I quattro libri dell’architettura [...] ne’ quali, dopo un breue trattato de’ cinque ordini, & di quelli auertimenti, che sono piu necessarij nel fabricare, si tratte delle case private, delle vie, de i ponti, delle piazze, de i xisti, et de’ tempij.

Folio, 4 pts: 67-[1 bl.]-66 (= 78)-[2 bl.]-46-[1, 1 bl.]-128-[6, 2 bl.] pp. (somewhat short, occasional staining esp. in bottom inner margin of quires 4G-4H, blank bottom fore-edge corner of title repaired and border strengthened, tear in bottom H2).

18th-c. Italian quarter leather, sp. paper covers, gilt flat spine with morocco labels, red edges, green silk marker (sl. rubbed, a few sm. wormholes in spine, sm. def. to fore-edge of lower cover). Good copy.

First edition of the major work of the Venetian Renaissance architect Palladio (1508-1580). "Palladio’s lasting influence on architectural style in many parts of the world was exercised less through his actual buildings than through his textbook. This is divided into four sections: orders and elementary problems, domestic building, public building and town planning and temples. Palladio’s style was directly inspired by Roman classical models through the writings of Vitruvius and Alberti" (PMM). Bk I treats foundations and materials, the 5 orders, types and proportions of rooms, flooring and other coverings, doors, windows, stairs and roofs. Bk II covers the private house, villa and palace, with reconstructions of the Graeco-Roman villa and material on some of Palladio’s own villas. Bk III deals with public spaces - roads, bridges and the ancient basilica - and with the further material on the architect’s contemp. projects. Bk IV covers the ancient Roman temples and concludes with a discussion of the work of Bramante. This is the original ed. (fingerprint identical with Edit16 27391), not the 1768 contrafact. 4 title-pages within elaborate woodcut border, 221 woodcuts by the Chrieger brothers, Cr. Coriolano and others.
Ref. Edit16 27391. - Fowler 212. - Mortimer (Harvard Italian) 352. - Berlin Kat. 2592. - PMM 92. - STC Italian (BL) 485. - Not in Adams.