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Ariosto, Ludovico ORLANDO FURIOSO Ornato De Varie Figure, con Alcune Stanze Del Medesimo Nuoumente Aggiunte... Venetia Gabriel Giolito de Ferrari 1547

Two parts in one volume. A VERY EARLY PRINTING of the complete and corrected ORLANDO FURIOSO, and with the ESPOSITIONE DI TUTTII VOCABOLI included. First title-page within a fine architectural woodcut border incorporating Giolito de Ferrari's device, 47 fine woodcut illustrations at the start of each chapter, 48 impressive 8-line historiated woodcut initials, woodcut portrait of Ariosto on the verso of the second titlepage and publisher's woodcut device repeated at the end. 4to (221x154mm, full contemporary limp vellum, the boards with a single gilt line border around a large central gilt medallion, the spine with gilt tooled flat bands creating compartments each with a central small gilt fleuron, one compartment with light morocco label additionally gilt tooled and with lettering in gilt, yapp edges, a.e.g. With the provenance of Domenico Draghi, bookseller, with his printed label on the front endpaper. 264ff, (30ff). A very fine and beautiful copy in excellent period state. Cantos 1-17 numbered in early manuscript, titlepage very slightly shaved at the fore-edge

ONE OF THE FOUR CORNERSTONES OF ITALIAN LITERATURE. Ariosto's great cantos inspired by the crusades are considered his crowning achievement. Though first published in 1516 Ariosto considered this edition incomplete and imperfect. He continued to work on correcting and enlarging it throughout the remainder of his life thus the first complete ORLANDO FURIOSO was not produced till 1532, the year prior to the author's death by consumption.
The extraordinary merits of this work cast into oblivion the numberless romantic poetry which inundated Italy during this period. This flawless work powerful, elegant and cultivated. In description and narrative he excites the reader's deepest feelings and displays a vivacity of fancy with which no other poet can vie.
The fine woodcuts and the portrait, after Titian, were created for Giolito for his edition of 1542 and were later much copied by printers in Venice, Florence, Lyon and Paris.

$US10500

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