BIANCHINI Francesco – La Istoria Universale – 1697

Descrizione

BIANCHINI Francesco – La Istoria Universale provata con monumenti, e figurata con simboli de gli antichi, e dedicata all’Eminentiss., e Reverendiss. Principe Pietro Otthoboni Cardin. Vicecancelliere Signor suo Clementissimo da Francesco Bianchini veronese Dottore di S. Th, Cher. Lett., e Can. della Insigne Coll. di S. Maria ad Martyres nella Rotonda – 1697. In Roma, stampata a spese dell’Autore nella Stamperia di Antonio de Rossi dietro San Silvestro in Capite à strada della Vite. Coeval full leather, fillets hot-stamped on both the boards, raised bands, sprayed fore-edges; quarto, cm 23,9 x 17,8; pp. (2b) (14) 572 (22) (4b); peelings at the binding, marginal wormpath the bottom edge of the first five sheets, some stains here and there, some browned leaves, text block a bit cracked between pages 326 and 327 but still rather solid. Allegorical copper engraved frontispiece, Cardinal Otthoboni’s coat of arms in woodcut on the title page, 48 small illustrations (engraved on copper mainly, the littlest one on wood) in the text, engraved initials and endings, 13 tipped in plates and tables (7 of them folded), some phrases of the text in Greek and Hebrew. Scarce first edition of the well-know Italian scientist, antiques collector and librarian Bianchini from Verona. His plans originally were to write a much larger work on the universal history but, following his ambition of becoming librarian at the Vatican Library, he published – at his own expenses – the book, hoping of taking advantage out of it to get the role, although this did not happen. Remarkable are some the plates included in the work, especially the ones depicting the obelisks