Plantin edition of the revised Roman Missal, produced in line with the Council of Trents directives. This imposing folio exemplifies the Tridentine tradition established after the council (1545-1563), when the Roman Church, responding to the Reformation, sought to standardise the liturgy. In 1570 Pope Pius V (1504-1572) promulgated the reformed Missale Romanum, establishing the text and ceremonial form of the Mass that would govern the Latin Church for centuries. Subsequent revisions under Clemens VIII (1536-1605) and Urban VIII (1568-1644) refined but did not alter its essential structure.
From 1571 until the mid-18th century the press founded by Christophe Plantin (1520-1589) held a significant monopoly on the production and sale of authorised liturgical work for the Spanish Netherlands and, effectively, much of the Spanish Empire. The present Missale Romanum has been bound together with the Missae propriae sanctorum Hispanorum (1737), a collection of masses for Spanish saints. It contains the specific texts and music intended for the celebration of these saints, reflecting its use in Iberian or Spanish-influenced territories. The beautiful red morocco binding, richly gilt in the rococo manner, was also most likely bound in Spain or Portugal.
The front joint is slightly weakened, but the structural integrity of the work is still intact, a hole at the head and foot of the spine, the edges and corners of the boards are slightly scuffed, the boards are somewhat stained, lacking the clasps. The leaves are somewhat browned, with occasional foxing, a few pages retaining traces of yellow wax. Otherwise in good condition. Imhof, Plantins 1574 Missale Romanum in octavo, in: De Gulden Passer, 73 (1995), pp. 67-82; STCV 12923535; Ad 2; WorldCat 804759478 (0 copies); not in STCV.