Sagredo, Raison d'architecture antique, Paris, [c. 1536], later speckled calf, Pitt copy

SAGREDO, DIEGO DE. Raison darchitecture antique, extraicte de Victruve, et aultres anciens architecteurs, nouvellement traduit despaignol en francoys, à lutilite de ceulx qui se délectent en édifices. Paris: Simon de Colines, [1536]

FIRST FRENCH EDITION of Diego de Sagredo's architectural treatise, Medidas del romano, originally published in Spanish in 1526, making it the first architectural treatise published in a language other than Latin or Italian. The French translations, now titled Raison d'architectureantique, were the first architectural works to be published in French until Philibert de L'Orme's Nouvelles inventions in 1561. The new woodcuts have been attributed to Mercure Jollat.

This work, a dialogue between Tampeso the cleric and the painter Picardo, primarily deals with the three classical orders, Doric, Ionic and Corinthian, and is largely based on books 3 and 4 of Vitruvius' De architectura as well as Alberti.

Renouard opines that the dating of this edition should be between 1526 and 1537, the latter date based on the address given in the imprint.

4to (212 x 148 mm). Italic type, 29 lines. Collation: a-f⁸ g⁴: 51 leaves (of 52, lacking final blank). Woodcut architectural title-page, woodcut initials, numerous woodcut architectural illustrations. (Title-page slightly browned, other occasional light soiling or staining.)

Binding: Eighteenth-century speckled calf (217 x 155 mm), gilt fillet border, new spine gilt in compartments with red morocco lettering-piece. (Rebacked, binding slightly rubbed.)

Provenance: "J. Sharp" (?), eighteenth-century inscription to verso of the title page — Eighteenth-century armorial bookplate of the Pitt family. Acquisition: Purchased in 1989 from E.P. Goldschmidt, London. References: Renouard, Colines p.422; USTC 47025; not in the standard architectural literature; cf. Mortimer, Harvard French 477-478 for later editions; F. Lemerle, "La version française des Medidas del Romano”, in Medidas del Romano, Diego de Sagredo, Toledo, 1526 (Toledo, 2000), pp. 93-106; Y. Pauwels, "Le traité des Medidas del Romano de Diego de Sagredo, à Tolède en 1526 et sa traduction française" in Sebastiano Serlio à Lyon. Architecture et imprimerie (Lyon, 2004), pp. 378-379