Francesco Petrarca - Epistolae - 1601

Francesco Petrarca (1304-1374)
Frances. 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°). Pagine: (32), 683.

Elegant edition in Lyon, from the seventeenth century, of Petrarch’s Epistolae, which gathers the famous Epistolae Familiares (14 books), the Variae, Sine titulo and letters to ancient authors. The volume presents a beautiful typographic mark with an tree and a laurel wreath on the title page and woodcut decorations (ornate initials, friezes).

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

Complete copies of this Lyon edition by Samuel Crespin are not common; specimens in acceptable condition have reached significant prices (around 1,000-1,500 USD in the past for similar parchment copies). Its presence at auctions is sporadic, especially in period bindings.

Contemporary binding with gilding and decorations on the spine (as shown in the photo: title “PETRARCH. EPISTOL.”). Browning and foxing typical of the era throughout the text. Restorations to the spine and joints, and restoration visible on the title page (as documented in the supplied images). Restorations of the joints (see photo). 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 historic piece that testifies to the editorial fortune of the Canzoniere and the Latin works of the poet in the seventeenth century.