Recovered and returned by TPC Carabinieri a rare 17th century pharmaceutical text that had been stolen

Universale Theatro Farmaceutico, a rare text from 1682 written by Venetian pharmacist Antonio De Sgobbis, has been recovered by the Carabinieri Nucleo Tutela Patrimonio Culturale in Monza. This precious volume had been stolen in 1985 from the Nobile Collegio Chimico Farmaceutico in Rome and had since disappeared without a trace, until its recent appearance in the Milanese antiquarian market, where it was auctioned off.

The Comando Carabinieri Tutela Patrimonio Culturale (Carabinieri Cultural Heritage Protection Command), ever vigilant thanks in part to the technological support of the Illicitly Misappropriated Cultural Property Data Bank, noticed the appearance of the work. After a careful check and a thorough investigation, the Carabinieri Unit of Monza, under the coordination of the Public Prosecutor’s Office at the Court of Como, was able to recover the book and return it to the institution of origin.

Antonio De Sgobbis, born in Montagnana around 1600, was a renowned apothecary of the Serenissima, well-known in Venice where he ran a pharmacy with the ostrich sign in the central Mercerie area. His pharmacy was not only a retail outlet but also a center for experimentation in Venetian pharmaceutical chemistry. De Sgobbis’ passion and curiosity led him to publish various texts, including the Universale Theatro Farmaceutico.

This volume, of which very few copies are known, made De Sgobbis famous throughout Europe. It is a detailed and structured work, more like an encyclopedia than a simple pharmaceutical manual of the time. The folio text contains over 800 pages full of bibliographical references, tables, valuable tables, and portraits of the author and his colleagues Giorgio Melichio and Alberto Stecchini.

An additional element of merit is the choice of publisher: the Stamperia Baglioni of Venice, famous as early as 1607 for being selected by Galileo Galilei for the publication of his Defense against the Accusations of Baldassare Capra and Sidereus Nuncius. This makes the work a unique testimony to the passionate practice of private pharmacopoeia in Venice.

After 39 years of absence, thanks to the efforts of the Nucleo Carabinieri Tutela Patrimonio Culturale in Monza, the volume has finally returned to the Nobile Collegio Chimico Farmaceutico in Rome, confirming the importance of the protection and recovery of cultural heritage.

Recovered and returned by TPC Carabinieri a rare 17th century pharmaceutical text that had been stolen

Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.