Francesco Petrarca - Epistolae - 1601

Francesco Petrarca (1304-1374)
Franc. Petrarchae philosophi, oratoris et poetae clarissimi Epistolarum familiarum libri XIV. Variarum lib. I. Sine titulo lib. I. Ad quosdam ex veteribus illustiores lib. I.
Lugduni (Lione), Apud Samuelem Crispinum (Samuel Crespin), (1601).

17.2 × 10 cm (in-12°). Pages: (32), 683.

Elegant sixteenth-century Lyonnaise edition of Petrarch’s Epistolae, which gathers the celebrated Epistolae Familiares (14 books), the Variae, Sine titulo, and letters to ancient authors. The volume features a beautiful typographic device with a tree and laurel crown on the title page and woodcut decorations (ornate initials, engravings).

It is one of the foundational texts of European Humanism. Petrarch’s letters, written in elegant Latin and addressed to friends, rulers, scholars, and even classical figures (Cicero, Seneca, etc.), constitute a literary, philosophical, and autobiographical monument. In them Petrarch lays the foundations of modern humanism, reflecting on the human condition, on history, on politics and on literature, contributing decisively to the transition from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. This edition of 1601, carefully edited with philological care, represents one of the compact and accessible Latin editions of the “father of Humanism”’s works in the early seventeenth century.

Rare edition on the antiquarian market.

Complete copies of this Lyonnaise Samuel Crespin edition are uncommon; copies in acceptable condition have reached significant prices (around 1,000–1,500 USD in the past for parchment copies). Its presence at auctions is sporadic, especially in contemporary bindings.

Contemporary binding with gilt decorations and gilt-tooled spine (as shown in the photo: title “PETRARCH. EPISTOL.”). Widespread browning and foxing typical of the period throughout the text. Restorations to the spine and joints and restoration visible on the title page (as documented in the supplied images). Restorations to the joints (see photos). Overall a usable and fascinating copy, with all margins intact and legible text. Compact dimensions ideal for consultation.

A volume of great appeal for collectors of Latin classics, humanistic literature, and Petrarch. A historical piece that testifies to the publisher’s fortune of the Canzoniere and the poet’s Latin works in the seventeenth century.