De Amicis - Il Vino - 1890

WINE AS NATIONAL EDUCATION: DE AMICIS TRANSFORMS A DRINK INTO CIVIL CULTURE
Published in 1890 by Fratelli Treves, Edmondo De Amicis’s “Il vino” is much more than a divulgation work: it is a civil, pedagogical, and identitarian text. In line with the mature production of the author, wine becomes a pretext here to tell the story of Italy, its territories, agricultural work, and social customs. The illustrative apparatus, entrusted to Feraguti, Ximenes, and Nardi, reinforces this vision, translating the world of the vineyard and the table into images that are accessible and engaging. The volume fits perfectly into the post-unitarian cultural project: educating through literature, building a collective consciousness also through daily gestures.
MARKET VALUE
Edmondo De Amicis’s late nineteenth-century works, especially in Treves illustrated editions, are sought after in collecting circles. Medium-condition copies typically range from 300 to 500 euros.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION
Red cloth binding with gilt titles and decorations on the spine. Illustrated with plates and vignettes in the text by A. Feraguti, Ettore Ximenes, and E. Nardi. Paper with some foxing and physiological browning; binding with some defects, abrasions, and losses to the spine and corners, signs of wear. First blank leaf partly detached. Front endpaper detached. Joints loosened. In old books with centuries of history, some imperfections may be present and are not always noted in the description. Pages (4); 6 preliminary leaves; 64; (2).

FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
Il vino.
Milan, Fratelli Treves Editori, 1890.
Edmondo De Amicis.
Illustrated by A. Feraguti, Ettore Ximenes, E. Nardi.

CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
In the panorama of post-uniting Italy, Edmondo De Amicis plays a central role in the construction of a shared national culture. “Il vino” fits into this perspective: it is not a technical treatise, but a work that narrates wine as a social, economic, and cultural element. Through an accessible and engaging style, De Amicis describes the world of production, consumption, and the symbolic meaning of wine in Italian society. The work also reflects the era’s tensions between tradition and modernity, between peasant and bourgeois culture. The illustrations help make the volume a tool of visual divulgation as well as literary.

BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
Edmondo De Amicis (1846–1908) was an Italian writer, journalist, and educator, best known for “Cuore.” After an initial period tied to Risorgimento patriotism, he developed a strong interest in social issues and civic education. His works, characterized by a clear and engaged style, contributed significantly to the formation of Italian cultural identity between the 19th and 20th centuries.

PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
Published in Milan in 1890 by Fratelli Treves, one of the leading Italian publishers of the time, the volume belongs to the illustrated production aimed at a cultivated bourgeois audience. Treves editions are known for typographic quality and wide diffusion. “Il vino” enjoyed good circulation, aided by the author’s notoriety.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
ICCU/OPAC SBN, record for De Amicis, Il vino, Milan, Treves, 1890
Historical Treves catalogs
Studies on Edmondo De Amicis and Italian civil literature
Repertoires of Italian illustrated publishing, 19th century
Italian biographical dictionaries (entry on De Amicis)