Rare French edition of a famous biography of the national hero of Albania, Georg Kastriota or Castriota, known as Skanderbeg (1405-1468). He became a national hero in Albania as he had been the leader in the struggle with, and the wars against, the Ottoman Empire, fighting for Albanian independence. Skanderbeg became popular in the rest of Europe as a model of Christian resistance against the Muslims. This edition of his biography is quite rare, as we have not been able to find it in any sales records of the past 100 years.
Skanderbeg was born into an Albanian noble family. In 1415, when he was still a boy, he was sent as a hostage to Sultan Murad I. After his return, he again was taken hostage in 1423, by Sultan Murad II in Constantinople. During this stay, he received military training at Enderun school, converted to Islam and took the name Iskender (Skanderbeg is derived from that name). In the 1440's Murad II sent Skanderbeg with the Ottoman army to his native Albania. Once there, he left the Turkish army in November 1443 and abandoned the Sultan to become the leader - and hero - of the struggle for Albanian independence, rebelling against the Ottomans and leading a successful military campaign that expelled them from Albania. He managed to maintain Albania's independence for 25 years, but after his death the country fell back under Ottoman control. The biography highlights Skanderbeg's influence on the political landscape of Albania, the Balkan peninsula, and Europe.
The present work is a translation of Historia de vita et rebus Scanderbegi (ca. 1520) by Marin Barleti, the first Albanian historian. This near-contemporary biography of Skanderbeg became very popular throughout Europe and was translated into many European languages in the 16th century. The French translation was made by Jacques de Lavardin (fl. 1575-1585) and was first published in 1576. Nine more editions followed until 1621. The present work is the fourth edition overall and the second by Guillaume Chaudière (dates unknown), who also published the first French edition.
With a small white bookplate from the library of the Duke of Genoa mounted on the front pastedown ("Biblioteca di S. A. R. il duca di Genova"), and a black oval stamp from this same library on leaf 169 and 278. Further with an ownership annotation on the head of the title-page ("D. P. L."). The edges and corners of the boards are somewhat scuffed, and the hinge is slightly weakened, but without affecting the structural integrity of the binding. The edges of the end leaves have darkened from the leather, with small ink- or water stains on some of the leaves. Otherwise in good condition. Göllner, Turcica, 2296; Pettegree and Walsby, French vernacular books, 33242; USTC 5966 (20 copies); WorldCat 797374690; 1055968425 (3 copies).