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(Title in English: "Antonio Venuti's Notes on Agriculture, Again Revised, & Printed with the Greatest Care.") Hard cover, 12mo (4 1/4 x 6 1/2 inches) in a modern stamp-signed fine binding by Birdsall & Son, Northampton, of full calf, the boards double-ruled in blind and gilt, two small raised bands at the spine with shilling roll and gilt outlines and the title tooled vertically to the spine. Board edges rolled in blind floral pattern. Title page has an oval wood-carved printer's device featuring Temperance: a woman pouring wine from one amphora into another on the ground, all within in a lush landscape by the sea. A motto on the framing the scene reads: "medium tenuere beati" (to hold the heart of a blessed thing.) In Latin, and Italian Sicilian dialect. Handsome typography features three carved historiated capitals and italic typeface. ** COLLATION: A-D8, E4. [2], [70], [2] pp. **CONDITION: Very Good Antiquarian condition. Modern binding shows moderate rubbing at joints with light wear to tips, a few light scuffs. However, the volume is pleasing in the hand, sound and square. Internally, polish offset to ffep. Small pencil notations and library stamp of the agricultural library noted below are left as is. (See provenance statement.) Old wormhole is noted at the very outer blank margin at fore edge (likely trimmed in rebinding) and extends a bit deeper into margin at places. Light old damp staining affects bottom fore corner of about half the text, presumably professionally restored at time of rebinding. This remains a very useable item. **This RENAISSANCE WORK ABOUT AGRICULTURE IN SICILY was first published in Naples in1515. Later editions appeared in1536, 1541 and this one of 1556. The AUTHOR, Antonino Venuti, was born in Noto, near Ragusa, and this has been called the first work on agronomy by a Sicilian. Cultivation of fruits such as oranges, cherries, chestnuts, figs, pomegranates and dates, as well as the care of flowers and herbs are included. The propagation and care of fruiting trees forms another section, including the loquot, palm and olive, for instance, and discussion of their pests and pruning. The author references the classic authors from Latin antiquity on the agricultural arts: Varro, Columella, Palladio, Fra. Roberto and Pietro Crescentino for recording their early experimentations in the arts of agriculture. REFS: EDIT 16 CNCE 48244. STC Italian 719. On the Author: CERL cni00104463. **PROVENANCE: Lawes Agricultural Library, deaccessioned: Aslin (1940), p. 275. Scarce to market.
Ref: RARE 9309
$850.00