Ludovico Ariosto: Orlando furioso, tutto ricorretto, et di nuove figure adornato, Venice, 1556

Description

Orlando furioso, tutto ricorretto, et di nuove figure adornato. Al quale di nuovo sono aggiunte le annotationi, gli avvertimenti & le dichiarationi di Girolamo Ruscelli, la vita dell’ autore, descritta dal Signor Giovambattista Pigna.

Venezia, Vincenzo Valgrisi, 1556

2 parts in 1 volume in quarto (24.5 x 17.5 cm), 12 leaves, 556 p.; 44, 16 leaves. With woodcut title with printer mark, 2 additional woodcut printer marks (at frontispice and at fol. 14v of volume II), 46 full-page scenic text woodcuts and as many ornamental small woodcut borders as well as figurative woodcut initials. The signatures D to H with a slightly larger brown spot in places, at the end with a larger moisture margin. Otherwise only occasional stains, some woodcuts a little fuzzy. It includes the 16-leave final Tavola de’ principii di tutte le stanze del Furioso, raccolta da Meser Giovan Battista Rota padovano often missing since printed later. Bound in slightly later parchment over boards (XVII) with gilt title.

Comments:

Rare first Valgrisi edition followed by numerous other. “Première édition donneé par les Valgrise, et la plus estimée de toutes” (Graesse). Specimen of the in-quarto editions without the “Cinque canti”, which appeared simultaneously with the Octavo edition. The commentary by Girolamo Ruscelli (1500-1566) in the appendix with its own title page. With the beautiful sheet-sized woodcuts based on the drawing by Dosso Dossi.