Guicciardini, La historia d'Italia, Venice, 1569, morocco with the impaled arms of Cosimo I de' Medici and Eleonor de Toledo

Guicciardini, Francesco. La historia d’Italia di M. Francesco Guicciardini gentil’ huomo fiorentino, doue si descriuono tutte le cose seguite dal [1494] per fino al [1532]. Riscontrate dal R. P. F. Remigio Fiorentino con tutti gli Istorici, e hanno trattato del medesimo, e posti in margine i luoghi degni d’esser notati … Con la vita del autore descritta dal medesimo, e con sommarii a ciascun libro [part 2:] I quattro ultimi libri delle historie d’Italia. Venice: Gabriele Giolito de Ferrari, 1569

Presumed dedication copy of the first complete edition (all twenty books) of Guicciardini’s masterpiece, edited by the Dominican friar Remigio Nannini, and published by Gabriele Giolito de Ferrari in 1567–1569 (three issues of the same sheets, with variant title-pages). The covers of the binding display the insignia of Cosimo I de’ Medici (1519–1574) impaled with that of his late wife, Doña Leonor Álvarez de Toledo y Osorio (died of malaria on 17 December 1562).

The editor Remigio Nannini (ca 1518–1580) was one of a growing number of well-educated men drawn to Venice as editors and translators. In 1556, he had succeeded in obtaining a transfer from the Florentine convent of Santa Maria Novella to the Venetian one of Santi Giovanni e Paolo, of which he became prior in 1566 and 1574. An admirer of Francesco Guicciardini (1483–1540), whose L’ historia d’Italia had been first published in Florence in 1561 as XVI books, Nannini produced in 1562 for the Venetian press of Giovanni Maria Bonelli a corrected and annotated edition, and this was reprinted without alteration by Nicolò Bevilacqua in 1563 and 1565. Encouraged by Gabriele Giolito de Ferrari, who had obtained from Agnolo Guicciardini the text of Books XVII–XX, Nannini produced in 1567 a complete edition, adding a new Vita di M. Francesco Guicciardini, enhancing the commentary he had provided in the Bonelli-Bevilacqua edition, rewriting the summaries for each book, preparing new indices, and correcting the text. Giolito dedicated the edition to Cosimo I de’ Medici (subscribed at Venice, more veneto, 10 February 1567).

The Brooker copy is inscribed on the front pastedown “Sept. 5 1720 Collat. & perfect. p[er] J. Wright.” Wright was a Scots bookseller, reputed to tour the Continent in search of books for his customers, among them Robert Harley (according to Humfrey Wanley’s diary, they first met on 8 February 1722/1723). At an unknown date, Wright became librarian to Harley’s son-in-law, George Henry Hay, 7th earl of Kinnoull. Books containing similar inscriptions (but dated 1723–1724) are cited on Princeton University Library’s “Notabilia” blog (10 December 2011).

2 parts in one volume, 4to (250 x 180 mm). Italic type, 46 lines plus headline. collation: *⁶ **⁴ ***⁴ ****² a–e⁴ A–Z⁸ AA–ZZ⁸ AAA–DDD⁸ EEE¹⁰ *–**⁴ A–L⁸: 546 leaves. Woodcut portrait of the author within elaborate architectonic frame, tables in architectural borders, numerous woodcut head- and tailpieces, ornaments, and initials (some historiated), large woodcut printer's device on title-page and section-title, simpler phoenix device on EEE10v and 2nd L8r. (Some minor marginal dampstaining.)

binding: Italian (Florentine?) armorial brown goatskin (259 x 193 mm), ca. 1569, both covers decorated by a large armorial stamp of the impaled arms of Cosimo I de’ Medici and Eleanor de Toledo within a floral cartouche, surmounted by a helmet with 7 feathers, surrounded by a richly gilt frame, containing a repeated flower baton-like tool within 2 gilt fillets, gilt ornamental tools at inner angles, spine with 5 raised bands, compartments with same ornament as on cover frame, gilt edges. (Extremities, especially corners, rather worn, some tiny wormholes.)

provenance: possibly Cosimo I de’ Medici, 2nd Duke of Florence (1537–1569), 1st Grand Duke of Tuscany (1569–1574) (armorial supralibros, his arms impaled with those of his wife [m. 1539], Eleanor of Toledo [1519–1562]) — Andreas Schwaiger (inscription on register at end: “sum ex libris Andreas Schreinijahr Logii Doct. A° 1598”) — Johannes Furius (seventeenth-century inscription on title-page: “Joan. Furii et Iullar filii” [?]) — John Wright, bookseller (inscription on upper pastedown: “Sep. 5, 1720 / Collat. & Perfect / p[er]. J. Wright”) — “Morton” (nineteenth-century inscription on title-page) — Roberto Almagià (1884–1962; exlibris, numbered “2158”). acquisition: Purchased from Libreria antiquaria Mediolanum, Milan, 2013 

references: Edit16 22321; USTC 835405; Adams G-1512; Bongi, Giolito de’ Ferrari II, pp. 256–261 (publication history), p. 294 (application for privilege, 18 July 1569).