Known for centuries as "Il Mattioli", one of the most famous books on botany, herbalism, medicine and biology in the world. Hundreds of woodcuts of animals, plants, remedies for different illnesses and a treatise "Del modo di distillare le acque da tutte le piante e come vi si possano conservare i loro veri odori, e sapori". Folio, coeval full parchment binding, some signs of wear, loose plates. Crisp interior on clear pages. Ink stains affecting the text on 3 sheets, repaired. Pp. 148 unnumbered + 842 + 10 unnumbered. Typographic brand on the title page and hundreds of woodcuts. It also contains: Del modo di distillare le acque da tutte le piante e come vi si possano conservare i loro veri odori, e sapori. Pietro Andrea Mattioli (Siena, 12 March 1501 - Trento, 1578) was an Italian humanist and physician. Between 1541 and 1542 Mattioli moved again to Gorizia, where he practiced as a doctor and worked on the translation of De Materia Medica by Dioscorides from Greek, adding his speeches and comments. Then finally in 1544 he published for the first time his main work, Di Pedacio Dioscoride Anazarbeo Libri cinque Della historia, et materia medicinale tradotti in lingua volgare italiana da M. Pietro Andrea Matthiolo Sanese Medico, con amplissimi discorsi, et comenti, et dottissime annotationi, et censure del medesimo interprete, more commonly known as Discorsi di Pier Andrea Mattioli sull'opera di Dioscoride. The first draft was published in Venice without illustrations and dedicated to Cardinal Cristoforo Madruzzo, Prince-Bishop of Trento and Brixen. It should be noted that Mattioli not only translated the work of Dioscorides, but completed it with the results of a series of researches on plants still unknown at the time, transforming the Discourses into a fundamental work on medicinal plants, a real point of reference for scientists and doctors for several centuries. In 1548 he published the second edition of Discorsi di Mattioli su Dioscoride, with the addition of the sixth book on remedies against poisons, considered apocryphal by many. Many other editions were published later, some without his approval. He also received much criticism from notable personalities of the time. In 1554 the first Latin edition of Mattioli's Discourses was published, also called Commentarii, ovvero Petri Andreae Matthioli Medici Senensis Commentarii, in Libros sex Pedacii Dioscoridis Anazarbei, de Materia Medica, Adjectis quàm plurimis plantarum & animalium imaginibus, eodem authore; it was the first edition to be illustrated and is dedicated to Ferdinand I of Austria, then Prince of the Romans, Pannonia and Bohemia, infante of Spain, Archduke of Austra, Duke of Burgundy, Count and Lord of Tyrol. It was later translated into Czech (1562), German (1563) and French. Full title: I discorsi di M. Pietro Andrea Matthioli sanese, medico cesareo; ... nei sei libri di Pedacio Dioscoride Anazarbeo della materia medicinale : Dal suo istesso auttore innanzi la sua morte ricorretti, & in piu di mille luoghi aumentati. ... Con due tauole copiosissime: ... Al M. ill.re ... monsig. Toldo Costantini, ... CON LE FIGURE TIRATE DALLE NATURALI & VIVE PIANTE & ANIMALI, IN NUMERO MOLTO MAGGIORE, CHE LE ALTRE PER AVANTI STAMPATE. - IN VENETIA PRESSO MARCO GINAMMI MDCXXXXV (1645) Pietro Andrea Mattioli (1501-1578) e Pedanius Dioscorides (40ca.-90ca.) Pp. [148], 842, [10] Text on two columns. Text of Dioscorides in Italian. Brand on the title page - Hope: a woman has her left arm resting on an anchor and turns her gaze towards the sun; landscape with buildings in the background. Within an illustrated frame. Motto: Spes mea in Deo est.