Cremona Fedelissima Citta Et Nobilissima Colonia De Romani Rapprentata In Designo Colsuo Contato, Et Illustrata Duna Brevehistoria Delle Cose Piu Notaeili Appartenenti Ad Essa. E Dei Retratti Naturali De Duche Duchesse Di Milano, E Compendio Delle Lor Vite Da Antonio Campo Pittore E Cavalier Cremonese Al Potentissimo. E Felicissimo Re Di Spagna Filippo IIII. D' Austria

Milan: Gio. Battista Bidelli, 1645. leather_bound. Contemporary full vellum, remants of spine label. Very good. 228 (32) (a4-c4). 25.5 x 19 cm. Two parts in one volume. Engraved title by Blanc, portrait of the author on front leaf. Folded map of Cremona, folded plan map dated 1583, six engravings on four folded plates of Cremona Cathedral, the Torrazzo. Magnificently illustrated history of Cremona, one of the most beautiful illustrated books of the late Cinquecento. The work, divided in four books, contains the history of Cremona chronologically organized from the foundation by the Romans up to 1585. A fifth book, devoted to the description of the Cathedral and other churches, announced by the author was never published. The book is illustrated by 33 medallion portraits of Cremona prominent citizens and the dukes and duchesses of Milan by Agostino Carracci; many of the accompanying letterpress descriptions include a note as to the source of the image, including on page 104 a now lost portrait of Massimiliano Sforza by Leonardo da Vinci. First edition published 1585. ADAMS. C 489. BRUNET Vol 1, pt2. p.1526. "Un tres-bel exampl." CHOIX OLSCHKI IV. 425. CICOGNARA 397. MORTIMER ITALIAN. 100. Inner gutters with some soiling, closed tears to plate one and final leaf.