Serlio, Tutte l'opere d'architettura, Venice, 1584, later vellum, Ghezzi copy

SERLIO, SEBASTIANO. Tutte l'opere d'architettura di Sebastiano Serlio bolognese; Dove si trattano in disegno, quelle cose, che sono più necessarie all'Architetto; et hora di nuovo aggiunto (oltre il libro delle porte) gran numero di case private nella Città, & in villa, et un indice copiosissimo. Raccolto per via di considerationi da m. Gio. Domenico Scamozzi [part 2:] Libro estraordinario di Sebastiano Serlio Bolognese nelquale si dimostrano trenta porte Rustica mista con diversi ordini… [part 3:] Il settimo libro d'architettura di Sebastiano Serlio Bolognese. Nel qual si tratta di molti accidenti, che possono occorer al Architetto: si come nella sequente pagina si legge. Venice: Francesco de Franceschi, 1584

This copy of the first collected edition of Serlio was owned by the Roman painter and poet Giuseppe Ghezzi (1634-1721). The woodcut diagrams on several leaves (G3r, G4r, G6v, I1v, I2r, and O1v) are annotated in an early modern hand with the measurements of architectural features, which may suggest that the book was previously owned by Giuseppe's father Sebastiano Ghezzi (1580-1645), a painter and architect who was appointed papal engineer by Pope Urban VIII.

4to (230 x 175 mm). Italic and roman type: 47 lines plus headline. Collation: a-f⁴ A⁴ B-F^{8 x}G⁶ G⁸ H-I⁸ K-P⁸ Q-S⁸ T⁴ II-QQ⁴ RR-ZZ⁸ AAa⁸ [2]a-c⁸ [2]d⁴ *⁴ [2]A-O⁸ [2]P¹⁰: 398 leaves. Title-page with woodcut device, 232 full-page woodcut illustrations and numerous other woodcut illustrations. (Margins closely trimmed, old paper repairs at margins of a4v, B2v, and N8v, marginal soiling to early leaves, marginal dampstaining towards end).

Binding: Eighteenth-century vellum (237 x 182 mm), spine with title lettered in gilt, red edges. (Slight wear at head of spine, some staining and soiling.)

Provenance: Giuseppe Ghezzi (1634-1721), inscription at foot of title — obscured Italian institutional inscription on title-page — J. Man, inscription on verso of title — erased presentation inscription to front free endpaper ("Presented to [illegible] ?Wilson Esq. | by | Josiah Harris | [...] 1904"). Acquisition: Purchased in 1992 from Marlborough Rare Books, London. References: BAL RIBA 2973; Edit16 36267; Fowler 333