Virgilio - Codex Antiquissimus in Bibliotheca Mediceo-Laurentiana - 1741

THE VIRGIL CODE OF THE LAURENTIAN LIBRARY: THE FIRST TYPOGRAPHIC FACSIMILE OF A CLASSICAL MANUSCRIPT
One of the most important philological enterprises of the eighteenth century, devoted to the oldest and most authoritative witness to Virgil’s works. The edition reproduces the famous Codex Mediceus Laurentianus, a fifth-century manuscript preserved in the Laurentian Library of Florence. Printed with typefaces specially created to imitate the rustic capitals of the ancient codex, it marks a fundamental moment in the history of typography and classical studies. Edited by Pier Francesco Foggini, it combines scholarly rigor, editorial innovation, and the prestige of the Florentine humanist tradition. A specimen of great interest for collectors of classical philology, the history of printing, and illustrated ancient books.

WHY TO BUY
MASTERPIECE OF EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY PHILOLOGY - The first printed reproduction of the famous Codex Mediceus, one of the oldest Virgilian manuscripts.
IMPORTANCE IN THE HISTORY OF PRINTING - A pioneering work in faithful typographic reproduction of an ancient manuscript.
LINK TO THE LAURENZIAN LIBRARY - Testament to the great Florentine scholarly tradition and Italian humanist studies.
EXEMPLAR OF GREAT ELEGANCE - Large format, special red and black type, and ornamental engravings that recall the manuscript model.

MARKET VALUE
Eight eenth-century editions dedicated to the great classical codices are increasingly sought after in the antiquarian market, especially when tied to important historical libraries and to the birth of modern philology. Complete copies of the first edition of the Codex Mediceus of Virgil, in good condition and with fine bindings, can reach indicative values in the range of €1,500-3,000, with variations depending on condition, provenance, and binding quality.

CONDITION
Non-contemporary full leather binding, six spine nerves, flat compartments and a paper label on the spine with a manuscript title. Frontispiece engraved with architectural composition and decorative vignettes; text printed in specially designed uppercase letters, in red and black, imitating the rustic capital writing of the original codex. In old books with a long history, a few imperfections may be present, not always noted in the description. This listing contains AI Visuals. Refer to the original photographs to verify the object’s actual conditions. The images are an integral part of the description. Pp.: (2); 4nn; 36; 460; (2).

FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
Codex antiquissimus in Bibliotheca Mediceo-Laurentiana adservatus.
Pet. Franc. Fogginius, 1741.
Publio Virgilio Marone.

CONTEXT
The volume presents the first printed edition of the Codex Mediceus Laurentianus, the most important Virgilian manuscript of antiquity, probably copied in the fifth century and today housed in the Laurenziana Library in Florence. The codex represents one of the principal witnesses to Virgil’s textual tradition and contains the major works of the Latin poet: Eclogues, Georgics, and Aeneid. Its eighteenth-century reproduction is an extraordinary undertaking: for the first time an ancient manuscript is transferred in typographic form while trying to faithfully preserve its graphical appearance. The use of special characters inspired by Roman rustics makes this work an important precedent in the history of the modern facsimile and testifies to the relationship between antiquarian scholarship, philology, and typographic innovation in the eighteenth century.

BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
Publio Virgilio Marone (70–19 B.C.) is considered one of the greatest poets of Latin literature. Born at Andes, near Mantua, he studied philosophy and rhetoric, moving in circles close to Maecenas and Emperor Augustus. Author of the Eclogues, Georgics, and Aeneid, Virgil became the fundamental model of Latin poetry and one of the most studied authors in Western tradition. His work profoundly influenced medieval, Renaissance, and European literature. Pier Francesco Foggini (1713-1783), the editor, was a priest, philologist, and Florentine bibliothecary, active in Italian scholarly circles and connected with the Vatican Library and classical studies.

PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
The work was published in Florence in 1741 by the Manniani presses, under the editorial supervision of Pier Francesco Foggini. The edition was born with the aim of making the famous Virgilian manuscript kept in the Laurentian Library accessible to scholars. The choice to print the text with specially created characters inspired by the rustic capitals of the ancient codex made this publication a unique experiment in eighteenth-century European typography. Circulation was mainly directed to learned libraries, universities, scholars of classical philology, and collectors of ancient books. Even today it is considered one of the most significant eighteenth-century editions dedicated to the manuscript tradition of Latin classics.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
P. Vergili Maronis, Codex antiquissimus in Bibliotheca Mediceo-Laurentiana adservatus, Florentiae, Typis Mannianis, 1741.

ICCU – Catalogo del Servizio Bibliotecario Nazionale.

SBN – Servizio Bibliotecario Nazionale, repertori delle edizioni antiche.

USTC – Universal Short Title Catalogue.

CERL Thesaurus – Consortium of European Research Libraries.

WorldCat – International Union Catalogue of libraries.

Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana – Cataloghi dei manoscritti e delle collezioni virgiliane.

Gamba, Serie dei testi di lingua italiana.

Dibdin, Introduction to the Knowledge of Rare and Valuable Editions of the Greek and Latin Classics.

Brunet, Manuel du libraire et de l’amateur de livres.