Simone Coya’s Motetti sacri, Op. 2 and other rare items in the Valperga family library, Masino

Abstract

In 1988 the FAI—Fondo Ambiente Italiano (Italian Environmental Fund) purchased the Masino castle, Turin province, owned for centuries by the Valpergas, a most ancient and noble family from the Savoy Kingdom, boasting several major figures in politics and culture, especially in the 17^th and 18^th century. Its archive hosts over 12,700 documents, dating from the 8^th century, and its library holds ca. 25,000 volumes, dating from the mid-17^th century. This essay has some preliminary results of a research on its musical items. As with other aristocracy libraries, there is no dearth of surprises—for example, a copy of Simone Coya’s Motetti sacri, Op. 2, issued by the Camagni brothers in Milan in 1681, and so far attested only by Sébastien de Brossard’s manuscript copy, sitting at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France. There are also 17^th-18^th century librettos unknown to catalogs and rare editions of writings on music.