Francisco Rico's collection
Description of the collection:
Francisco Rico (Barcelona, 1942), Professor Emeritus of Medieval Hispanic Literature at the UAB, is an academician of the Spanish Royal Academy since 1987, a member of the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei and the British Academy. Most of his career as a researcher has been dedicated to Petrarca and Italian Humanism, the Spanish Golden Age and the picaresque novel, but his main interest has been Cervantes and Don Quixote. Rico has been responsible for several editions of this work, as well as other classic works of Medieval, Renaissance and Golden Age literature (he is the director of the Classic Library of the Royal Spanish Academy).
Professor Rico has donated his collection to the Humanities Library. The most exceptional are the unique editions of Don Quixote, which he has collected throughout his life. Valencia 1605 edition, Madrid 1636-1637 edition and Brussels 1662 edition, editions of the 18th century (Tonson, Bowle, Real Academia, London 1738 edition, Le Hague 1744 edition, etc.), the first one of Doré, illustrated by Tomás Gorchs and Urrabieta Vierge, and many others. The most important facsimile editions of Don Quixote also stand out, which in some cases have a higher value than older editions, such as the first one edited in Barcelona in 1871, as well as a selection of translations and unique editions of the work of Cervantes. All these items could be seen at the exhibition Los Quijotes de la Autónoma.
The section devoted to Humanism, as well as to Renaissance literature and culture, is basic in the collection. We find some old editions of Petrarca and Boccaccio, as well as a comprehensive compilation of the studies and essays that have been published on these authors, as well as leading figures such as Angelo Poliziano, Leon Battista Alberti, Domizio Calderini and Lorenzo Valla. Spanish Humanism is also very present, especially Antonio de Nebrija.
The collection is practically exhaustive in subjects such as the history of the printing press, the picaresque novel, Medieval Spanish literature, Latin literature of the Medieval period and Latin literature itself, the history of the Middle Ages and other European literatures of the period. It also includes the great works of modern European literature, from the eighteenth century to the present day, often in the original language, as well as contemporary Spanish literature, especially from the post-war period.
Limit dates: 1605-
Date of incorporation: 2004-
Depository library: Humanities Library
Where to consult the documentation: UAB libraries search
Contact: bib.humanitats@uab.cat