Peter Bichsel   Fine Books

(Rogissart, Alexandre de). Les délices de l’Italie, contenant une description exacte du Païs, des principales Villes, de toutes les Antiquitez, et de toutes les raretez qui s’y trouvent. 4 vols.

With 4 engr. frontispieces, 2 engr. folding maps, and 151 copper plates, some folding. 8 leaves, 334 pp., 1 leaf; 2 leaves, 359 pp.; 2 leaves, 302 pp., 1 blank leaf; 2 leaves, 266 pp., 15 leaves index. 12mo. Contemp. full calf over 5 raised bands. Spine with 2 gilt-lettered labels. – Paris, Compagnie des Libraires, 1707.

First edition of de Rogissart’s panoramic and accurate descritpion of Italy. The plates show city plans, views, landmarks, historic buildings, monuments, or churches. Most interesting is a view the Venice carnival on St. Marks square in vol. I. An augmented edition in six volumes was published two years later in Leiden. A German version „Anmuthigkeiten in Italien“ came out in Berlin and is dated 1706. – Barbier I, 3448. – Old library stamp on all four title leaves. Upper spine ends partly chipped. Clean copy. – Best.-Nr. 27112