First edition of a very rare two-part monograph dedicated to the churches of the 4th-century Red Monastery (Deir al-Ahmar) and 5th-century White Monastery (Deir el-Abyad) in Egypt, two Coptic Orthodox monasteries near the Egyptian city of Sohag. The work was written by Ugo Monneret de Villard (1881-1954), one of the main 20th-century Italian scholars on Islamic, Coptic and oriental art history, architecture and archaeology. The present work is one of the results of his systematic exploration of Egypt from 1921-1928. Monneret de Villard's work was appreciated at the highest academic levels. The work was privately printed in Milan under the auspices of the Comité de conservation des monuments de l'art arabe. Both the Red and White Monastery were among the first Christian monasteries in Egypt and nowadays they are among the most famous ones.
It is a highly important work in the field of Egypt church architecture, more specific of Christian antiquites in Egypt and Coptic monasticism and architecture.
Paper sides of the bindings with some minor stains and a little discoloured, paper at lower left edge on the front board of vol. II a little loose, corners slightly bumped, only a few spots and stains throughout, overall in very good condition. Cf. A. Kingsley Porter, 'Les couvents près de Sohâg', in: Speculum 2 (1927), 3, p. 356.