Simeoni - Figure del Nuovo Testamento - 1570

FIGURE OF THE NEW TESTAMENT: SACRED STORIES TOLD IN IMAGES AND VERSES
An illustrated book that takes the reader through episodes of the New Testament.
Each scene is accompanied by Italian verses that summarize its meaning.
The woodcuts transform the gospel narrative into a visual sequence that is immediate and engaging.
Printed in Lyon in 1570 by William Rovillio, the volume reflects the lively Renaissance publishing tradition of the city. The parchment binding and the signs of time recount the long history of this rare exemplar.
With certificate of free export.

ABSTRACT
Collection of images and verses dedicated to the episodes of the New Testament. The scenes, carved on wood and printed halfway across the page, are accompanied by brief compositions in vernacular Italian. The work unites devotion, poetry and narration in images, according to a publishing formula particularly effective in the sixteenth century.

WHY TO BUY
Colored five-hundred illustrative edition of strong interest for the history of the book, Renaissance graphics and religious iconography. The charm of the specimen lies in the sequence of woodcuts, in the relationship between image and verse, and in its Lyonese production. The compact format and the original parchment binding increase its collecting interest.

MARKET VALUE
Indicative market value: 500–700 euro. Rare Lyonese edition from 1570, with a rich series of woodcuts dedicated to episodes of the New Testament, each accompanied by verses in vernacular Italian. Interesting the combination of image-led narration and devotional poetry, as well as the old parchment binding, which preserves the historical character of the exemplar.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION
Contemporary flexible parchment binding with abrasions and tears to the spine and boards. Each page of text is illustrated by a half-page wood engraving. Tanned pages with damp stains, more pronounced in some areas; signs of use, handwritten annotations and small marginal defects. In old books with a multi-century history, a few imperfections may be present, not always noted in the description. This listing contains AI Visualizations. Refer to the original photographs to verify the object’s actual conditions. The images are an integral part of the description. Pages 52 unnumbered.

FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
Figure del Nuovo Testamento.
Lyon, apud Guglielmo Rovillio, 1570.
Gabriello Simeoni.

CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
Lyon was one of the major European printing centers of the Renaissance, with a particularly rich production of illustrated books. This work presents the gospel episodes through a sequence of images accompanied by verses, offering an accessible and memorable reading form. The layout recalls emblem books: the image introduces the theme, while the text guides its understanding and meditation.

BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
Gabriello Simeoni (c. 1509–1575), Florentine humanist, poet and polygraph, lived much of his life outside Italy and worked in French cultural milieus. He dealt with poetry, translation, antiquities and iconography, composing texts in verse also intended to accompany images. His publishing activity fits into the lively cultural exchange between Italy and Lyon in the 16th century.

PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
The edition was printed in Lyon in 1570 by William Rovillio, a publisher of Italian origin active in the city. The frontispiece bears the motto “In virtute et fortuna” and the typographic mark of the publisher. The work circulated in several editions and variants during the sixteenth century, a sign of the popularity of the format that joined biblical images and vernacular verses.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
Lyonese edition of 1570: Figure del Nuovo Testamento, illustrated by Italian vernacular verses, published by Guglielmo Rovillio. Unpaginated copy, octavo, with woodcuts and verse compositions.