Italy.- Verona.- Saraina (Torello) De origine et amplitudine civitatis Veronae, first edition, collation: A-B⁴ C-F² G⁴ H-L² LL-LLLL² M⁶ N-T⁴ (68 leaves and two plates), some sheets edge-bound, woodcut device to title, author's woodcut portrait to title verso, 29 woodcuts (including the 2 plates) of architectural details, plans and views, double-page map of Verona and large folding plate (often lacking; this with a few small paper repairs to verso and some glue discolouration at joins), a couple of very small tears at edges or folds, scattered minor stains, but overall clean and sound, eighteenth century cat's-paw calf, spine gilt, a few very small worm holes, r.e., folio (304 x 208mm.), Verona, ex officina Antonio Putelletto, 1540.

⁂ First edition of this celebrated treatise on the antiquities of Verona by Veronese author Saraina, handsomely illustrated by fellow Vereonese, the distinguished artist Giovanni Caroto.

Marking the first ever published work on ancient Italian architecture outside of Rome, De Origine celebrated the Veronese tenet of the city's ancient splendour being second only to that of Rome. The large folding plate depicts a detailed yet imagined reconstruction of how the Roman theatre may have looked in Roman times, comprising foundations to surmounting temple. At the time of publication the theatre remained buried, and excavation only latterly began in the 19^th century. The text below Saraina's portrait explains that the work was also aimed in part as a response to Sebastiano Serlio's Terzo Libro, considered by the Veronese to contain copious errors, but as both were published in 1540, presumably work must have begun on De origine before Serlio's work appeared.

Literature: Adams S393; Fowler 289; Mortimer, Italian 426.