Petrarca - Dichiarationi non piu Stampate - 1562

LAURA’S FACE, SECRET GLOSSES, AND THE CULT OF LOVE
Famous portrait of Laura and Petrarch on A7v paper.
This rare Venetian edition of 1562 of the Petrarchan Canzoniere testifies to one of the most intense moments in the editorial and cultural fortune of Francesco Petrarca in the heart of the Italian Renaissance. The work does not merely reproduce the poet’s Rimes: it is accompanied by “dichiarationi non piu stampate,” linguistic and exegetical annotations that transform the text into a true tool for study, interpretation, and stylistic imitation. In sixteenth-century Venice, Petrarch was already regarded as the absolute model of elegant vernacular language, the founder of a sentimental and poetic grammar destined to dominate European literature for centuries. The woodcut illustrations, including the famous portrait of Laura and Petrarch, add to the volume a nearly theatrical and symbolic dimension: Petrarchan love is no longer only a poetic experience, but image, allegory, and visual myth. The book perfectly reflects Venetian humanist culture, in which philology, publishing, and literary devotion converge in a refined and profoundly influential object.
MARKET VALUE
Sixteenth-century Venetian illustrated and annotated Petrarcha editions are highly sought after by collectors of Italian Renaissance literature. Complete copies of the two parts, with antique binding and preserved pictorial apparatus, generally range between 1,000 and 3,000 euros on the international antique market, with higher prices for copies in fresh condition or with historic provenance.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION
Full parchment binding with manuscript titles on the spine; lacks along the hinges and signs of wear. Each part with its own woodcut title page. Numerous woodcut illustrations in the text, including the famous portrait of Laura and Petrarch on A7v. Editorial mark on the title page with an allegorical figure within a Mannerist frame. Copy with some stains and wear; the last blank leaf of the second part is missing. In old books with a multigenerational history, some imperfections may be present, not always noted in the description. Pp. (4); 490; (2); 260; 2nn; (2).

FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
Il Petrarca con dichiarationi non piu stampate.
In Venetia, appresso Nicolò Bevilacqua, 1562.
Petrarca, Francesco.

CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
In the sixteenth century Petrarchanism becomes the dominant language of European poetry. This Venetian edition fits into that vast editorial phenomenon that transforms the Canzoniere into a normative, almost scholastic text, studied word for word as a model of linguistic and sentimental perfection. The “dichiarationi non piu stampate” widen the function of the volume: not a simple poetic collection, but a tool for interpretation and learning of the Tuscan language. The presence of annotations derived from Pietro Bembo is particularly significant, as it testifies to the central role of Bembo’s school in codifying literary Italian. The woodcut images also contribute to building a visual imaginary of Petrarchan love: Laura becomes an iconic, almost allegorical figure, while Petrarch assumes the traits of the melancholic and contemplative poet-philosopher. The volume thus represents a perfect example of how publishing, philology, and amorous culture intertwine in Renaissance Venice.

BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
Francesco Petrarca (1304–1374) was an Italian poet, humanist, and scholar, considered one of the fathers of European Humanism. His Canzoniere, dedicated to the idealized figure of Laura, revolutionized Western poetry by introducing new psychological introspection and refined linguistic elaboration of the loving sentiment. His influence on European literature was immense: from Italian Petrarchism to Elizabethan English poetry, up to Baroque and modern lyric.

PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
The 1562 edition printed by Nicolò Bevilacqua belongs to the remarkable Venetian editorial tradition of the sixteenth century, a period when Venice represented one of the major European printing centers. Bevilacqua published numerous literary and humanist texts intended for a cultured and international audience. Annotated Petrarchan editions achieved enormous diffusion as educational tools as well as prestigious books for aristocratic and academic private libraries. The presence of pictorial apparatuses and exegetical declarations makes this print particularly significant in the editorial evolution of the Canzoniere.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
Edit16, CNCE relating to the Bevilacqua edition of 1562.
ICCU/OPAC SBN, bibliographic records of Venetian Petrarchan editions.
USTC, record of the 1562 edition.
Adams, P-1019/1020 (contemporary Petrarchan editions).
Brunet, Manuel du Libraire, IV, coll. 534-540.
Graesse, Trésor de livres rares, V, p. 247.
Mortimer, Harvard Italian 16th Century Books, Petrarchan Venetian catalogs.
Renouard, Annales de l’imprimerie des Alde, context of Venetian Petrarchan editions.
British Library, catalogs of Italian editions of the XVI century.
BnF Gallica, catalogs of illustrated Petrarchan editions.
DBI – Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani, entry “Nicolò Bevilacqua.”