Chester Fritz Library Acquires 444-Year-Old Book

(Photo by Walter Criswell/UND Today)

(By Walter Criswell. UND Today) – The Chester Fritz Library’s oldest book just got older — and its title takes a full breath to pronounce.

Printed in Venice in 1582, “Discorso del S. Guglielmo Choul gentilhuomo lionese, consigliero del re, & presidente delle montagne del Delfinato, sopra la castrametatione, & bagni antichi de i Greci & Romani” is now the oldest printed text in the Department of Special Collections at Chester Fritz Library. It narrowly edges a Latin book on classical philosophy from 1599 that previously held the title.

There are only 11 copies listed worldwide of the book, library officials say.

Roughly translated, the title reads: “A discourse by Sir Guillaume Choul, a gentleman of Lyon, royal counselor and president of the mountains of the Dauphiné, on the encampments and ancient baths of the Greeks and Romans.