Villani (Giovanni) - Croniche ... nelle quali si tratta dell' origine di Firenze - 1537

Villani (Giovanni) . Croniche DI MESSER GIOVANNI VILLANI CITTADINO FIORENTINO nelle quali si tratta dell' origine di Firenze & di tutti e fatti & guerre state fatte da Fiorentini nella Italia. Venice, Bartholomeo Zanetti Casterzagense, August 1537. . & nelle quali anchora fa mentione dal principio del mondo infino al tempo dell'Autore, di tutte le guerre state per il mondo, cosi de principi christiani fra loro, come de gli infedeli, & de christiani con gli infedeli. Historia nuova & utile a sapere le cose passate fatte per tutto l'universo. 10 wood engraved initials, leaves: (10) , 219 (numbered on rectos only) , LACKING FINAL LEAF EE4 which was blank on recto and had a repeat of the printer's putto device on verso, 1st edition, Venice: Bartholomeo Zanetti, 1537, large printer's putto device on title-page (apparently after Titian) , title-page toned, with remnants of early ink ownership annotations, and with fore edge softened with minor damage, occasional spotting or marks (mostly to margins) , some margins with early ink manuscript annotations (trimmed at fore-edge) , intermittent dampstaining (mostly to gutter or margins) , lacking final leaf (blank except for repeated putto device) , stitching showing in places, 18th century vellum, dust-soiled with some wear to extremities, rubbed spine with loss at foot, spine label deficient, small folio. First edition of this famous chronicle by the foremost historical writer of the Middle Ages, giving an accurate description of the history and development of Florence, of its trade, industry, social classes, religious customs, relation to its neighbours, and its ceaseless and passionate domestic conflicts. This edition contains the first 10 books, the final two not appearing until the second edition of 1554. Parenti, 511. Graesse, VII, 317. BMC, 725. Brunet, V, 1225.