ALAMANNI Luigi La Coltivatione di Luigi Alamanni al Christianissimo Re Francesco Primo.

Brunet, I, 125 ; Renouard, p. 68, n° 22 ; Schreiber, 88 ; Mortimer, French, I, 10 ; Fairfax Murray, French, I, 3.

First edition of this poem on husbandry, based on Virgil’s Georgics. A magnificent copy bound in contemporary gilt black Morocco.

Born in Florence, but politically against the Medici Party, Luigi Alamanni had to Flee to France after an unsuccessful conspiracy against Giulio de Medici. That is where he composed the greater part of his works and spent most of his life. He was a favourite with Francis I, who sent him as ambassador to Charles V after the Peace of Crepy in 1544. After the death of Francis, Alamanni enjoyed the confidence of his successor Henry II , and in 1551 was sent by him as his ambassador to Genoa. He died at Amboise on April 18, 1556. Alamanni wrote a large number of poems, distinguished by the purity and excellence of their style. The best is this didactic poem, La Coltivazione.

A magnificent copy, ruled in pink ink, bound in contemporary gilt black morocco, very similar to the binding made in Paris around 1550 for Thomas Wotton and attributed by Mirjam Foot (Henry Davis Gift, I, p. 143) to the workshop of the Pecking Crow Binder. Very rare to find complete with the epistle: “Alla Serenissima madama la Dalphina”, and the errata.

Provenance: 18th century anonymous owner with his notes about the importance of this first edition and a copy of an extract from the preface of the Padova, 1718 edition of this work ; intials S. W., stamped on title ; label BP on the last end leaf.