[Opere] Orlando furioso ... delle annotazioni de' più celebri autori che sopra esso hanno scritto, e di altre utili, e vaghe giunte in questa impressione adornato, come nell'indice seguente la prefazione si vede. de Ariosto, Lodovico - 1730

Venice: Stefano Orlandini, 1730. Boards. Very Good/Splendid illustrated edition of Ariosto's works, considered the culmination of 17th-century baroque styles of Venetian book design and the first emergence of the 18th-century neoclassical flowering. Ariosto's new status as a monumental Italian poet is reflected in the format of these massive volumes, representing the first appearance of the Orlando Furioso in folio in Italian. (In the 16th and 17th centuries, which saw countless quarto editions, Ariosto had not yet reached Parnassus.) This copy features strong, clean impressions of the plates, including the Orsolini's great portrait, and fifty-one elaborate, full-page allegories ahead of each canto of Orlando Furioso (which occupies the entire first volume) and the Cinque Canti. The contents of the second volume also include the seven comedies, the epistle to Bembo, the satires, L'Erbolato, and poetry in Italian and Latin.. Folio (39 cm); 2 volumes: [50], 576; [4] 400 pages, and 52 engraved plates. Half title present, first title printed in red and black, with engraved vignette on title page. Full-page portrait of the author by C. Orsolini. Second title within engraved border by Giuseppe Filosi. Section title to the Commedia within woodcut allegorical border. Fifty-one full-page engravings by Filosi and by Giuliano Giampicoli, within one of 3 elaborate borders, one signed Filosi. Woodcut head- and tailpieces. Poetry in italic type, prose in Roman type. Bound in recent quarter leather over buckram-covered boards, with seven panel, leather title labels in period style. Bright and crisp impressions, clean and fresh text. References: Agnelli Ravegnani I,3 ("Bella e pregevole edizione"); Morazzoni 213 and plates IV and V; Gamba 60; Brunet I,437; Graesse I,199; Melzi 173; Harthan, 164.