Delle lettere da diversi re, et principi, et cardinali, et altri huomini dotti a mons. Pietro Bembo scritte primo volume [all published]. Di nuovo stampato, riveduto, & corretto per Francesco Sansovino

8vo. (8), 160 leaves. *⁸, A-V⁸. With the printer's device on the title-page. Contemporary limp vellum.

Adams, B-592; Basso, p. 202; Edit 16, CNCE 16616; Quondam, p. 282; P. Bembo, Lettere. Edizione critica, E. Travi, ed., (Bologna, 1987), I, p. XLIX; Lettere da diversi re e principi e cardinali e altri uomini dotti a Mons. Pietro Bembo scritte, D. Perocco, ed., (Sala Bolognese, 1985).

FIRST EDITION of this collection of letters addressed by various senders to Pietro Bembo. Responsible for the assembling and arrangement of the letters was Francesco Sansovino (1521-1586), who in 1560 also reprinted the four volumes of Bembo's Italian epistolary.

“Sansovino addresse la dédicace à Ottaviano Pallavicino ‘gentil'huomo illustre', sans date. Il rédige également l'avertissement, Francesco Sansovino a' lettori, où il déclare avoir reçu ces lettres du fils de Bembo, et savoir ‘che molte […] non meritano il pregio dell'esser stampate'. Il les publie néammoins pour faire valoir les meilleures par les moins belles, et pour qu'elles puissent être mises en rapport avec les 4 vol. de lettres de Bembo pubbliées récemment. Les lettres sont classées par livres selon la ‘qualité' des personnes. Le recueil contient 264 lettres réparties en 5 livres et un supplément: livre I de 34 lettres écrites par ‘diversi principi et signori'…; livre II de 39 lettres écrites par ‘diverse principesse et altre signore et gentildonne'…; livre III de 62 lettres écrites par des ‘huomini dotti'; livre IV de 20 lettres par ‘diversi prelati et persone ecclesiastice'…; livre V de 102 lettres addressées à Bembo par des ‘gentilhuomini suoi famigliari et amici'; une des lettres est une réponse de Bembo a Jac. Sansovino… Le supplément compte 7 lettres de Bembo à son neveu Gio. Matteo sénateur, pubbliées ici par respect pour le destinataire et dans l'attente de la parution d'un 5^ème volume de lettres de Bembo. La plupart des lettres sont datées, de 1515 à 1546. Dans l'ensemble, elles sont disposées hiérarchiquement et chronologiquement par auteurs” (J. Basso, Le genre épistolaire en langue italienne (1538-1662). Répertoire chronologique et analytique, Roma & Nancy, 1990, I, pp. 202-203).

“Un elemento che impressiona, nel considerare la raccolta nella sua globalità, è il numero enorme di personaggi che balzano sulla scena di quel gran teatro che fu la vita di Bembo. È vero che sono molti gli anni coperti dalle lettere (la prima risale al 1514, l'ultima all'ottobre del 1546, appena tre mesi prima della morte di Bembo), ma certo il numero dei corrispondenti è altissimo ed i personaggi di cui si parla sono ovviamente molti di più. Bisogna dunque pensare alla rete costante di conoscenze ed amicizie che intorno ad una persona si veniva formando nonostante le evidenti difficoltà di comunicazione e a come, con le varie conoscenze, la compagine si venisse allargando in proporzione geometrica senza allentarsi col trascorrere degli anni” (D. Perocco, Introduzione, in: “op. cit.”, pp. XXI-XXII).

“Sparse, e raramente stampate appaiono le lettere dell'Ariosto, sia negli antichi come nei moderni tempi… Tra le raccolte stampate nel sec. XVI, fu questa del Sansovino la prima a pubblicare una lettera dell'Ariosto” (G. Agnelli-G. Ravegnani, Annali delle edizioni ariostee, Bologna, 1933, II, p. 159).

(Book I:)

[Della Rovere, Francesco Maria], Duke of Urbino. Casteldurante, August 6, 1533 (l. 1r)

id. Gubbio, August 27, 1533 (l. 1v)

id. Pesaro, March 24, 1541 (l. 2r)

id. Venezia, August 19, 1541 (l. 2v)

id. Fossombrone, October 3, 1542 (l. 3r)

id. Pesaro, December 16, 1544 (l. 3r)

id. Urbino, February 16, 1544 (l. 3v)

[Álvarez de Toledo, Pedro], Viceroy of Naples. Napoli, January 31, 1540 (l. 4r)

id. Napoli, April 1, 1542 (l. 4r)

id. Napoli, November 14, 1542 (l. 4v)

[Medici, Cosimo I de'], Duke of Florence. Firenze, April 19, 1541 (l. 5r)

[Gonzaga, Federico II], Duke of Mantua. Mantova, November 9, 1529 (l. 5v)

Este, Ercole II d', Duke of Ferrara. Ferrara, April 2, 1539 (l. 6r)

[Avalos, Alfonso d'], Marquis of Vasto. Milano, April 15, 1542 (l. 6r)

[Sanseverino, Ferrante], Prince of Salerno. Salerno, May 27, 1545 (l. 6v)

Colonna, Ascanio. Marino, March 29, 1539 (l. 7r)

id. Marino, June 25, 1540 (l. 7v)

Gonzaga, Ferrante. Messina, October 14, 1542 (l. 7v)

Della Rovere, Giulio. Gallese, April 15, 1541 (l. 8r)

Orsini, Virginio, Count of Anguillara. Castelnuovo, November 17, 1538 (l. 8r)

id. Urano, October 24, 1539 (l. 8v)

id. Anguillara, June 19, 1540 (l. 8v)

Pio, Rodolfo. Padova, January 5, 1525 (l. 9r)

Pio, Lionello. Roma, March 24, 1539 (l. 9v)

id. Venezia, June 2, 1539 (l. 10r)

id. Ancona, September 11, 1539 (l. 10r)

id. Ancona, October 14, 1539 (l. 10v)

Lando, Agostino. Compiano, February 4, 1533 (l. 11v)

id. Compiano, January 6, 1538 (l. 11v)

id. Dalla Badia del figliuolo, September 14, 1539 (l. 12r)

id. Bardi, July 16, 1541 (l. 12v)

id. Compiano, July 30, 1541 (l. 13v)

Lando, Giulio. Piacenza, July 9, 1541 (l. 14r)

id. Piacenza, July 18, 1541 (l. 14v)

(Book II:)

Gonzaga, Elisabetta. Mantova, October 26, 1517 (l. 15v)

id. Pesaro, December 4, 1522 (l. 16r)

id. Pesaro, March 28, 1523 (l. 16v)

id. Urbino, August 1, 1523 (l. 17r)

id. Pesaro, January 31, 1525 (l. 17v)

id. Urbino, June 13, 1524 (l. 18r)

[Paleologa, Margherita], Duchess of Mantua. Mantova, April 3, 1539 (l. 18v)

Gonzaga, Eleonora, Duchess of Urbino. Pesaro, February 1, 1525 (l. 18v)

id. Casteldurante, July 24, 1541 (l. 19r)

id. Venezia, October 5, 1542 (l. 20r)

id. Mantova, October 20, 1542 (l. 20v)

id. Pesaro, May 4, [1542] (l. 21r)

id. Venezia, September 29, [1539] (l. 21r)

id. Venezia, October 4, [1539] (l. 21v)

id. [Gubbio], [August, 1533] (l. 21v)

[D'Avalos, Costanza], Duchess of Amalfi. Amalfi, January 6, 1540 (l. 22r)

Gambara, Veronica. Bologna, April 7, 1529 (l. 22v)

id. Correggio, January 22, 1531 (l. 23r)

id. Correggio, November 1, 1536 (l. 23v)

id. Correggio, August, 31, 1538 (l. 24r)

id. Correggio, April 8, 1539 (l. 24v)

id. Correggio, September 19, 1536 (l. 25r)

id. Correggio, October 19, 1540 (l. 25v)

Fregoso, Costanza. Piacenza, June 8, 1534 (l. 26r)

id. Piacenza, May 26, 1523 (l. 26v)

id. Piacenza, October 2, 1536 (l. 26v)

Feltria Campofregoso, Gentile. Pesaro, December 22, 1522 (l. 27r)

id. Pesaro, December 18, 1523 (l. 27v)

id. Urbino, October 2, 1523 (l. 27v)

[Colonna, Vittoria]. Viterbo, January 11, [1542] (l. 28r)

Rangone Pallavicini, Argentina. Modena, February, 1543 (l. 28r)

Gonzaga Cardona, Susanna. Avellino, October 10, 1524 (l. 28v)

Pio, Graziosa. Ferrara, October 27, 1523 (l. 29v)

[Bembo, Elena]. [Padova], October 7, 1538 (l. 29v)

id. Padova, October 14, 1538 (l. 30r)

id. Padova, February 28, 1539 (l. 30v)

id. Padova, February 2, 1539 (l. 31r)

id. Padova, March 30, 1539 (l. 31v)

Belegno, Maria. Cologna, May 27, 1545 (l. 32r)

(Book III:)

[Sannazzaro, Jacopo]. Napoli, November 1, 1515 (l. 32v)

Summonte, Pietro. Napoli, March 18, 1519 (l. 33r)

[Sannazzaro, Jacopo]. Napoli, January 9, 1518 (l. 33v)

id. Napoli, January 30, 1518 (l. 34r)

id. Pozzuoli, April 19, 1518 (l. 35r)

id. Napoli, August 7, 1518 (l. 37v)

id. Napoli, December 4, 1518 (l. 38r)

Castiglione, Baldassarre. Mantova, October 20, 1518 (l. 38v)

id. Mantova, January 15, 1520 (l. 39r)

Paleario, Aonio. Siena, May 6, 1536 (l. 39v)

id. Siena, October 10, 1540 (l. 39v)

Trissino, Gian Giorgio. Vicenza, April 6, 1523 (l. 40r)

Lampridio, [Benedetto]. Mantova, January 6, 1538 (l. 40v)

id. Mantova, April 11, 1539 (l. 41r)

id. Mantova, May 25, [1539] (l. 41r)

[Valeriano, Giovanni] Pierio. Padova, April 4, 1539 (l. 41v)

id. Mantova, August 25, 1539 (l. 42r)

Martelli, Ugolino. [Padova, 1540] (l. 42v)

Brevio, Giovanni. Venezia, April 12, 1526 (l. 42v)

id. Padova, November 13, 1538 (l. 43r)

id. Venezia, May 6, 1542 (l. 43r)

Camillo, Giulio. Bologna, May 16, 1525 (l. 43v)

id. Paris, March 30, 1533 (l. 44r)

Vettori, Pietro. Firenze, November 18, 1536 (l. 44v)

id. Firenze, February 8, 1546 (l. 45r)

Fracastoro, Girolamo. Verona, September 25, 1530 (l. 45v)

id. Verona, March 5, 1539 (l. 46r)

De Pazzi, Guglielmo. Padova, November 12, 1538 (l. 47r)

Tasso, [Bernardo]. Sorrento, December 15, 1543 (l. 47r)

id. Salerno, [a. March, 1539] (l. 48r)

Florimonte, Galeazzo. Loreto, September 10, 1541 (l. 49r)

Flaminio, Marco Antonio. Verona, November 12, 1533 (l. 49r)

Dalla Torre, Francesco. Verona, October 26, 1528 (l. 56 recte 50r)

id. Ferrara, September 22, 1537 (l. 56 recte 50v)

id. Verona, January 30, 1544 (l. 51r)

Martelli, Ugolino. Firenze, Dceember 9, 1546 (l. 52r)

Dolce, Ludovico. Venezia, October 7, 1535 (l. 53v)

id. Venezia, November 17, 1536 (l. 54v)

Giraldi Cinzio, Giovanni Battista. Ferrara, February 12, 1529 (l. 55r)

id. Ferrara, March 30, 1539 (l. 56r)

Molza, [Francesco Maria]. Bologna, June 25, 1524 (l. 57v)

id. Bologna, August 13, 1524 (l. 58r)

Barbaro, Daniele. Venezia, March 8, 1544 (l. 59r)

Aretino, Pietro. Venezia, [1537] (l. 59r)

id. Venezia, January 13, 1537 (l. 59v)

id. Venezia, February 19, 1537 (l. 60v)

Manuzio, Paolo. Venezia, April 21, 1544 (l. 61r)

Varchi, Benedetto. Firenze, July 24, 1535 (l. 61v)

id. Firenze, November 10, 1535 (l. 63r)

id. Firenze, July 3, 1536 (l. 64v)

id. Firenze, September 1, 1536 (l. 65v)

id. Firenze, November 16, 1536 (l. 66r)

id. Bologna, April 5, 1537 (l. 67v)

id. Firenze, December 25, 1544 (l. 68r)

Val[ier], Giovanni Francesco. Venezia, October 5, 1526 (l. 68v)

[Aleandro, Girolamo], Il Nuncio. Venezia, December 23, 1534 (l. 68v)

Mezzabarba, Antonio. Rovigo, September 28, 1537 (l. 69v)

Ariosto, Ludovico. Ferrara, February 23, 1531 (l. 70r)

Ariosto, Galasso. Bologna, July 6, 1524 (l. 70r)

id. Roma, July 8, 1533 (l. 71r)

Strozzi, Ludovico. Mantova, January 10, 1531 (l. 72r)

id. Mantova, April 7, 1539 (l. 72v)

(Book IV:)

Fregoso, Federico. Pesaro, December 17, 1529 (l. 73r)

id. Gubbio, January 6, 1534 (l. 73v)

id. Gubbio, January 28, 1534 (l. 74v)

id. Gubbio, February 15, 1535 (l. 75v)

id. Gubbio, April 25, 1536 (l. 76v)

id. Urbino, July 6, 1536 (l. 77v)

id. Urbino, August 10, 1536 (l. 78r)

[Strozzi, Leone], Prior of Capua. Roma, March 22, 1522 (l. 79r)

id. Roma, April 10, 1523 (l. 79v)

Giberti, Gian Matteo. Roma, October 27, 1522 (l. 79v)

id. Roma, February 7, 1526 (l. 80v)

Gambara, [Uberto]. Bologna, April 5, 1530 (l. 81r)

[Riario], Cesare, Patriarch of Alexandria. In Villa, May 19, 1536 (l. 81v)

[Basilio Mantovano], Abbot of San Giorgio Maggiore. Venezia, October 23, 1539 (l. 81v)

id. Venezia, October 16, 1539 (l. 82r)

Priore di Napoli (to the Pior of Naples). Napoli, March 22, 1544 (l. 82v)

Giovanni Evangelista, Abbot of San Pietro of Perugia. Perugia, February 13, 1544 (l. 82v)

Lomellino, [Antonio]. Roma, March 24, 1539 (l. 83v)

[Della Casa], Giovanni, Bishop of Benevento. Venezia, April 26, 1545 (l. 84r)

De Bili, Cornelio. Gubbio, August 3, 1541 (l. 84v)

(Book V:)

Gabbiano, Vincenzo. Brescia, July 10, 1538 (l. 85v)

Tasso, Cristoforo. Roma, March 24, 1539 (l. 86v)

Fantuzzi, Camillo. Bologna, April 1, 1539 (l. 87r)

Merenda, Apollonio. Napoli, June 28, 1539 (l. 87v)

Dandini, Girolamo. Roma, March 24, 1539 (l. 88r)

Garisendi, Andrea. Bologna, December 19, 1517 (l. 88v)

Pistofilo, Bonaventura. Ferrara, August 26, 1525 (l. 90r)

Gheri, Cosimo. Padova, [a. August, 1532] (l. 90r)

id. Predalbino, August 10, 1535 (l. 90v)

id. Padova, October 23, 1535 (l. 91r)

id. Padova, October 29, 1535 (l. 91v)

id. Padova, October 30, 1535 (l. 92r)

Cortese, Gregorio. Venezia, April 22, 1532 (l. 92r)

Bini, Giovanni Francesco. Bologna, January 27, 1533 (l. 92v)

id. Bologna, March 9, 1533 (l. 93r)

Beccadelli, Ludovico. Bologna, May 5, 1536 (l. 93v)

Negro, Girolamo. Roma, September 5, 1536 (l. 92 recte 94r)

Crisolino, Flavio. Roma, March 5, 1535 (l. 92 recte 94v)

id. Amelia, March 26, 1539 (l. 95r)

Marsigli, Marco Antonio. Bologna, November 6, 1533 (l. 94 recte 96r)

id. Bologna, March 29, 1539 (l. 94 recte 96v)

id. Bologna, September 10, 1541 (l. 97r)

Bianchetto, Giovanni. Roma, March 24, 1539 (l. 97v)

Cavalier Albani. Bergamo, August 13, 1541 (l. 98r)

Aldrovandi, Giovanni. Bologna, October 3, 1540 (l. 98v)

Fantuzzi, Carlo Antonio. Bologna, September 11, 1541 (l. 99r)

Pignatelli, Fabrizio. Napoli, October 14, 1542 (l. 99r)

Martelli, Gaspare. Bagnara, December 22, 1544 (l. 99v)

Pamfili, Pietro. Urbino, July 27, 1545 (l. 100r)

Tasso, [Giovanni Jacopo]. Bergamo, July 24, 1545 (l. 100v)

Soria, Don Lope de. Venezia, May 8, 1534 (l. 101v)

id. Venezia, May 21, 1534 (l. 102r)

id. Venezia, May 22, 1534 (l. 102r)

id. Venezia, September 1, 1535 (l. 102v)

id. Venezia, April 13, 1537 (l. 103r)

id. Venezia, May 16, 1539 (l. 103v)

id. Venezia, June 19, 1539 (l. 104r)

Leonardi, Giovanni Giacomo. Venezia, June 22, 1531 (l. 104v)

Soranzo, [Vittore]. Venezia, September 12, 1529 (l. 104v)

id. Bologna, November 19, 1529 (l. 105r)

id. Bologna, March 11, 1530 (l. 106v)

id. Bologna, March 16, 1530 (l. 107v)

id. Bologna, March 22, 1530 (l. 108v)

id. Bologna, March 23, 1530 (l. 109r)

id. Roma, June 8, 1530 (l. 109v)

id. Roma, July 29, 1530 (l. 111r)

id. Roma, August 21, 1530 (l. 114v)

id. Roma, September 9, 1530 (l. 115r)

id. Roma, February 17, 1531 (l. 116r)

id. Roma, April 14, 1531 (l. 116v)

id. Venezia, June 14, 1531 (l. 117r)

id. [Ronchi], August 28, 1531 (l. 117v)

id. [Ronchi], October 27, 1531 (l. 117v)

id. [Ronchi], September 5, 1531 (l. 118r)

id. Roma, March 13, 1531 (l. 118v)

id. [Ronchi], August 15, [1531] (l. 119r)

Sansovino, Jacopo. Venezia, October 4, 1546 (l. 120r)

from Bembo, Pietro to Sansovino, Jacopo. Roma, October 23, 1546 (l. 120v)

Bruno, [Cola]. Padova, December 12, 1538 (l. 121r)

id. Padova, August 23, [1529] (l. 121v)

id. Padova, December 15, 1538 (l. 122r)

id. Venezia, August 3, [1525] (l. 122v)

id. [Padova, Summer 1526] (l. 123r)

id. Venezia, July 15, [1525] (l. 123r)

id. Padova, December 17, 1538 (l. 123v)

Torre, Giovanni Battista. Verona, February 15, 1526 (l. 124r)

Palleano, Giorgio. [Padova, a. 1539] (l. 124v)

Gois, Damiao de. Hagga, March 13, 1539 (l. 124v)

Savelli, Jacopo. Padova, December 10, 1539 (l. 125r)

Beaziano (or Beazzano), Agostino. Roma, November 24, 1519 (l. 126r)

id. Roma, November 27, 1519 (l. 127v)

id. Venezia, March 6, 1528 (l. 129r)

id. Roma, March 17, 1520 (l. 129v)

id. Roma, April 18, 1526 (l. 130v)

id. Roma, May 8, 1526 (l. 133r)

id. Roma, July 11, 1526 (l. 134v)

id. Roma, July 18, 1526 (l. 136v)

id. Venezia, November 6, 1526 (l. 137v)

Francis I, King of France. Noyon, March 8 (or 6), 1539 (l. 138r)

Sadoleto, Jacopo. Carpentras, January 3, 1541 (l. 138v)

Boldi, Andrea. Padova, January 10, 1543 (l. 139v)

Simonetta, Giovanni. Pesaro, January 10, 1543 (l. 140v)

Fiordibello, Antonio. Pernes, January 11, 1543 (l. 141r)

Lando, Giovanni. Venezia, January 20, 1542 (l. 141v)

Gaddi, [Niccolò]. Padova, January 20, 1538 (l. 142v)

Basilio da Bergamo. Ravenna, January 28, 1538 (l. 143v)

Merenda, Apollonio. Roma, February 7, 1538 (l. 144r)

Zanco, Giovanni Crisostomo. Vicenza, February 8, 1538 (l. 144v)

Negri, Gieronimo. Roma, February 15, 1538 (l. 145v)

Fascitello, Onorato. Roma, February, 18, 1538 (l. 147r)

Fracastoro, Girolamo. Verona, May 28, 1538 (l. 147v)

[Campeggi, Tommaso], Bishop of Feltre. Vicenza, June 5, 1538 (l. 148r)

[Landi, Pietro], Bishop of Candia. Venezia, June 7, 1544 (l. 148v)

[Poggio, Giovanni], Il Nunzio. Venezia, June 14, 1544 (l. 149r)

Barbaro, Daniele. Venezia, June 14, 1544 (l. 150r)

Corrado, Sebastiano. Venezia, June 18, 1538 (l. 150v)

Corner, [Alvise]. Anagni, June 28, 1544 (l. 151r)

Cortese, Gregorio. San Benedetto Po, June 30, 1538 (l. 151v)

Lando, Giulio. Piacenza, August 2, 1544 (l. 152v)

Ridolfi, [Niccolò]. Vicenza, August 22, 1544 (l. 153v)

Lando, Giulio. Piacenza, September 8, 1544 (l. 153v)

[Della Rovere, Guidobaldo II], Duke of Urbino. Urbino, September 17, 1544 (l. 154v)

(Addenda:)

from Bembo, Pietro to Bembo, Giovanni Matteo. Padova, September 20, 1537 (l. 155r)

id. to id. Padova, September 6, 1539 (l. 155v)

id. to id. Conselve, September 30, 1539 (l. 156v)

id. to id. Roma, December 24, 1539 (l. 157v)

id. to id. Roma, February 1, 1542 (l. 158)

id. to id. Roma, June 5, 1542 (l. 159r)

id. to id. Roma, July 24, 1546 (l. 159v)

Pietro Bembo, born in Venice to a patrician family, received a humanistic education in Florence, Rome, Bergamo and Messina (1492-1494), where he studied under the Greek scholar Constantine Lascaris. In 1496 he published his first work, the Latin dialogue De Aetna. Unsuitable for the political career to which he was destined, he decided to devote himself to literary pursuits. Between 1495 and 1500, while studying philosophy at the University of Padua and attending the courses of Niccolò Leoniceno in Ferrara, he wrote a dialogue on love, Gli Asolani (1505), inspired by his relationship with Maria Savorgnan. In the following years he began composing his major work, Le prose della volgar lingua, which underwent many changes and corrections before it was published for the first time in 1525. Thanks to its huge success (from the expiry of the privilege until the end of the century it appeared in over twenty editions), Le Prose became the model writing manual in the vernacular and imposed the Italian vernacular literature to the attention of the humanists. In 1501 and 1502 he also prepared milestone editions of Petrarch and Dante for Aldo Manuzio's printing house, giving birth to vernacular philology.

Before leaving Ferrara for Venice in 1504, Bembo had a love affair with Alfonso I d'Este's wife, Lucrezia Borgia, to whom he dedicated the first edition of Gli Asolani. In 1506 he moved to Urbino, where he pursued his literary interests and met the playwright and cardinal Bernardo Dovizi da Bibbiena, who soon became his closest friend. In 1513 he wrote De imitatione, a treatise on Ciceronian Latin, and, together with his friend Jacopo Sadoleto, he was appointed by Pope Leo X as secretary of papal briefs in Latin. In 1519, disappointed in his expectations of an ecclesiastical career, he left Rome and retired to his villa in Padua.

From 1519 to 1539 Bembo lived mostly in Padua and Venice, attending to the publications of Le Prose and of his Rime (1530), intended to provide an authoritative example of the principles he had previously theorized. In 1529 he was appointed historian of the Republic of Venice (his Historia Veneta was published posthumously both in Latin and Italian in 1551-1552), and librarian of the Biblioteca Nicena (today Marciana).

In 1539 Pope Paul III ordained him a priest and named him cardinal. He spent the last years of his life either in Rome or in his bishoprics, Gubbio (1541) and Bergamo (1544) (cf. C. Kidwell, Pietro Bembo: lover, linguist, cardinal, Montreal, 2004, passim).

[9115]