Bonaventure, H. Savonarola, A. da Moneglio, Pelbartus de Temesvar, Petrus Lombardus, Duns Scot), the Collection embraces preaching manuals, as well some valuable historiographical writings of A. de Guevara and Tomaso Costo, together with a classical study about rhetoric written by German humanist and Reformation theologian Philipp Melanchton, which is followed with a smaller number of titles dealing with medicine. The majority of the titles were published in Venice, and few of them in France (Paris and Lion) or in German spoken lands (Dillingen and Wittenberg). The books were predominantly written in Latin but some of them are also in Italian. Some items from this Collection contain valuable graphical illustrations and copper plate engravings (e.g. T. Costo, Le vite di tutti i pontifici da s. Piero .... secondo la descrizzione del Platina corretta dal Panuinio ... Venice 1592). Some of the items are characterized by original and luxurious bindings: wood covered with parchment and decorated with floral ornaments, figures of saints, Biblical figures and other allegorical persons. Among these items one should pay exceptional attention to Petri Andreae Matthioli Seniensis medici, Comentarii in sex libros. Pedacii Discordis Anazarbei (Venice, 1565) with its original binding. Majority of the books from this Collection have bindings from the later period or their bindings date from the time of manuscript’s restoration. Some of the items from the Collection already have a bibliographical description with direct link to the digitized copy kept in some of the European libraries. This Collection of foreign books from the sixteenth century in the Library of the Franciscan monastery in Cernik clearly witness