Preparación para la Muerte – San Alfonso María de Ligorio (Madrid, 1907)

Description
Bound in dark embossed covers, with gothic flourishes framing a central cross, this devotional book carries both gravity and elegance. The spine, now worn with time, still bears the hauntingly direct title: Preparación para la Muerte. Published in Madrid in 1907 by the Apostolado de la Prensa, it was translated from Italian by Baltasar Ortiz de Zárate, a Lieutenant Colonel — an unusual pairing of soldier and spiritual translator.

Historical Note
San Alfonso María de Ligorio (1696–1787) was a Catholic bishop, moral theologian, and Doctor of the Church. His writings, meant to prepare souls for salvation, were among the most widely circulated works of Catholic piety in Europe and Latin America. At the turn of the 20th century, books like this often guided bedside reflections in households where death was not an abstraction but a daily presence.

Age & Interest
118 years old, this book embodies an era when religious texts were crafted to endure both time and handling. Its quality paper, clear typography, and austere cover suggest it was a volume of both devotion and status.

Obscure Lore
Some believed that merely owning such a book offered protection — as if the words of Ligorio might intercede at the final hour. It was not uncommon for copies to be passed down generations, resting at deathbeds, or placed in coffins alongside the faithful.