Pierfrancesco Giambullari - Del sito, forma, e misure dello Inferno di Dante - 1544

Antique parchment with a title and author handwritten later on the spine. Red spray cuts.

1 blank check, 153, [7], 1 blank check

This is a very curious and interesting first edition of Giambullari's analysis of Dante's Inferno, with particular attention to the position of Dante's Inferno and illustrated with fascinating woodcuts. The first features a map with Jerusalem at the top, Purgatory at the bottom, the Levant to the east, and Europe and the Unknown Land (i.e., the Americas) to the west. Another world map is a polar projection showing various parts of the world surrounded by Limbo. Pier Francesco Giambullari (1495-1555) was a scholar proficient in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, a priest, Florentine, and humanist. He was one of the founding members of the Florentine Academy and became known as its leading authority on Dante, as well as one of the clearest prose writers in Italian/Florentine of his time. The eight large woodcuts in the book depict the structure, position, and size of Dante's Inferno, for which he apparently used Sebastian Munster's 'Geography' to determine the exact location of Inferno on Earth. Neri Dortelata was a not very prolific printer: besides this volume, he printed Ficino's 'Dialogues on Love' and minor works by Latin and Greek classics.

With a vignette of Noah's Ark on the frontispiece, plus 8 large woodcuts. Italic and round type, the first introduction of the orthographic reforms showing the pronunciation of Florence at the time. The conditions are very good. Spread with some light foxing, otherwise in good condition. A fascinating, complete, rare, and usable copy.