Queen of the books!
The famous masterpiece of Johann Weikhard Freiherr von Valvasor is a book that many have talked about but only a few have seen and actually read it.
Now you can put it on your bookshelf!
- The first complete translation of The Glory of the Duchy of Carniola, from the first to the last page, including covers and notes.
- Written in a modern, comprehensible Slovene but preserves the spirit and patina of the original work.
- Over 4,500 large-format pages, 528 copper engravings, 24 supplements.
- Exquisite design imitating the original work.
- High-quality print and binding, premium materials, hand-made covers, gold engravings…
- The content of each page in translation matches the contents of the page of the same number in the original work.
- Because the print run of the first edition is limited and all copies are numbered and thus unique, it is expected that today's price will be the lowest price of the complete 5 tomes ever; moreover, it is more than likely that the price will only rise in the future. There will be no reprint in this form, and therefore the purchase of The Glory of the Duchy of Carniola is a good and safe financial investment.
Bourgeois edition
Only 1,500 calligraphically numbered unique copies, hand bound in recycled leather, goldprint, round back, headband, and cardboard slipcase. All buyers receive a free map of the Duchy of Carniola.
Bibiliophile edition
Only 500 calligraphically numbered unique copies, hand bound in real neat’s leather, goldprint, gilt edges, round and ribbed back, headband, hand made leather cases. All buyers receive white gloves and a free map of the Duchy of Carniola.
Fifteen books in four tomes, and the fifth tome, comprising subject index and companion studies. The five tomes together consist of over 4,500 large-format pages (20.5 x 33 cm), 528 copper engravings and 24 supplements.
First complete Slovenian translation
The Glory is translated into a modern Slovenian language, however, the patina of age remains: translators preserved the spirit and mindset of the Baroque by preserving the original syntax, the abundance of adjectives and adverbs, and endless subordinate clauses. Everybody who read The Glory in translation was excited because it is much more than a translation of words. Translators also hat to transmit the mentality of the 17th century, the ways of life in that time, which was far from easy. Only those who know the original can suspect how many obstacles the translators had to overcome to transfer all the words and expressions into Slovenian language. With persistent work, enthusiasm, and polyhistorian knowledge they created an undisputable translation masterpiece.
Valvasor wrote The Glory consistent with the tradition of that time; the main punctuation mark in the text was the slash (/), which does not serve as a comma or semicolon, but is actually a sign for readers and denotes a pause when reading aloud. In 17th century, this was the way in which books were read. Translators, the Debenjak family, preserved this specialty, but without slash marks that would disturb today's readers. The Glory still reads best aloud!
Design
Prestigious books preserve all characteristics of the original, both in terms of the contents as well as design. Because of numerous quotations from the original in the past years and decades, original pagination by Valvasor has also been preserved – the contents of any page in the translation matches exactly the contents on the page with the same number in the original. A reference made to a page in the original is also valid for the translation. The original shows that Valvasor and his team wanted to make a book that would be proportional to the last detail; to harmonize texts with copper engravings, to find the right proportion between words and empty space, to harmonize decorative and textual elements; in short, to find a visual beauty through an inner harmony of all constituent parts, no matter how small. Initials, typical of that age, were preserved, as well as a variety of typefaces, two-column text, page numbering with letters and original pagination of print sheets; Slovenian version also includes the original Latin text, quotations and supplements, and their translations can be found at the end of each book. All comments at the bottom of the page are original, only two or three of them were made by translators in the first book. Further we preserved side comments, which helped (and still help) the reader to quickly browse through the content of the chapters. Copper engravings were made after the digital edition of the original book, kept by the National and University Library of Ljubljana, and after the original edition kept by The Institute of the Land of Carniola.
Print and binding
The Glory of the Duchy of Carniola is more than a book, it is a cultural and historical monument, one of the greatest in Slovenia, and a true literary masterpiece. The printing house Gorenjski tisk, Slovenian printing house of the highest standards, used only the best-quality materials for the book. The product is a marvelously printed book with goldprint, ribbed back, high quality paper and leather, hand bound to defy the passing of time.