This monumental but unfinished book was designed as a patriotic celebration of Florentine cultural superiority, about which Landino's and Ficino's prefatory essays could hardly be more explicit.

First edition of Landino's commentary and the first Florentine edition of the Divina Commedia. Fleming, New York, January 1981.įIRST ILLUSTRATED EDITION OF DANTE AND THE SECOND FLORENTINE ILLUSTRATED BOOK. Provenance: A few 16th-century Italian manuscript marginalia - Francis Kettaneh (gilt morocco bookplate), sold at Drouot, Ader Picard Tajan,, lot 30 - purchased from John F. (Marginal repair to π2, π8, 2π1 and I3, a few other leaves with more minor repair, marginal repair to a2 slightly affecting engraving, a few light stains.) Blind-panelled modern brown morocco. Blank illustration spaces preceding most cantos TWO ENGRAVINGS BY BACCIO BALDINI AFTER BOTTICELLI illustrating cantos 1 and 2 of Inferno, both in fine impressions. Initial-spaces with guides-letters, catchword on last page of some quires. 369 leaves (without the first and two final blanks). Collation: π 8 2π 6 (-π1 blank, π2r Landino's introduction, 2π3v Ficino's commendations, 2π6 blank a 1 0 b 8 c-e 1 0 f 8 g 1 0 h-i 8 l 1 0 m-n 8 o-r 1 0 s 6 (Inferno text and commentary, engraved illustrations to the first two cantos on a2r and b1v) aa-gg 1 0 hh 1 2 ll-mm 1 0 oo 6 (aa1 blank, aa2r Landino's prologue to Purgatorio, aa3r Purgatorio) A 8 B-H 1 0 I 6 L 1 2 (A1r Landino's prologue to Paradiso, verso blank, A2r Paradiso, L10v colophon, -L11-12 blanks). Florence: Nicolaus Laurentii, 30th August 1481. Commentary by Cristoforo Landino (1424-1504), commendations by Marsilio Ficino (1433-99).

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