Il Nuovo teatro delle fabriche, et edificii, in prospettiva di Roma moderna, sotto il felice pontificato di N.S. Papa Alessandro VII.

2 (of 5) vol. folio oblong: 35, 17 pl. (marginal dampstains, light foxing, stains in some margins, 5 first plates of vol. II pasted on laid paper).

Cont. marbled calf, gilt decorated spines on raised bands, red sprinkled edges (spines def. with lacks of leather on vol. II, small wears on the covers, edges rubbed, corners strongly bumped, front flyleaf detached in vol. II).

First edition before numbering the plates of this significant work: "in Italy, up to this time there had been no extensive and systematic attempt to record contemporary Renaissance architecture" (cfr Fowler). The composition varies from one copy to another, ours has the same number of plates (35 and 17, title-pages and dedications incl.) as in the copy of the John Work Garrett Library but our plates are not numbered. The engravings figure the Basilica of S. Pieter, the Capitoline Hill, la Piazza del Popolo, La Sapienza, the churches Santa Maria in Via Lata, della Madonna della Pace (+ inside) and della Miracolosa Madonna dell'Ariccia, a view of the Duchy of Ariccia, etc. Ref. Fowler 116. - Cicognara 3865 (4 books, "[...] è uno de' migliori libri delle vedute di Roma che rende un' idea adeguata de' luoghi, e de' monumenti"). - The Digital Cicognara Library, cico:p2n (the 5 books complete). - Berlin Katalog 2666 (with pl. numbered). - Brunet II:1172 (4 books in 1 vol.). Enriched with 5 plates etched by Hubert Vincent, one dated 1686, figuring the Santa Casa of Loreto. The WorldCat mentions a copy held in the Getty Research Institute with the same 5 plates only. Legends in French.