Gualdo Priorato - Historia delle Guerre - 1653

HISTORY OF THE WARS OF FERDINANDO II AND FERDINANDO III EMPERORS: THE THIRTY YEARS' WAR NARRATED BY GALEAZZO GUALDO PRIORATO
Important Venetian edition of 1653 of the famous historical work by Galeazzo Gualdo Priorato dedicated to the wars of Ferdinand II and Ferdinand III of Habsburg, emperors of the Holy Roman Empire, and to the European events of the first half of the seventeenth century. The work analyzes the military and political events of the Thirty Years’ War, the relations between the Empire, France, Sweden, Spain and the major European powers. Gualdo Priorato, a military man and historian of international renown, builds a narrative grounded in the direct experience of the diplomatic and military milieus of the time. The copy features an elegant contemporaneous binding in stiff parchment, with a gold-tooled spine title and red edges, characteristic of scholarly libraries of the Seventeenth Century.

WHY TO BUY
EUROPEAN MILITARY HISTORY – One of the main narrative sources on the Thirty Years’ War and the political balances of the Habsburg Europe.
Prestigious author – Galeazzo Gualdo Priorato was a historian, diplomat and soldier, author of numerous foundational works on Seventeenth-Century European history.
1653 VENETIAN EDITION – Important Seicento Venetian print, a primary editorial center for the diffusion of historical works.
CONTEMPORARY BINDING AND HISTORICAL PROVENANCE – Valued stiff parchment binding with a gold-tooled spine and red edges, with ancient manuscript notes and provenance traces.

MARKET VALUE
For a complete copy of the 1653 Venetian edition, in contemporary binding and in good conservative condition, the market value can be roughly €300 to €600. Copies with illustrious provenance, historical annotations or particular conservation features may reach higher values.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION
Contemporary stiff parchment binding, flat boards, spine with raised bands and gold-pressed title; red-edged leaves. Presence of woodcut initials, typographic ornaments and alphabetical plates of the named subjects. Paper generally well preserved, with some browning and physiological foxing, halos and normal traces of time. Some ancient handwritten annotations present. Binding with slight abrasions and superficial wear to the parchment. This listing contains AI Visuals. Refer to the original photographs to verify the object’s actual condition. Images are an integral part of the description. In old books with centuries-long histories, a few imperfections may be present, not always noted in the description. Pp.: (2); 16nn; 298; 10nn; 12nn; 320; 8nn; (8).

FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
Historia delle guerre di Ferdinando Secondo, e Ferdinando Terzo imperatori, del Re Filippo Quarto di Spagna.
In Venetia, presso i Bertani, 1653.
Galeazzo Gualdo Priorato.

CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
The Thirty Years’ War (1618–1648) represented one of the most complex conflicts in modern European history, involving religious, dynastic and geopolitical motivations. Galeazzo Gualdo Priorato recounts the military campaigns, the alliances and the strategies of the major European powers, with particular attention to the affairs of the Imperial House of Habsburg, Spain, France and Sweden.
The work belongs to the great tradition of Seicento military historiography and stands out for the approach of an author who had direct experience of European military and diplomatic circles. The richness of detail makes the text a valuable source for studying the organization of armies, diplomacy and international politics of the seventeenth century.

BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
Galeazzo Gualdo Priorato (Vicenza, 1606 – Vicenza, 1678) was one of the most important Italian military historians of the Seicento. After a youth spent in a military milieu, he served several European princes and frequented the principal courts of the continent. He authored numerous historical and biographical works dedicated to the protagonists of European politics of his time. His direct experience of military and diplomatic life gave his works particular documentary value.

CIRCULATION
The initial diffusion of Gualdo Priorato’s historical works occurred through major Italian and European editorial centers. The 1653 Venetian edition represents one of the Seicento reprintings expanded and revised by the author, intended for a scholarly, diplomatic and collector audience interested in contemporary events. Venice, in the seventeenth century, was one of the major European centers for the production and diffusion of historical and political works.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bibliothèque nationale de France, Catalogue général.
Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Firenze.
SBN – Servizio Bibliotecario Nazionale.
WorldCat.
USTC – Universal Short Title Catalogue.
CERL Thesaurus.
Graesse, Trésor de livres rares et précieux.
Brunet, Manuel du libraire et de l’amateur de livres.
DBI – Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani, voce Galeazzo Gualdo Priorato.

Bibliothèque nationale de France, Catalogue général.
Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Firenze.
SBN – Servizio Bibliotecario Nazionale.
WorldCat.
USTC – Universal Short Title Catalogue.
CERL Thesaurus.
Graesse, Trésor de livres rares et précieux.
Brunet, Manuel du libraire et de l’amateur de livres.
DBI – Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani, voce Galeazzo Gualdo Priorato.