Baruffaldi - Tabaccheide - 1714

THE TABACCO SONG – FIRST EDITION - THE CULTURE OF SMOKE IN THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY
Rare first edition of La Tabaccheide, the most famous Italian poem dedicated to tobacco and one of the most original works of European literature of the early eighteenth century. Composed by the Ferrara-born writer Girolamo Baruffaldi (1675-1755), the work brilliantly and irony transforms tobacco into the protagonist of a modern heroic-epic, blending the language of classical epic with the burlesque tradition inaugurated by Alessandro Tassoni’s Secchia Rapita. Through an extraordinary richness of citations and erudite references, Baruffaldi celebrates tobacco as a symbol of the educated society of his time, offering the reader a refined intertwining of literature, history, botany, and custom. The extensive notes by the author further broaden the volume’s interest, turning it into one of the most important European testimonies devoted to tobacco culture and smoking.
REASONS FOR COLLECTING
First absolute edition of 1714.
Among the most important old books dedicated to tobacco.
Masterpiece of Italian heroic poetry of the eighteenth century.
In demand by collectors of tobaccology, costume history, and Italian literature.

MARKET VALUE
La Tabaccheide constitutes the most famous work by Girolamo Baruffaldi and is universally regarded as the main Italian poem devoted to tobacco. The first edition of 1714 is decidedly rarer than later reprints and appears only occasionally at major international auctions of rare books. Collecting interest has grown substantially in recent years thanks to the development of studies on the history of tobacco and European material culture. A complete, genuine, well-preserved copy is generally valued between 700 and 1,200 euros, with higher results for copies that are particularly fresh, marginated, or of illustrious provenance.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION
Contemporary editorial binding in flexible rustic card, fully original, with the spine sewn by hand and preserved edges. Typographic title page with an elegant allegorical vignette depicting the “Vatum Pater.” Strong watermarked paper, wide margins, and well preserved; time browning, some marginal specks and minor signs of use. Minuscule wear to the binding fully compatible with the age of the work. Genuine, intact, and untrimmed copy. Pages (2); 240; (29).
In old books, with a long history, a few imperfections may be present, not always noted in the description.

FULL TITLE
La Tabaccheide. Ditirambo di Girolamo Baruffaldi Ferrarese, Accademico Intrepido, con le Annotazioni. Ferrara, Per gli Eredi di Bernardino Pomatelli, Stampatori Vescovali, 1714.
Girolamo Baruffaldi

AUTHOR
Girolamo Baruffaldi (1675-1755) was a priest, poet, historian, antiquarian, and one of the greatest scholars of Emilia in the early eighteenth century. A member of the Arcadian Academy and of the Intrepidi Academy, he devoted his activity to the study of Ferrarese history, art, and literature. La Tabaccheide represents his masterpiece and one of the most original works of Italian playful poetry.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT
After the introduction of tobacco from the New World, the consumption of smoke and snuff spread rapidly in European courts, ecclesiastical circles, and literary academies, becoming a genuine cultural phenomenon. Baruffaldi keenly captures this historical moment and transforms a fashion of his time into a sophisticated literary exercise, offering a precious testimony of early eighteenth-century European culture.

LITERARY SIGNIFICANCE
Following Tassoni’s Secchia Rapita model, La Tabaccheide elevates a seemingly modest topic to the dignity of classical epic. Baruffaldi’s stylistic deftness, the constant alternation between lofty tone and irony, and the author’s vast erudition make the work one of the best examples of Italian heroic poetry. The extensive notes also constitute a true encyclopedia of eighteenth-century knowledge related to tobacco.

PRINTING HISTORY AND RARITY
This edition constitutes the first absolute edition of the work, printed in Ferrara in 1714 by the Eredi di Bernardino Pomatelli, episcopal printers. The frontispiece is adorned with a refined allegorical copper-engraved vignette depicting the “Vatum Pater,” a characteristic iconographic element of Ferrara’s typography of the period. Copies of the first edition are today decidedly rare on the international antiquarian market; the presence of the original editorial binding, frequently replaced over centuries, further increases the bibliographic interest of the copy.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Melzi, Dizionario di opere anonime e pseudonime.
Gamba, Serie dei Testi di Lingua.
Graesse, Trésor de Livres Rares et Précieux.
OPAC SBN.
ICCU – Istituto Centrale per il Catalogo Unico.