Pindemonte - Poesie Latine e Volgari - 1726

Elegance as a Moral Value: Pindemonte, Singer of 18th-Century Verona
Verona, 1726 – Marquis Pindemonte celebrates the wedding with Arcadian elegance and a humanist spirit.
Refined and worldly, the Latin and vernacular poetry of Marc’Antonio Pindemonte belongs to the tradition of occasional compositions, but with a lightness and taste that surpass mere celebration to take on the tones of a stylistic exercise on love sentiment. Written on the occasion of a marriage and accompanied by the author's notes, the lyrics alternate Italian and Latin verses in a dance of references between erudition and eighteenth-century grace, between the elegance of the Veronese salon and the legacy of the classics.
Market value
The Latin and vernacular poetry (Verona, 1726) is a rare publication, now difficult to find complete and in good condition. Copies in contemporary binding generally fall within a value range of 700 to 1,000 euros, with higher valuations (up to 1,200 euros) for clean and intact copies. The dedication to Captain Leonardo Loredano and Pindemonte's notes increase the bibliographic interest of the edition.

Physical description and condition
Contemporary binding in parchment, title on a label. Red sprayed edges. Frontispiece with an ornamental typographic mark, dedication to Leonardo Loredano, text in Latin and vernacular on handmade paper. Some foxing. Disclaimer: in ancient books with a multi-century history, some imperfections may be present that are not always noted in the description. Pp. (2); 16nn; 498; (2).

Full title and author
Latin and vernacular poetry by Marquis Marc’Antonio Pindemonte on the occasion of a wedding, with some annotations by the same.
Verona, by Pier’Antonio Berno Lib., 1726.
Marc’Antonio Pindemonte

Context and Significance
The volume, born as a wedding tribute, is a precious testament to the Venetian literary culture of the early eighteenth century, where private celebration merges with classical and academic tradition. Pindemonte alternates compositions in vernacular of clear Petrarchan grace with Latin verses of solemn and mythological tone, retrieving models from Arcadia and the balance of neoclassical poetry. The author includes quotations and annotations that explicitly reference Virgil, Ovid, and Propertius, weaving a subtle pattern of correspondences between myth and contemporaneity. The Poems are read as a dialogue between two languages and two eras, an exercise in harmony where the language of the heart also becomes the language of reason.

AUTHOR
Marc’Antonio Pindemonte (Verona, 1663 – 1737), marquis and scholar, was a prominent figure in the cultured Verona environment, a friend of Scipione Maffei and a key player in the Venetian humanistic revival. He wrote Latin and Italian poetry on civil, religious, and worldly themes, standing out for his balance, elegance, and a moral outlook rooted in moderation. Brother of the more famous Ippolito, he shared his classical education and taste for formal harmony.

Printing history and circulation
Printed in Verona in 1726 by Pier’Antonio Berno, a bookseller active on Via de’ Lioni, the edition was most likely printed in a limited number of copies intended for the noble and academic circles. The title page bears the license formula from the authorities, indicating private distribution. The elegance of the typography and the quality of the paper attest to the high standard of Verona's early 18th-century printing, particularly meticulous for special occasion and celebratory editions.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
Brunet IV, 650;
Melzi, Dictionary of Italian anonymous and pseudonymous works, II, 212;
Sommervogel, Bibliothèque de la Compagnie de Jésus, VI, 438.
Gamba, Series of Language Texts, no. 1097.
CCFr, WorldCat (OCLC 606534475), BnF Data (FRBNF31292193).