BIONDO, FLAVIO. (BLONDUS FLAVIUS).:

BLONDI FLAVII FORLIVIENSIS DE ROMA TRIUMPHANTE LIBRI DECEM DILIGENTISSIME CASTIGATI:

      (Brixiae (Brescia): 1503). & ita suo nitori restituti. 3 WORKS BY BIONDO BOUND TOGETHER. Latin text, (Brixiae (Brescia): impressum per Angelum Britannicum, 1503). Folio in sixes, 305 x 205 mm, 12 x 8 inches, pages (12), 358 of 360 (CLXXIX leaves of CLXXX numbered on rectos only), LACKS LAST LEAF OF TEXT WITH COLOPHON ON VERSO, collation: A6 a-z8 &3 (instead of &4), bound in full antique vellum, hand lettered to spine, edges speckled blue and red, marbled endpapers. Spine slightly darkened, remains of old paper label at head, tiny paper label near tail with ink number, covers slightly marked, small ink spot to lower cover, lower corners slightly worn, ink name and date of 1738 on front endpaper, title page damp-stained including a brown stain in fore-edge margin, with a few tiny erosion holes to lower corner, strengthened on reverse with old paper and small neat modern repair to fore-edge, staining continues on the 6 leaves of prelims and thereafter more and more weakly until leaf X, intermittent faint damp-staining in lower and inner margin, a few tiny wormholes on title and following leaves, reduced to 2 by leaf XXXIIII and persisting to leaf LXXXIIII, affecting text but not reducing legibility, binding tight and firm. Bound with BLONDI FLAVII FORLIVIENSIS DE ROMA INSTAURATA libri tres ad Eugenium iiii pontificem maximum. BLONDI FLAVII FORLIVIENSIS DE ITALIA ILLUSTRATA opus tum propter historiarum cognitionem: tum propter locorum descriptionem valde necessarium. BLONDI FLAVII FORLIVIENSIS DE GESTIS VENETORUM ad Franciscum Foscari serenissimum ducem : inclytumque Senatum: caeterosque Venetae Reipublicae Patritios. (Venetiis : per Bernardinum Venetum de Vitalibus, 1503). Latin text, 268 unnumbered pages of 276 (134 of 138 leaves), LACKING LAST LEAF OF TABLE IN PRELIMS, FIRST LEAF OF TEXT (DE ROMA INSTAURATA), AND LAST LEAF OF TEXT WITH COLOPHON (DE ITALIA ILLUSTRATA), final leaf Q6 was probably a blank?, collation a4 (instead of a6) b-e6 f-g4 h-i6 A-D6 E-F4 G-M6 N-O4 P-R6 Q4 (instead of Q6), offprint of colophon to last book shows clearly on final blank with the printer's device and the intials B. V. Intermittent pale damp staining to lower and inner margins, heavier towards the end and affecting part of text, no loss of legibility, 4 leaves age-browned, 2 tiny worm holes affect text on last 25 leaves, a 3rd tiny hole appears on last few page, all still legible. Flavio Biondo (1392 - 1463) was an important Italian Renaissance humanist and historian reputed to have coined the term "medio evo" (middle ages) and is known as one of the first archaeologists. Born in Forlì, Flavio was well schooled studying under Ballistario of Cremona. During a brief stay in Milan, he discovered and transcribed the unique manuscript of Cicero's dialogue Brutus. He moved to Rome in 1433 where he began his writing career; he was appointed secretary to the Cancelleria under Eugene IV in 1444 and accompanied Eugene in his exile. After his patron's death, Flavio was employed by his papal successors, Nicholas V, Callixtus III and the great humanist Pius II. He published three encyclopedic works that were systematic and documented guides to the ruins and topography of ancient Rome. At the time the ruins of ancient Rome were overgrown and unexplored. His first work was De Roma instaurata (1444-1446), a reconstruction of ancient Roman topography. It was and remains a highly influential humanist vision of restoring Rome to its previous heights of grandeur by recreating what Rome used to look like based on the ruins which remained. The second was the highly popular De Roma triumphante (1459) about pagan Rome as a model for contemporary governmental and military reforms. The book was highly influential in reviving Roman patriotism and respect for ancient Rome, while presenting the papacy as a continuation of the Roman Empire. De Italia illustrata (1474) is a geography, based on the author's personal travels, and history of eighteen Italian provinces. Images sent on request. Images sent on request.