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he first book of knight-errantry, the predecessor and comparable to the Quijote, written in Castilian towards 1304 by Ferrand Martínes, archdeacon of Madrid, canon of Toledo and notary of Kings Alfonso X the Wise and Sancho IV. The Zifar gives birth to the first personal style in Castilian prose. With 242 splendid miniatures illustrating the civil and military life of that time, richly decorated with gold the book contains over 200 capital letters painted in red, royal blue and gold. It was created by 5 different illuminators, including Juan de Carrión, the most famous Hispano-Flemmish-Castilian illuminator. It is kept in the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Ms. Español 36. The manuscript contains 396 pages, 2 columns, and is sized 418 x 280 mm. It was created at the end of XIVth century.

This Facsimile edition comprises 2 volumes: a facsimile of Book of Knight Zifar, copied and illuminated for the King Enrique IV of Castile, and a volume of text, in Spanish containing a study directed by Dr. Francisco Rico, member of the Real Academia Española de la Lengua. The Facsimile is printed on paper especially hand made for this edition, reproducing the thickness, touch and smell of the original manuscript.

This unique issue is limited to 987 copies, numbered and authenticated by affidavit.