Virgilio - Dell'Eneide - 1609

ENEIDE DI VIRGILIO – TRADUZIONE DI ANNIBAL CARO – SPLENDIDO CICLO XILOGRAFICO – 1609
Importante edizione padovana dell'Eneide di Virgilio nella celebre traduzione di Annibal Caro, impreziosita da un ricco e spettacolare apparato iconografico con frontespizio figurato e numerose xilografie a piena pagina.

ABSTRACT
Important edition of the Eneid of Publius Virgilius Marone in the famous translation by Annibal Caro, printed in Padua by Pietro Paolo Tozzi in 1609. The main element of charm and collectible interest is the richly endowed iconographic apparatus, made up of a richly illustrated frontispiece printed with woodcut and numerous full-page wood engravings distributed throughout the text. The images illustrate the main episodes of the Virgilian poem, accompanying the narration canto after canto and transforming the volume into a true figurative cycle of the Aeneid. Scenes of navigation, battles, divine appearances, heroic episodes and central moments of Aeneas's journey are translated into images with strong narrative impact. The edition thus unites one of the greatest texts of classical literature, one of the most famous Renaissance Italian translations, and a richly endowed illustration apparatus. The date 1609, not listed on the frontispiece, is derived from the dedication on page A2v, according to a common practice in editions of the period.

WHY TO BUY
SPLENDIDE XILOGRAFIE – numerous large full-page illustrations in the text.
ANNIBAL CARO – the most famous Renaissance translation of the Eneid.
VIRGILIO ILLUSTRATO – one of the greatest Western classics transformed into a picture-story.
EDIZIONE DEL 1609 – interesting Padovan impression by Pietro Paolo Tozzi.

MARKET VALUE
Seventeenth-century illustrated editions of Annibal Caro's translation of the Eneid retain good market interest among antiquarian collectors, especially when they preserve the richly illustrated woodcut apparatus and an old binding. In this specimen the main value-adding element is precisely the presence of the numerous full-page wood engravings, which significantly increase interest compared to purely textual editions. Considering the date, the illustrated apparatus, the contemporary binding and the described state of preservation, a indicative commercial range of €600–1,000 seems reasonable, with possibilities of higher quotations for particularly fresh, complete and well-preserved copies.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION
Contemporary binding in full parchment, with renewed flyleaves and red edges, losses to the spine and signs of wear. Rich figurated frontispiece in woodcut. Numerous splendid full-page wood engravings in the text, devoted to the main episodes of the Eneid and of strong narrative impact. Pages with some browning and physiological foxing. Defects and normal signs of use and time. In old books with a long history, some imperfections may be present, not always noted in the description. Pp. (2); 676; 24nn; (2).

FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
Dell'Eneide di Virgilio del Commentatore Annibal Caro.
In Padoa, per Pietro Paulo Tozzi, [1609].
Publio Virgilio Marone. Traduzione e commento di Annibal Caro.

CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
The translation of the Eneid by Annibal Caro constitutes one of the great achievements of Renaissance Italian literature. Published posthumously in 1581, it quickly established itself as one of the most authoritative and fortunate Italian versions of the Virgilian poem. Its diffusion was enormous and accompanied for centuries the reading of Virgil in Italy. This edition gains particular relevance thanks to the vast woodcut apparatus. The images are not mere typographic ornaments, but systematically accompany the narrative and constitute a true visual commentary on the episodes of the poem. The reader thus encounters Aeneas not only through Caro's translation, but also through a sequence of images that convey the figurative and narrative taste of the early 17th-century Italian book culture.

BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHORS
Publio Virgilio Marone (70–19 BCE) was the greatest epic poet of Augustan Rome and one of the most influential authors of the entire Western tradition. The Eneid, composed in the final years of his life, tells the journey of Aeneas from Troy to Latium and builds the myth of the origins of Rome, intertwining heroism, fate, war, piety and political founding. Annibal Caro (1507–1566), Marchigian scholar, poet and translator, dedicated many years to the Italian version of the Eneid. His translation, characterized by great elegance, fluency and narrative force, was considered for centuries one of the peaks of the Italian literary language and greatly contributed to the modern fortune of the Virgilian poem.

PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
The edition was printed in Padua by Pietro Paolo Tozzi in 1609, a date derived from the dedication on page A2v since the frontispiece is undated. Pietro Paolo Tozzi was active in producing literary works and texts destined for a cultivated audience. In this edition the typographic interest is strongly tied to the illustrative apparatus: the woodcut frontispiece and the numerous full-page wood engravings transform the work into one of the most interesting testimonies of the iconographic fortune of the Eneid in early 17th-century Italy.

RARITY
INTERESTING AND REQUESTED ILLUSTRATED EDITION OF THE ENEID. The collectible value resides especially in the combination of three elements: the famous translation by Annibal Caro, the Padovan print of the early seventeenth century, and the vast full-page wood engravings. Copies that preserve the illustrations in full and an old binding are particularly desirable for collections devoted to Virgil, to Italian literature, to the fortune of the antique and to the illustrated book of the 17th century.

HISTORICAL IMPORTANCE
The Eneid was one of the fundamental texts of European culture and one of the main models of epic poetry from antiquity to the Renaissance. Caro's translation contributed decisively to transmitting the poem to the modern Italian public, making it accessible through an elegant and authoritative language. In this edition the text is enriched by an important visual level: the numerous wood engravings translate the poem’s most famous scenes into images and testify to the role of illustration in the reception of the classics. The volume thus represents the meeting of classical literature, Renaissance translation and the figurative culture of early Seventeenth century.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
Edit16. ICCU – Servizio Bibliotecario Nazionale. Adams, Catalogue of Books Printed on the Continent. Brunet, Manuel du Libraire. Graesse, Trésor de livres rares et précieux. Gamba, Serie dei testi di lingua italiana.