The Blog

While many here are about celebrate Three Kings, let us remember that not all kings were as benevolent, especially with regards to the object of our passion: the book !
This new year marks the 300 anniversary of the publication of this royal ordinance, with which the prohibition of the printing and sale of books without prior authorization was renewed. As if reading was evil !
Three centuries later, let us hope that the Kings will be more generous to us book lovers of all ages…
The entire Librairie Comellas team wishes you a year full of enlightening reads and freedom !

Of all the treasures that we receive every week, some attract one’s attention at first glance: an elegant vellum binding, a massive title that instantly evokes the famous errings of an ingenious Hidalgo... You do see who I'm talking about, don’t you ?
Our renowned visitor is none other than the 1671 reprint of the first illustrated Spanish edition of Don Quixote ! It contains the same 16 plates usually credited to the Anvers engraver Frederick Bouttats, copied from the plates drawn by Jacques Savary for the very first illustrated edition of Cervantes’s masterpiece, the 1657 Dutch edition. It also displays two completely new frontispieces, engraved by Launers.

Needless to say we’re pampering him !

Among all the unique bookstores in the Catalan capital, Comellas has become a must. Located in the very heart of the city, its shelves display all kinds of rare and ancient books, on a variety of topics and themes. And we are not claiming it, but Jorge Carrión, a Catalan writer and professor at Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona whose words were reported by The Guardian journalist Christian House in an article translated and published in the Buenos Aires daily Clarín .

Like every week the bookstore has published a new selection of books on the Best Deals section. Discounts can go up to 40 % but hurry up, they will only last one week…

- ARNAUD D'ANDILLY (Robert). De Vita Christi Carmen e gallico latine redditum.
- CATALOGO de la Real Armeria, mandado formar por S.M. siendo director general de Reales Caballerizas, Armeria y Yeguada, el Excmo. Señor Don José Maria Marchesi.
- CHEVALIER (Michel). CHEVALIER (Michel).
- ESPIARD (Abbé F.-I. d'). L'Esprit des Nations. Nouvelle édition revue et corrigée.
- FILLEUL DE PETIGNY (Cl.). Voyages en Suisse. Description des Curiosités Naturelles.
- GUICHARD (Jean-François). Fables et autres Poésies suivies de quelques Morceaux de Prose.
- MARTIN (Barthelemy). Traité du Lait et de l'usage qu'on en doit faire et de la manière d'en user.
- MEMOIRE sur les Travaux d'Amélioration exécutés aux Embouchures du Danube par la Commission Européenne instituée en vertu de l'article 16 du Traité de Paris du 30 mars 1856.
- PERINT (C.). Compiègne, la Forêt, et Pierrefonds.
- THIEURY (Jules). Bibliographie Italico-Normande contenant: 1). un essai historique sur les relations entre l'Italie et la Normandie; 2). une Bibliothèque des ouvrages relatifs aux relations des deux pays; 3). une Bibliothèque des Ouvrages relatifs à l'Italie, composés par des auteurs normands.

From the first draft we received from Zanzu Design Studio some months ago to the present it has been a long while. We have exchanged many hours on the phone, dozens of emails and a long parade of prototype buttons that came and went back and forth. It has been a long way that led us to a website that, preserving the simplicity of the former, intended to integrate many new tools while adding a touch of freshness and closeness.

A month after the launching of the website and with a number of users already seduced by its evolutions we do want to use this opportunity to express our gratitude to our designer Irantzu Cordón, for her professionalism, engagement and good humour.

Thank you Irantzu and see you soon.

Like every Monday the bookstore has published a new selection of books on the Best Deals section. Discounts can go up to 40 % but hurry up, they will only last one week…

- AYMERICH (Nicolas). Le Manuel des Inquisiteurs à l'usage des Inquisitions d'Espagne et de Portugal ou Abrégé de l'Ouvrage intitulé: Directorium Inquisitorum, composé vers 1358 par Nicolas Eymeric,
[ BELLOY (Pierre de) ]. Moyens d'Abus, entreprises et nullitez du referit et bulle du Pape Sixte Ve.
- CERVANTES (Miguel de). L'Ingénieux Chevalier Don Quixote de la Manche. Nouvelle traduction orne d'une Carte des voyages de Don Quixote, avec l'indication des divers lieux où sont arrivées ses aventures.
- DEHAITRE (Fernand). Machines et Appareils pour Etablissements Hospitaliers, Religieux, Militaires, Maritimes. Etablissements d'Instruction, Lycées, Collèges...
- GOIFFON (Joseph). Harmonie des Deux Sphères Céleste et Terrestre, ou la correspondance des Etoiles aux parties de la Terre.
- HARTMAN (Franz Xaver Ritter von). Prima Lineae Institutionum Botanicarum.
- MAGU. Poésies Nouvelles. Précédées de la Biographie de l'auteur, et d'un Fac-simile.
- [ QUESTION ROMAINE ].
- THUMMEL (de). Wilhelmine, Poème héroï-comique traduit de l’allemand par M. Huber.
- YANGUAS Y MIRANDA (José). Diccionarios de los Fueros del Reino de Navarra, y de las leyes vigentes promulgadas hasta las córtes de los años 1817 y 18 inclusive.

Like every Monday the bookstore has published a new selection of books on the Best Deals section. Discounts can go up to 40 % but hurry up, they will only last one week...

- BITAUBE (P. J.). Joseph. En Neuf Chants.
- [ BRIDEL (Philippe Syrach) ]. Les Muses Helvétiennes, ou Recueil de Pièces Fugitives de l'Helvétie, en vers et en prose.
- COWLEY (Abraham). Select Works in two volumes: with a preface and notes by the editor. The third edition.
- HUME (D.). Exposé succint de la Contestation qui s'est élevée entre M. Hume et M. Rousseau, avec les pièces justificatives. A Londres, 1766.
- [ MEHEGAN (Guillaume Alexandre, chevalier de) ]. Considérations sur les Révolutions des Arts, dédiées à Monseigneur le Duc d'Orléans, premier Prince du Sang.
- MENGS (Raphael). Œuvres de M. Mengs, Premier peintre du Roi d'Espagne et du Roi de Pologne, Professeur à l'Académie Capitoline de Rome...
- MIRABEAU (Louis de Riqueti, Vicomte de). La Morale des Sens ou l'Homme du Siècle. Extrait des Mémoires de Mr. le Chevalier de Bar... Rédigés par Mr. M... D.M.
- MOTTIN DE LA BALME. Essais sur l'Equitation ou Principes raisonnés sur l'Art de monter et de dresser les Chevaux.
- PANIGAROLA (Francesco). Dichiaratione de i Salmi di David… Alla Serenissima Infante, la Signora Duchessa di Savoia.
- PASCAL DE LA COURT (Louys).). Tableau des Gaules, en forme de colloque entre des Hommes des principalles nations de l'Europe, divisé en deux parties.

This week the bookstore has launched a new thematic catalogue. In this occasion by the title “Eureka” we have grouped a selection of 117 antiquarian books and documents related to scientific discoveries and technical inventions, published between 1516 and 1911. Among them we can highlight some books of importance for their bibliographic rarity and the scientific relevance of their content:

- the first monograph on an invertebrate (Malpighi, 1669)
- the only edition of the first description of the “graphometer”, carried out by its inventor (Danfrie, 1597)
- the brochure where for the first time a theoretical solution for colour photography is exposed (Cros, 1869)
- an important illustrated book on microscopy applied to natural science (Buonanni, 1703)

We invite you to learn more about our selection in the catalogue Eurêka