Maresti - Teatro Geneologico et Istorico - 1678-1681

FERRARA NOBILE E ARALDICA: THE GREAT ESTENSE FAMILIES OF THE SEICENTO TOLD BY MARESTI
Original first edition of the first two volumes of the monumental Teatro genealogico et istorico by Alfonso Maresti, published in Ferrara in 1678 and 1681. A fundamental work for the history of Ferrara's noble families and for the genealogical, heraldic, and urban reconstruction of the Esteran city. The two volumes are extremely rich in woodcut coats of arms, genealogical trees, and views of Ferrara, some full-page, documenting the evolution of the city and its houses between the Middle Ages and the modern era. Particularly evocative are the red and black title pages and the iconographic apparatus devoted to monuments, districts, fortifications, and families. A specimen in contemporaneous rugged bindings, genuine and of strong historical-documentary interest.

ABSTRACT
Genealogical and historical work dedicated to the ancient and illustrious families of Ferrara, composed by Count and Knight Alfonso Maresti. The two volumes collect genealogical, heraldic, biographical, and historical information on the main Ferraran noble houses, accompanied by numerous woodcut coats of arms and genealogical trees. Of exceptional interest is also the apparatus devoted to the urban history of Ferrara, with views, elevations, reconstructions, and plans relating to various phases of the city’s development. The first tome was published in 1678, the second in 1681; the work remained incomplete at the author's death and was later continued by his son Francesco with a third tome published in 1708.

WHY TO BUY
FIRST EDITION - A work of great interest for collectors of local history, genealogy, heraldry, Ferrara, and the Este family. The first edition of the two original volumes by Alfonso Maresti combines an important historical source with a very rich iconographic apparatus. The family coats of arms, the genealogical trees, and especially the views of the city of Ferrara in the different eras greatly enhance the charm and documentary value of the work. The red and black title pages, emblems, ornate initials, and numerous woodcuts also make the volumes visually very attractive. The authenticity of the contemporaneous rugged bindings, with manuscript titles on paper slips on the spines, is also noteworthy.

MARKET VALUE
For the two original volumes by Alfonso Maresti, complete with the present woodcut apparatus, a rough indicative market value could be around €900-1,200. The first edition, the rich iconography, the local and heraldic character of the work, and the conjoint presence of both volumes positively influence the price.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION
Con temporaneous rugged bindings in marbled cardboard, with manuscript titles on paper labels applied to the spines. The binding of the second volume is a little loose. Title pages printed in red and black within a double rule; in the first volume is a woodcut Chigi coat of arms, in the second volume a typographic mark; numerous initials, end marks, heraldic coats of arms, genealogical trees, and full-page woodcut plates. The first tome contains 11 full-page woodcut plates, mainly related to the history and urban evolution of Ferrara; the second contains 4, in addition to numerous coats of arms and genealogies. Interior pages with some physiological foxing and light stains. Restoration without loss of text on page 74 of the second volume. Wide and unmilled margins. In ancient books with a multistage history, some imperfections may be present, not always noted in the description. This listing includes AI Visualizations. Refer to the original photographs to verify the item’s actual condition. The images are an integral part of the description. Pp.:
Tome I: (2); 4nn; 264; (2).
Tome II: (2); 16nn; 226; 6nn; (2).

FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
Teatro genealogico et istorico dell’antiche, & illustre famiglie di Ferrara del conte, e cavaliere Alfonso Maresti ferrarese. Tomo primo. Tomo secondo.
Ferrara, nella Stampa Camerale, 1678-1681.
Alfonso Maresti.

CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
The Teatro genealogico et istorico represents one of the most important seventeenth-century works dedicated to Ferraran nobility. Maresti reconstructs origins, kinships, offices, marriages, military exploits, and patrimonial affairs of Ferrara’s principal families, placing them within the political and social history of Ferrara. The work is also particularly significant for the study of Estense society and the Lombard-Padana noble system. Alongside the genealogies, the text preserves numerous details about monuments, palaces, churches, districts, fortifications, and urban transformations. The woodcut views dedicated to Ferrara from different periods constitute a notably valuable iconographic source for the city’s history.

BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
Alfonso Maresti was a historian, genealogist, and Ferraran noble active in the XVII century. Count and knight, he devoted much of his activity to reconstructing the genealogies and the vicissitudes of Ferrara’s illustrious families. The Teatro genealogico et istorico represents his principal and most ambitious work. In it he gathered family traditions, documents, chronological sources, local memories, and heraldic testimonies, organizing them into a systematic structure. He died before he could complete the project; the third tome was later curated and published by his son Francesco in 1708.

PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
This is the first and only original edition of the two volumes published directly by Alfonso Maresti: the first in 1678, dedicated to Cardinal Sigismondo Chigi, and the second in 1681, dedicated to Francesco II d’Este, Duke of Modena and Reggio. Both were printed in Ferrara at the Stampa Camerale. The third tome, following the author’s death, was published in 1708 by his son Francesco and constitutes a continuation of the work. The editorial structure of the first two volumes is particularly rich, with title pages in red and black, coats of arms, genealogical trees, ornate initials, and an extensive apparatus of full-page woodcuts.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
Repertories of Ferraran history and genealogy; bibliographies of Alfonso Maresti’s works; catalogs of the seventeenth-century editions of the Ferrara Stampa Camerale; heraldic and genealogical repertories of the Este and Ferrara families; studies on Ferrara’s urban and noble history in the XVII century.