Bocchi - Doctissimi Nati Florentiae - 1607-1609

Civic Pride and Memory: Florence Celebrates Itself Through Its Distinguished Men
The Elogiorum quibus viri doctissimi nati Florentiae decorantur by Francesco Bocchi is one of the most self-aware operations of cultural self-representation in late Renaissance Florence.
Published in 1609, the volume gathers a series of encomiastic portraits dedicated to illustrious men born in the city, building a genuine gallery of civic memory based on erudition, letters, the arts, and the sciences.
The work follows the humanist tradition of elogia virorum illustrium, but updates the model in a decidedly Florentine sense, turning individual celebration into a collective act of cultural identity.
Particularly noteworthy is the presence, in this copy, of the Liber secundus printed separately in 1607, with its own title page and imprint, which documents an unusual editorial layering.
MARKET VALUE
On the antiquarian market, the Florentine editions by Francesco Bocchi devoted to civic eulogies typically sit within a range of 1,200 to 1,500 euros.
Composite copies like this one, which include the Liber secundus with its own title page from the Officina Sermartelliana (1607), are of particular bibliographic interest.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION
Soft parchment binding, showing signs of wear. Editorial assemblage comprising the Liber primus printed in Florence by the Giunti in 1609 and the Liber secundus printed in Florence by the Officina Sermartelliana in 1607, both with their own title pages and imprints. Typographic watermarks on the two title pages, woodcut initials in the text. Presence of contemporary or shortly subsequent marginal handwritten notes. Leaves with some browning. In old books with a long multigenerational history, some imperfections may be present, not always noted in the description. Pp. (2); 8nn. 92; 4nn. 40.
FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
Elogiorum, quibus Viri Doctissimi Nati Florentiae Decorantur.
Liber primus:
Florentiae, Apud Iuntas, 1609.
Liber secundus:
Florentiae, In Officina Sermartelliana, 1607.
Francesco Bocchi.
CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
Bocchi’s work fits into the long Florentine tradition of celebrating illustrious men as a tool for constructing civic identity. Unlike classical and humanist models, here the praise assumes a precise political and cultural value: Florence is presented as a continuous matrix of knowledge, capable of producing excellence in every realm of human knowledge. The inclusion of the Liber secundus, printed two years earlier and later integrated, testifies to a structured and progressive editorial project, not rare but always significant in the history of the transmission of encomiastic texts between the fifteenth and seventeenth centuries.
BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
Francesco Bocchi was born in Florence in 1548 and died there in 1618. A humanist, writer, and topographer, he authored numerous works devoted to the history, art, and celebration of the city of Florence, including famous guides and urban descriptions. His output reflects a deep sense of civic belonging and a committed adherence to the cultural values of late Florentine humanism.
PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
The Liber primus of Elogiorum was printed by the Giunti in 1609, while the Liber secundus appeared separately in 1607 at the Officina Sermartelliana. The joint circulation of the two books, as in this copy, reflects a later-practice assembly process, attested in several cases but never fully standardized. This makes each copy a unique material witness to the work’s editorial history.
BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
Adams, Catalogue of Books Printed on the Continent of Europe, 1501–1600.
Bertelli, Umanesimo e storiografia civica a Firenze.
Grafton, Defenders of the Text.
WorldCat, censimenti delle edizioni di Francesco Bocchi.