1678 Roma Antica e Moderna. Early illustrated travel book detailing Rome, Italy

Note, this copy missing two leaves, but printings (on laid acid-free paper) are provided in example, so you have the full context.

A popular 17th century travel book documenting Rome, richly illustrated with hundreds of in-text illustrations (and one foldout plate). The handful of times this work was reprinted in the 17th century testifies to its popularity.

University of Notre Dame's online article regarding this book states, "Its title, Descrittione di Roma Antica e Moderna, speaks to the publishing house’s opinion about the importance of ancient Rome; the text gives as much distinction to the ancient monuments as it does to the Christian ones. Previously, guidebooks were titled Cose Maravigliose & Anitchità. These guides gave more prominence to the wonders of Christian Rome, with the ancient monuments as an interesting, albeit less significant, supplement to the main text."

"Franzini divides the guidebook into four sections. The first is a list and description of the seven principal churches of Rome. The second describes other significant churches categorized by their location in Rome. The third is a three-day itinerary for the Roman tourist, including ancient and modern sites, which is being transcribed and translated to be explored on this website. The final section describes the antiquities of Rome, including buildings, bridges, complexes, fountains, obelisks, and statues. The itinerary portrays Rome holistically as a modern city with ancient, contemporary, and Christian structures and other monuments to be discovered."

While textbooks state that the height of the "grand tour" concept came about 1660, and the first printing of this work was in the 1640s, one can sense that this work contributed to the beginnings of the grand tour-esque idea of travelling through Europe to become more cultured, taking in both the secular and the religious.

Bibliographic Details -

Universal Short Title Catalogue (USTC) number 1745650; not rare, found in many of the world's best libraries.

Worldcat OCLC catalogue numbers 272575027 and 77913645.

Physical Attributes -

Measures approx. 11 x 16.5 x 4 cm. Vellum binding over pasteboard boards. Spine with four raised bands, title in manuscript (old hand) faded in two compartments. Text block edges sprinkled blue. Gatherings of eight (octavo). Illustrated. Frontis and foldout plate to first book. Illustrated with in-text illustrations throughout.

Pages – xxxii, 1-838, [2] (but missing 39/40 and 445/446)

Collation – SSSS8, SS8, A-Z8, Aa-Zz8, Aaa-Fff8, Ggg4 (but missing C4 and Ee7 leaves)

Condition -

Note: missing two leaves but facsimiles (not meant to be reproductions) provided so that you may have the full context

See pictures. Binding with some wear to edges and some rubbing; small hole near edge of front board. Bottom tailband broken. Top edge darkened. Pastedown opened, likely to check if the back of the vellum was a manuscript (it’s not). Name at top of pastedown. Flyleaf torn out with remnant at gutter.

Text block with toning throughout and occasional thumbing, fox spots, dog-eared corners, page edge chips, etc. Frontis with some damage around edges. Leaf C4 (pages 39/40) has been torn out. Ee7, pages 445/446 missing. Ee to last gathering of first book with a spot of moisture at top margin. Ink gall notes on page 695, did bleed through to page behind. Writing on rear colophon and pastedown.