Trissino, Giovanni Giorgio. 1478-1550.

Canzone Del Trissino Al Santissimo Clemente Settimo P.M.

[Rome, Ludovico Henricis Vicentino degli Arrighi and Lautitio Perugino between 19 November 1523 and 12 June 1524].

4to (210 x 140 mm.). [ii], [5]p. Arrighi’s earliest chancery type (20 lines = 128/9 mm.), 22 lines per page, roman for title and majuscules.

Once sewn, in a blue cloth folding case, gilt-lettered red morocco label on the front panel.

            First Edition of Trissino’s first published work and debut of his spelling reform. Late in 1524, the author himself confirmed the literary and printing priority of this poem, which he addressed to his patron, Pope Clement VII, on his ascent to the papacy. In the dedication to Clement in Epistola de le lettere nouvamente aggiunte ne la lingua italiana (f. A2^v lines 5-7), Trissino states “the first time these letters [types] were employed, they were placed in the Canzone that I presented to [Your Beatitude]” (tr.).
            The Canzone was likely composed upon or shortly after Clement’s election in November 1523 and published by late spring of the following year — sufficiently before the 12 June promulgation of the papal Bulla…contra homicidis to allow Clement to place the printing of the decree with Arrighi (c. 1475-?1527). The poem exhorts the Pope to unite Christianity, or at least reconcile Emperor Charles V and the King of France, in order to confront the Ottoman threat, to retake Belgrade and Rhodes and to liberate Greece from Turkish control. Trissino’s proposed reform of Italian orthography involved, i.a., the introduction of the Greek ε and ω for the open “e” and long “o”, respectively. In good condition (pale blank marginal stain).
¶Galante, “Edizioni di opere di Giangiorgio Trissino” in Convegno di studi su Giangiorgio Trissino (1980) 230,1; Romei, Catalogo delle edizioni tipografiche di Ludovico degli Arrighi 7 & 9; Morsolin, Giangiorgio Trissino 122; Casamassima, “I Disegni di caratteri di Ludovico degli Arrighi Vicentino” in Gutenberg Jahrbuch 1963 34,5 and “Ancora su Ludovico Degli Arrighi Vicentino” in Gutenberg Jahrbuch 1965 39,9; Balsamo & Tinto, Origini del corsivo nella tipografia italiana del cinquecento 129-30; Johnson, Type Designs 133-5 & 172,1 “spring of 1524”; Carpinato, "Stampe veneziane in greco volgare nella prima metà del Cinquecento e questione della lingua” in Χαρτογραφόντας τη δημώδη λογοτεχνία edd. Kaklamanis & Kalokairinòs 152-4; EDIT16 CNCE 58968.

Item #12511

Price: $8,200.00