Bondi - La Felicità - 1776

HAPPINESS: THE PHILOSOPHICAL POEM OF CLEMENTE BONDI IN ILLUMINIST PARMA
ABSTRACT
Rare eighteenth-century edition of the poem Happiness by Clemente Bondi, published in Parma in 1776 at Filippo Carmignani, printer by privilege of His Serene Highness. The work belongs to the tradition of the philosophical and moral poem of the eighteenth century, in which the theme of individual and civil happiness is addressed through classical references and ethical reflections. The work testifies to the cultural climate of Italian Enlightenment, combining poetic elegance, moral philosophy, and the celebration of social values.
The Parma edition presents a refined typographic appearance, with elegant typefaces, ornamental spandrels, and a final printer’s mark. A copy in an interesting contemporary full parchment binding with a gilt-decorated spine.

WHY TO BUY
Important example of an Italian moral poem from the Enlightenment era.
PARMESAN AUTHOR – Work by Clemente Bondi, a poet linked to the Emilia literary culture and to the Arcadian tradition.
PARMESAN EDITION – Printed by Filippo Carmignani, one of the principal printers of eighteenth-century Parma.
CONTEMPORARY BINDING – Copy preserved in a refined antique binding with decorative gilt on the spine.

MARKET VALUE
A work of interest to collectors of eighteenth-century Italian poetry, Arcadian literature, moral philosophy, and the history of Parma printing. Indicative valuation:
copy with contemporary binding and good condition: €300–500
copies with illustrious provenance, manuscript notes, or editorial peculiarities: over €600
The presence of the antique decorated binding and provenance from a historic library increases collector interest.

CONDITION
Contemporary full leather binding, with a spine decorated by ornamental gold-impressed elements and abbreviated title. Plates with signs of time, slight abrasions and minor marginal wear. Present an old library label attached to the upper board. Sheets in generally good condition, with light browning and some physiological foxing consistent with age. Text organized in poetic cantos in ottava rima, with ornate initials and final typographic ornament. This is variant B, as evidenced by the ICCU-censused copies: title page not provided, paper A1 white, paper A2 eyelet, and paper A3 dedication. In old books with a centuries-long history, a few imperfections may be present, not always noted in the description. This listing includes AI Visuals. Refer to the original photographs to verify the actual condition of the object. The images are an integral part of the description. Pp. (2); 78; (4).

FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
Happiness. Poem.
Parma, at Filippo Carmignani, 1776.
Clemente Bondi.

CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
The poem Happiness fits into the grand season of eighteenth-century philosophical poetry, a genre in which Italian authors sought to translate the literary form of moral and civil themes of the Enlightenment. The theme of happiness represented one of the central topics of eighteenth-century European reflection: no longer solely a private dimension, but an objective of society, linked to virtue, knowledge, and good government. The work was published in Bourbon Parma, one of the liveliest cultural centers of northern Italy, where the court and intellectual circles favored the diffusion of new philosophical and literary ideas. The dedication to Alvise Pisani and Giustiniana Pisani also places the volume within the traditional circuit of celebratory works destined for Venetian and Italian nobility.

BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
Clemente Bondi (1742-1821) was an Italian poet, born in Mezzano Superiore near Parma. He studied with the Jesuits and developed a poetic production influenced by classical tradition, the Arcadia, and Enlightenment culture. Author of lyrics, translations, and moral poems, he was appreciated in Italian literary circles of the eighteenth century. His poetry unites formal elegance, religious sensibility, and ethical reflection. He was a member of the Accademia dell’Arcadia with the pastoral name “Mirtillo Ismario.”

PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
The edition was printed in Parma in 1776 by Filippo Carmignani, official printer active under the Bourbon duchy. The eighteenth-century poetical works of a philosophical and celebratory character were generally produced in limited print runs and intended mainly for educated readers, academies, and private libraries. The copies preserved in contemporary bindings are now particularly interesting for the antique market, as many copies were subsequently rebound.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
ICCU – National Library Service Catalog (SBN)
WorldCat – International Library Catalog
CERL – Consortium of European Research Libraries
Palatine Library of Parma – Historical Catalogs
EDIT16 / historical Italian typographic repertoires
USTC – Universal Short Title Catalogue
Repertories of eighteenth-century Italian poetry
Bibliography of Italian Arcadia authors
Historical catalogs of Filippo Carmignani’s editions, Parma
Studies on Italian literature of the Enlightenment and Neoclassicism