Dante - Opere del diuino poeta Danthe - 1520

Opere del diuino poeta Danthe con suoi comenti : recorrecti et con ogne diligentia nouamente in littera cursiua impresse. In Bibliotheca S. B
Impressa in Venetia : Per Miser Bernardino stagnino da Trino de monferra., Del .M. CCCCC. XX. A. di XXVIII. Marzo.
Title printed in red within ornamental border in black.
Signatures: AA¹² a-z⁸ [et]⁸ aa-zz⁸ 2[et]⁸ 2[con]⁸ 2[rum]⁸ A-E⁸.
Printers' device on final leaf.
Text surrounded by commentary.
Woodcut illustrations and initials throughout; printed marginalia.
18th century full calf binding. [12] leaves (of introduction) and 441 pages of text.

A famous and rare edition of Dante’s Divine Comedy, divided into three parts: Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. Complete but for 187 – 190, replaced in a later handwriting (18th century).
Some staining to lower corner, most notably 75-108, 180-210, generally clean. See pictures

This edition features one full-page woodcut illustration and ninety-eight woodcut prints introducing each canto (the pages that are missing and replaced, don’t contain an illustration). The full-page woodcut illustration is a simultaneous representation of events from the first canto: Dante in the woods; Dante beset by the three beasts, specifically, the leopard, symbol of worldly pleasure, the lion, symbol of pride, and the she-wolf, symbol of avarice; and Dante and Virgil.

The volume’s printer, Bernardino Stagnino (meaning “tinsmith”) da Trino, released three editions of the Divine Comedy in 1512, 1520, and 1536. Stagnino’s significant contribution was to print the text edited by Pietro Bembo together with Landino’s commentary, the same commentary that enriches the renowned 1481 copy of the Divine Comedy illustrated by Filippo Brunelleschi.The printe Stagnino belonged to the distinguished Giolito de’ Ferrari da Trino family, who were influential professionals in Renaissance publishing and printing due to their extensive involvement in the industry. Indeed, they were in contact with the powerful Manutius family in Venice, which is where this item was published.