Alessandro Donati. ROMA VETUS AC RECENS UTRIUSQUE AEDIFICIIS AD ERUDITAM COGNITIONEM EXPOSITIS. Rome: Ex Bibliotheca Fratrum de Rubeis, sub signo Salamandrae, 1725. Period vellum, manuscript title on spine, all edges speckled. 4to; [8], 537 (i.e. 541) [19]pp. (final blank) (some pages mis-numbered) (lacking 2A6 as common). Italic type with Roman; text in Latin. With printer's device on title page, engraved allegorical frontispiece, indices, printed marginalia, woodcut initials and ornaments, and numerous illustrations both in-text and full-page. De Backer-Sommervogel 3/133

9 7/8 x 7 1/2 in.

From the Collection of Professor Roberto Severino, Washington, D.C.

Alessandro Donati (Siena, 1584-1640) was an Italian historian, poet, and professor who became fascinated by the city of Rome when he moved there in 1600. He is best known for his survey of the city's ruins and monuments. First published in 1638, several Roman editions followed before it was eventually published in Amsterdam as well.

Darkened vellum, corners and head and tail bumped; manuscript on free endpaper, minor wormhole on several leaves; pages very lightly toned with scattered foxing, occasional small loss or stain, with larger corner loss on 2I2 not impacting text, lacking (4) folding plates. A good copy of this fascinating survey.