Bavinck, Hermann: Underricht, und Wegweiser, wie ein teutscher in und ausserhalb Rom, die siben auss dreihundert und mehr Kirchen, und wass darinn für heilthumb, ohne führer, ia auch ohne nachfragen, mit gebürlicher andacht besuchen kan.
 
Rom, in der Truckerei Vuilhelmi Facciotti, 1620. 8vo. 15 x 10,3 cms. 144 pp. With 3 different woodcuts (Saint Peter on title and page 12, and Saint Paul on p. 50.) With numerous printed manicula (”pointing hands”) in the margins.
 
Disbound, recent backstrip. Lightly soiled thoughout and with a few very faint stains, one leaf with tear affecting two lines of text with no loss, upper outer corner of leaf C8 neatly reattached (also without any loss), wormhole to first three leaves, leaf I2 with small burn-hole affecting one letter on verso. Neat old ownership inscription on title. Fine.
 
First edition, extremely rare. Verzeichnis der im deutschen Sprachbereich erschienenen Drucke des 17. Jahrhunderts (VD17), 12:114945T (Wolfenbüttel and München only).
 
German guidebooks to Rome have been printed since the 1480s, with more detailed descriptions of the seven main churches appearing for the annus sanctus of 1575. Since then no guide in German appeared until the present little book in 1620, written by Hermann Bavinck, a priest of the Münster diocese active at Santa Maria dell’Anima in Rome. Since the 15th century this church had become the German church in Rome, and hospice of German-speaking visitors.
 
Bavinck’s guide appeared in at least six editions. The present first edition appears to be lacking in many of the great libraries of the world.
 
The seven pilgrim churches in Rome, or Holy Year churches, are St. Peter's Basilica, Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, Basilica of St. John Lateran, Basilica of St. Mary Major, Basilica of Saint Lawrence outside the Walls, Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem, and St. Sebastian Outside-the-Walls. (San Giovanni in Laterano, San Pietro in Vaticano, San Paolo fuori le mura, Santa Maria Maggiore, San Lorenzo fuori le mura, Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, San Sebastiano fuori le mura.)
 
The tradition of visiting all seven churches during a pilgrimage to Rome was started by Filippo Neri around 1553.