Extensive astrological study
Extensive astrological study containing the projection of the future of the first son of Luis Carrillo de Toledo and Isabel de Velasco y Mendoza, based on planetary alignments, zodiacal signs and astronomical and astrological calculations. Illustrated with 10 astrological tables.
The author of the manuscript, Alonso de Zepeda was a 17th century astrologer and scholar, linked to the Spanish court and nobility in the context of the rise of astrology in Baroque Europe. His work, influenced by the medieval and Renaissance astrological tradition, falls within the intellectual framework in which astrology was still considered a legitimate discipline for the interpretation of the destiny of influential people. Although not many details about his life are known, this manuscript places him within the great noble circles, working for figures of the nobility such as Luis Carrillo de Toledo, I Count of Pinto and I Marquis of Caracena.
This manuscript represents an exceptional work within the genre of seventeenth-century astrological charts, both for its length and its thoroughness in astrological analysis. It is not a simple birth chart, but a detailed treatise that fuses astronomy and astrology in an advanced study of the destiny of the first-born son of the Count of Pinto. In addition, the author also forecasts the personality and character of the Count’s son.
The provenance of the manuscript is of great relevance, as it belonged to Luis Carrillo de Toledo, one of the most outstanding Spanish bibliophiles of the Golden Age. His heraldic superlibris bindings are highly appreciated in the bibliophile world. The beautiful leather binding with gilt superlibris and lacquer clasps confirms the value placed on this work in its time.
In addition, the fact that the astrological prognosis turned out to be wrong (predicting a long life for the child, who died young as the title would eventually be held by his sister, Ana Carrillo de Toledo) makes it an interesting historical document, illustrating the confidence that the nobility placed in astrology for the planning of their lineage and future.
This manuscript is a unique piece that combines history, astrology, astronomy and bibliophilia. Its noble provenance and its detailed astrological study make it an exceptional testimony to the importance of astrology in the 17th century.
Good state of preservation.
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