ALBERTINI, Francesco

Opusculum de Mirabilibus Novae & Veteris Urbis Romae. [First Topography of both Ancient and Modern Rome containing an Important Reference to Amerigo Vespucci and his New World discoveries].

      Rome: Giacomo Mazzocchi, 1515. Second Edition. Small Quarto. 103 leavespp. Period full vellum. Spine renewed, otherwise a very good copy. First "topography of both ancient and modern Rome, containing an important reference to Amerigo Vespucci and his New World discoveries. Since the early Middle Ages guide-books had been written for the use of pilgrims to Rome. Many editions of the Mirabilia were printed before Albertini produced this first modern guide to the city. Besides an account of ancient Rome, with information about excavations and archaeological discoveries, he tells us also about the churches and buildings commissioned by Julius II and the artists who decorated them. In connection with the Sistine Chapel we learn about Botticelli, Ghirlandaio, Lippi, and Michelangelo. This latter reference, together with another in Albertini's Memoriale of the same year, represents the earliest printed notice of that artist. In the third section there is one of the earliest description of the Vatican Library in qua sunt codices auro et argento sericinisque tegminibus exornati and mentioning the Codex Vergilianus; the author also refers to the Library's collections of astronomical and geometrical instrucments. The final portion of the work is a laudatory account of the cities of Florence and Savona (the birthplace of Pope Julius II, to whom the book is dedicated). Here we also find mention of many eminent literary and artistic persons such as Dante, Petrarch, Boccaccio, Brunelleschi, Leonardo da Vinci, et al. It is in this section also that occurs the famous reference to Amerigo Vespucci and his New World discoveries: Albericus Vespulcius of Florence, sent by the most Christian King of Portugal, but lastly by the Catholic King of Spain, first discovered new islands and unknown countries, as is plainly set forth in his book, where he describes the stars, and the new islands, as is also seen in his Letter upon the New World, addressed to Lorenzo de Medici the Younger.(trans.) There is not much biographical information about the author. It is thought that he was born in the second half of the fifteenth century and died in Rome between 1517 and 1521. A native of Florence he came to Rome in 1502 and was chaplain to Cardinal Fazio Santori. In this same year of 1510 was published in Florence his Memoriale di molte statue e pitture della cittá de Firenze and also in Rome his Septem mirabilia Orbis et Urbis Romae et Florentinae civitatis, but the present Opusculum is his best known work. From its Preface we learn also that he was the author of several other works -- De modo recte vivendi, De sacramento, for example -- but no copies are known to exist"(Kraus-185-14), Alden-Landis 510/1, Sabin 553, Church 33A.