Giannettasio - Halieutica - 1690

HALIEUTICA OR ARS PISCATORIA - The Art of the Fisherman That Becomes a Luminous Sea
Frontispiece depicting Apollo and the Muses, another allegorical plate with a portrait of the author, 10 splendid full-page plates drawn by Francesco Solimena and engraved in copper by François de Louvemont and Uberto Vincent.
Beautiful edition and first printing of the engravings. A poem in ten cantos celebrating sea fishing with the line, the trap, the net, and other methods.
The 'Halieutica' by Nicolò Partenio Giannettasio, a Neapolitan Jesuit, is one of the most fascinating texts of Baroque scientific poetry: a poem in Latin hexameters that celebrates the marine world by intertwining science, myth, fishing, celestial astrology, and natural theology. Composed of ten books (or sections) and published by Giacomo Raillard's Neapolitan workshop, the work features a splendid allegorical frontispiece, engraved by Francesco Solimena and F. de Marimonis, accompanied by a cycle of 12 copperplate engravings that enrich and expand the meaning of the text. The front engraving visually represents the entire poetic program: Apollo as a guiding light, the arts, waters, stars, fertility, and the order of nature.
The volume is not merely a didactic poem but a baroque synthesis of science, myth, and devotion, intended for higher Jesuit education. In an esoteric sense, the maritime poem becomes an allegory of depths and ascents: water as a hidden principle, fishing as an act of knowledge, Apollo as light drawn from shadow. The described specimen, elegant and well-preserved, also bears handwritten notes, indicating active reading, and features a rear binding in half parchment with decorated paper, red splashes at the edges, and high-quality materials, giving it the additional charm of objects that are preserved and studied.
Market value
The sixteenth-century editions of Haleutica, especially those complete with the 12 copper plates and the frontispiece by Solimena, are sought after and not easy to find in good condition. Complete copies, with high-quality bindings and solid preservation, generally range from 1,600 to 2,000 euros, with peaks of 2,500 euros for particularly fresh copies or those with significant provenance. The presence of ancient handwritten notes and full iconography further increases their collectible appeal.

Physical description and condition
Half parchment binding with points, decorated paper-covered boards; smooth spine. Edges sprinkled with red. Phytomorphic engraved decoration on the frontispiece. Ornamental headbands and cartouches. Incised frontispiece and 12 copper plates, clear and well-inked. Presence of marginal handwritten notes. Some foxing. Pp. (4); 246; 2nn; (4).

Full title and author
Halieutica.
Neapoli, from the workshop of Jacobi Raillard, 1690.
Nicolai Parthenii Giannettasii.

Context and Significance
L’Haleutica belongs to the baroque tradition of scientific poetry, a genre in which Giannettasio excelled alongside his famous Astronomicon and Hydraulica. The work explores the world of fish, fishing, tides, winds, stars, and seasons, composing a poetic encyclopedia of the sea. The presence of the 12 incised tables, together with the Solimene frontispiece, gives the volume a highly prestigious iconographic character.
Solimena's engraving, a master of Neapolitan Baroque, introduces a luminous interpretation of the work: Apollo, figure of knowledge, orders the chaos of waters and illuminates the natural world. The poem thus becomes, in a symbolic-esoteric key, a journey that leads from the dark depths of the sea to the clarity of the mind: water as origin, fish as secret, fishing as revelation.
The success of the work is confirmed by subsequent reprints and its use as a reference text in the Jesuit colleges of Southern Italy.

Biography of the Author
Nicolò Partenio Giannettasio was born in Naples in 1648 and died in 1715. Jesuit, poet, mathematician, cosmographer, and Hebrew professor at the College of the Jesuits in Naples, he was one of the most authoritative voices of Latin Baroque poetry. His work combines academic rigor, naturalistic sensitivity, and narrative skill. His works, read throughout Europe, are high examples of modern didactic poetry.

Printing history and circulation
First edition of the Haleutica, printed in Naples by Giacomo Raillard between 1689 and 1690 (with various frontispieces that may have irregular dating).
Work in ten books, enriched with 12 engraved plates plus a frontispiece.
Originally circulating mainly in Jesuit colleges, high schools, among mathematicians, cosmographers, theologians, and Latin poets.
The presence of the panels by Solimena and Marimonis constitutes the main valuable iconographic element.
No significant variants of the princeps are known.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
Jesuit catalogs of the 17th century.
Repertories of Latin Baroque poetry.
Bibliography on Giannettasio.
Inventory of Neapolitan workshops of the late Seventeenth century.
Studies on Solimena and Neapolitan engraving.
WorldCat, ICCU, KVK.
Literature on baroque scientific poetry and didactic poems.