Opera Filosofiche. Nouvamente Raccolte, e dall'Originale Inglese recate in Lingua Italiana de Franklin, Benjamin - 1783

First Italian edition, published in Italy while Franklin was at the height of his celebrity in France as envoy to the court of Louis XVI and the most important American in the eyes of all Europeans.  This work was published in 1783 while Franklin was attempted to negotiate political and commercial treaties with the Vatican, the Bourbons of Naples, and Archduke of Tuscany.  History has shown that these none of the treaties came to fruition, but Franklin's contacts with the enlightened thinkers in the both the political and scientific world spread significantly with the publication of Opera Filosofiche.

This work contains Franklin's works on electricity, especially as it pertained to the atmosphere, conduction of energy through water, and motion of warm water in cold climates, a reference to the Gulf Stream and its impact on shipping and fisheries.  Much of the information translated for the first time came from Franklin's published works and published letters.  Although the editor is anonymous, the notes which appear in explanation of Franklin's work, include a serious understanding of the work of scientists in England, France, and Southern Germany on electricity.  This work was reviewed in Venice in 1784 in the Giornale letterario and further spread information about Franklin and his ideas to the literary public in Northern Italy.

Paul Leicester Ford, Franklin Bibliography, no. 347.  Antonio Pace, Franklin in Italy, p. 418 no. 48.