Delle lettere [...] libro primo [all published]

8vo. (4), 110 leaves. a⁴, A-N⁸, O⁶. With the printer's device on the title-page. Contemporary limp vellum with manuscript title on spine. Ex-libris Giuseppe Renato Imperiali (whose library was sold in 1793) and Marco Lazzari.

Basso, pp. 324-326; Edit 16, CNCE 38211; Quondam, p. 315.

FIRST AND ONLY EDITION, dedicated to cardinal Francesco Morosini, bishop of Brescia (Bergamo, May 15, 1591), of this collection of 209 letters. For unknown (but probably editorial) reasons, the letters are all undated. Only the 18 letters addressed to the author are dated between 1555 and 1589. Furthermore, 27 letters present no recipient and are probably fictitious.

The collection clearly shows the relations that Viscardi had during his life with many highly influential Italian noble families: thirteen letters are addressed to the Corner and to the Albani, seven to the Grimaldi of Monaco, seven to the Bembo, six to the Mocenigo, five to the Contarini, etc.

Bembo, Pietro. Bergamo (l. 1r)

Bembo, Torquato (l. 1v)

id. Bergamo (l. 2v)

n.r. (l. 3r)

Colonio, Nicolò (l. 4r)

Gradenigo, Pietro. Padova (l. 4v)

Spira, Fortunio. Padova (l. 5r)

id. Monaco (l. 5v)

Spino, Pietro. Monaco (l. 6r)

Carrara, Michele. Monaco (l. 7r)

Benaglio, Girolamo. Monaco (l. 8r)

De Marin, Tommaso. Monaco (l. 8v)

Badoer, Federico. Monaco (l. 9r)

Al Signore di Monaco [Grimaldi, Onorato]. Roma (l. 9v)

Albani colletrale. Roma (l. 10r)

Al Signore di Monaco [Grimaldi, Onorato]. Roma (l. 10v)

Bembo, Elena. Padova (l. 11r)

Mirandola, Antonio. Padova (l. 11v)

Sauli, Stefano. Verona (l. 12r)

Soriano, Michele (l. 12v)

Al Signore di Monaco [Grimaldi, Onorato]. Padova  (l. 13r)

Da Ponte, Giampiero. Torino (l. 13v)

Venier, Francesco (l. 14r)

Mocenigo, Luigi. Padova (l. 14v)

Albani colletrale. Venezia (l. 15r)

Mocenigo, Alvise. Bergamo (l. 15v)

Loredan abate. Trento (l. 16v)

Albani, Lucia. Padova (l. 17r)

Foscarini, Giambattista. Padova (l. 17v)

Della Rovere, Girolamo (l. 18r)

Corner, Gabriele (l. 18v)

Brembilla cavalier. Venezia (l. 19r)

Venier, Maffeo (l. 19v)

Amalteo, [Giovanni Battista] (l. 20r)

Viscardi, Gianuario. Padova (l. 20v)

Trevisan, Agostino (l. 21r)

Corner, Andrea. Padova (l. 21v)

n.r. (l. 23r)

n.r. (l. 23v)

Al Sig. Governatore di Monaco [Grimaldi, Stefano] (l. 24v)

Mocenigo, [Alvise] (l. 25r)

Viscardi, Marcello. Padova (l. 25v)

Grimaldi, Onorato. Bergamo (l. 26r)

Terzi, Giuliano (l. 26v)

Boldù, Andrea (l. 27r)

Corner, [Giorgio] (l. 27v)

Viscardi, Gianuario. Padova (l. 28r)

Michiel, Giovanni (l. 28v)

Albani, Giambattista (l. 29v)

Albani cavalier (l. 30r)

Malatesta, [Giacomo] (l. 30v)

n.r. (l. 31r)

Albani, [Giovanni Girolamo] (l. 31v)

Ponte, Nicolò (l. 32r)

Nicolò da Bertinoro (l. 32v)

Lippomano cavalier [Girolamo?] (l. 33r)

Bembo, Pietro (l. 33v)

Albani, [Giovanni Girolamo] (l. 34r)

Spinelli medico (l. 34v)

Mocenigo, Alvise (l. 35r)

Albani, [Giovanni Girolamo] (l. 35v)

Ragazzoni, Giovanni Giacomo (l. 36r)

from Albani, [Giovanni Girolamo]. Sanseverino (l. 36v)

from Albani, [Giovanni Girolamo]. 1570 (l. 37r)

Badoer, Alberto (l. 37v)

Morosini, Francesco (l. 38r)

Corner, Federico (l. 38v)

Zane, Matteo (l. 39r)

n.r. (l. 39v)

Mocenigo, Filippo (l. 39v)

Ragazzoni, [Girolamo] (l. 40v)

n.r. Venezia (l. 41r)

Contarini, Zaccaria (l. 41v)

Bembo, Torquato (l. 42v)

Grimaldi, Isabella (l. 42v)

Viscardi, Marcello (l. 43v)

Barbaro, Marco Antonio (l. 44r)

Amulio, [Marco Antonio]. Padova (l. 44v)

Dolfin, [Giovanni] (l. 45r)

Amulio, [Marco Antonio] (l. 45v)

n.r. (l. 46r)

Casale, Alessandro (l. 46v)

Cattani, Maurizio (l. 47v)

Corner, Federico (l. 48r)

Corner, Francesco (l. 48v)

Albani, Domenico (l. 49r)

[Grimaldi], Onorato (l. 49v)

Barbarigo, Nicolò (l. 50r)

Marenco, Giovanni Francesco (l. 51r)

Capello, Girolamo (l. 51v)

Gromelli, [Pietro]. Lovere (l. 51v)

from Grimaldi, Onorato. Monaco, 1555 (l. 52v)

Albani, [Giovanni Girolamo] (l. 53v)

Contarini, Leonardo (l. 54r)

n.r. (l. 54v)

Pagano, Cornelio (l. 55r)

Giustiniani, Leonardo (l. 55r)

Paruta, Paolo (l. 55v)

Pesaro, Francesco (l. 56r)

Passo cavalier. Lovere (l. 56v)

Marcello signor. Lovere (l. 57r)

Gromelli, [Pietro]. Lovere (l. 58r)

Albani, [Giovanni Girolamo] (l. 58v)

Zorzi, Bartolomeo (l. 59r)

Gaioncelli, Girolamo (l. 59v)

n.r. (l. 59v)

Donati, Leonardo (l. 60v)

from Morosini, [Gianfrancesco]. Brescia (l. 61r)

from Visconti, [Gaspare]. Milano (l. 61v)

Tiepolo, Antonio (l. 61v)

n.r. (l. 62v)

Bembo, Torquato (l. 63r)

Corner, Francesco (l. 63v)

Rangone, Giulio. Lovere (l. 64r)

Dalla Torre, Pagano. Lovere (l. 65r)

n.r. (l. 65r)

from Cattaneo, Maurizio. Roma, 1572 (l. 65v)

n.r. (l. 66v)

Corner, Marco. Bergamo (l. 67r)

Doria, Nicolò (l. 67v)

n.r. (l. 68r)

Corner, Gabriele (l. 68v)

Corvini, Matteo. Lovere (l. 69r)

Martinengo, Marco Antonio. [1589] (l. 69v)

from Mocenigo, Filippo. Roma (l. 70r)

Tasso, Ercole (l. 70v)

Corner, Federico (l. 70v)

Borromeo, [Carlo]. Bergamo (l. 71r)

Corner, Gabriele (l. 72r)

Rudolf II emperor. Bergamo (l. 72r)

Al cardinal di Pavia (l. 72v)

Giustiniani, Leonardo (l. 73r)

Marcello signor (l. 73v)

from Corner, Federico (l. 74r)

Al Sig. M. Censore (l. 74v)

Michiel, Nicolò. 1590 (l. 75r)

n.r. (l. 75v)

Corner, Giorgio (l. 75v)

Doria, Andrea (l. 76r)

Di Vera, Francesco (l. 76v)

Venier, Francesco (l. 77r)

Barbaro, Marco Antonio (l. 77v)

Foscari, Alvise (l. 78r)

Morosini, [Gianfrancesco] (l. 78v)

Riccardi, [Giacomo] (l. 79r)

Rannusio, Paolo (l. 79v)

Tassoni, Daniele (l. 80r)

Monselice, Girolamo (l. 80v)

Longo, Francesco (l. 81r)

Moroni marchesa (l. 81v)

Salviati, [Leonardo] (l. 82r)

Foscarini, Michele (l. 82v)

Contarini, Giacomo (l. 83r)

id. (l. 83v)

Della Rovere, Girolamo (l. 84r)

Marcello signor. Venezia (l. 84v)

n.r. (l. 85r)

Accialino, Domenico (l. 85v)

Gussoni, Nicolò (l. 86r)

Giustiniani, Marco (l. 86v)

Coner, Gabriele (l. 87r)

n.r. (l. 87r)

from Della Rovere, Girolamo. Roma (l. 87v)

from Priuli, Lorenzo. Venezia (l. 88r)

Bernardi, Lorenzo (l. 88v)

Gradenigo Padova (or Padoa). Venezia (l. 88v)

n.r. (l. 89r)

from Madruzzo cardinale, [Ludovico?]. Roma (l. 89v)

from Grimaldi, Carlo. Monaco (l. 90r)

from Corner, Francesco. 1586 (l. 90v)

from [Grimaldi], Ercole. Monaco, 1589 (l. 91r)

from Doria, Giovanni Andrea. Genova (l. 91v)

Priuli, Lorenzo (l. 91v)

n.r. (l. 92r)

Badoer, Pietro (l. 92v)

Giustiniano, Giustiniani (l. 93v)

from Spira, Fortunio. Venezia (l. 93v)

n.r. (l. 94r)

n.r. (l. 95r)

Marin, Michele (l. 95v)

n.r. (l. 96r)

Colonio, Nicolò (l. 96v)

Arditi, Pacifico (l. 97r)

Zorzi abate (l. 97v)

n.r. (l. 98r)

Contarini, Andrea (l. 98r)

n.r. (l. 98v)

from Riccardi, Giacomo. Milano (l. 99v)

Grimani, Marino (l. 100r)

Albani, Claudio (l. 100v)

Marcello signore (l. 101r)

n.r. Venezia (l. 101v)

Ragazzoni, [Girolamo] (l. 102r)

n.r. Venezia (l. 102v)

Albani prevosto. Lovere (l. 103r)

Capello, Girolamo (l. 103v)

[Ragazzoni, Girolamo], Bishop of Bergamo. Venezia (l. 104r)

Morosini, Tommaso (l. 104v)

Boldù, Antonio (l. 105r)

Gussoni, Nicolò. Bergamo (l. 105r)

n.r. Venezia (l. 105v)

Morosini, Tommaso (l. 106r)

Mocenigo, Filippo (l. 106v)

Accialino, Domenico (l. 107r)

n.r. (l. 108r)

from [Ragazzoni, Girolamo]. Paris, April 12, 1583 (l. 109r)

Foscarini, Michele (l. 109v)

Vendramin, Francesco (l. 109v)

Corner abate. Bergamo (l. 110r)

Little is know about the life of Giovanni Andrea Viscardi, lawyer and historian, native of Bergamo. He studied in Padova, where he became friend of Torquato Bembo, the son of the famous humanist Pietro. Before 1555 he entered the service of the Grimaldi, lords of Monaco. Later on he accompanied the bishop of Bergamo to the Council of Trent. Viscardi spent most of his life in Bergamo, even though he briefly served as podestà in Lovere. In 1590 he published the Dialogo della miseria della vita humana et della certezza della vita eterna, which deals with death and the reversals of fortune topics that are extensively discussed also in his letters. In 1597 he dedicated to the doge Marino Grimani his Precetti morali e civili con molti et varii essempi. He is also said to have been loved by the poetess Gaspara Stampa, whose Rime (1554) contain four poems dedicated to him (cf. L. Fazzini, Gaspara Stampa nell'attesa d'amore, in: “Città di Vita: bimestrale di religione arte e scienza”, 60/4, 2005, pp. 429-32).

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