OVALLE, Pe.Alonso de, S.J.- HISTORIA | RELACION | Del Reyno de CHILE, | Y de las missiones, y ministerios que exercita en el | la Compañia de IESVS. | [...] | ALONSO DE OVALLE | De la Compañia de IESVS Natural de Santia- | go de Chile, y Procurador à ROMA.- En Roma: por Francisco Cauallo, 1646.- [8], 455, [1], 10, 12, 6 p.: il.; 25 cm.- E. Original edition of an important description of Chile, illustrated with 14 copperplate prints, nine portraits of knights (governors), 12 portraits of the first generals who commanded the Spanish troops in Chile and 18 xilographic engravings, on the final nine sheets, representing Jesuit schools, churches, ports and Chilean islands. Main work by the Jesuit Alonso de Ovalle (1603-1651), historian and chronicler, born in Santiago de Chile, son of powerful Spanish landowners. The copy lacks the folding map of the province. The work printed in the same year in the Italian version, was only reprinted in 1888 (Santiago), with a circulation of 600 copies. The specimen has some imperfections, the most important of which are: excessive cropping, slight browning and handling; monogrammed stamp with a count's coronet, on the title page; the paper of the copperplate prints is of poor quality and some have small worm holes, most of them marginal. With the exception of the map, it is however complete, corresponding even to the collation indicated to us by Palau. Provenance: Library of Bernardino Ribeiro de Carvalho (lot nº 543 of auction nº 50 of Pedro de Azevedo), with its oval label (ex-libris) on the back cover. Binding from the 19th century, with morocco spine. Sommervogel, IV, 39/40. Palau, 207397.