Tre libri di lettere [...] E i termini della lingua Toscana

8vo. (16), 405 (i.e. 395), (5) pp. A-Z⁸, AA-CC⁸. With the printer's device on the title-page and at the end and the woocut arms of the Vitelli Baglioni family on leaf A3v, the third part has a separate title-page (leaf S1) with a different device. 18^th century marbled calf, gilt back, tinted edges and endpapers, stamp on the title-page and on p. 1: Ex Bibliotheca J. Richard D.M. (Jacques Richard, 1744-1812, physician and book-collector from Lyon).

Basso, pp. 84-85; Edit 16, CNCE 17696; Index Aurelienis, 155.278; S. Casali, Gli annali della tipografia veneziana di Francesco Marcolini, (Bologna, 1953), no. 93; C. Ricottini Marsili-Libelli, Anton Francesco Doni scrittore e stampatore, (Firenze, 1960), pp. 84-86, no. 38.

FIRST EDITION of all three books of Doni's collected letters. The first book was published in 1544 by Girolamo Scotto with dedications to Federico Cesi and Lodovico Domenichi (dated Venice, May 9, 1544). It was reprinted with a few additions and modifications in 1545 by the same printer. In 1546 Doni had its own printing of a revised edition in Florence dedicated to Francesco de' Medici and a year later he printed the Libro secondo, dedicated to Agostino Bonucci, general of the Servite Order.

The present edition is dedicated to Costanza Vitelli Baglioni (Venice, July 27, 1552). The dedication to Domenichi of the first book of the first edition was retained but addressed now to the reader. It contains sixty-six letters. The second books is still dedicated to Bonucci, and contains sixty-two letters. Most of these letters had already been published in the earlier editions, many were omitted, and several reprinted from Doni's Disegno (1549). The newly added third book is dedicated to Jacopo de Nores (Venice, July 13, 1552). It contains fifty-two letters, of which fifteen had been previously published in the Libro secondo, and eight in the first part of the Medaglie (1550) (cf. S. Re Fiorentin, I ‘libri di lettere' di Anton Francesco Doni, in: “Levia Gravia”, II, 2000, pp. 65-95). At the end of the volume are printed thirty-two sonnets exchanged between Doni and his correspondents, twenty-three of which had already been published in the 1544-edition of his letters.

Doni expressly emphasizes the burlesque and playful character of his letters in a letter addressed to the printer Gabriele Giolito (Padova, February 15, 1544, p. 205), where he writes that “tutte le cose che si dicono e si scrivono non sono vere. Ma bisogna spregnar la fantasia. Dove voi troverete molte delle mie lettere piacevoli; dette & scritte solamente per dare spasso à chi le leggerà” (cf. G. Genovese, La lettera oltre il genere. Il libro di lettere, dall'Aretino al Doni, e le origini dell'autobiografia moderna, Roma & Padova, 2009, pp. 193-200).

“Le lettere di Doni si pongono sin dall'inizio sotto il segno della ‘piacevolezza': se nella dedica alla ‘Signora Gostanza Vitella de' Baglioni' Doni non esita a dichiarare che esse ‘furono ristampate per la seconda volta, per la piacevolezza che tengono nel dir loro' (l. Aiir), poco più avanti nella dedica ‘Ai Lettori' del ‘Libro Primo' sostiene di ‘darle fuori' perché ha ‘piacere di dar piacere al mondo' (p. 3). Nelle lettere del Doni la tradizione comica toscana e il modello aretiniano sono riassimilati e per così dire forzati con un costante lavoro di dilatazione e manipolazione formale dei materiali a disposizione. La tensione linguistica e stilistica, l'uso marcato di una sintassi che rifugge da criteri di armonia e di misura in direzione dell'aggressività e dell'espressivismo sono piegati al gioco della deformazione e dell'invenzione. L'accumulo di materiali diversi, il gusto della variazione, sintomi di un'insofferenza nei confronti di soluzioni letterarie classiche connotate dalla ripetizione invariata di moduli e temi, riflettono un'adesione agli aspetti più incongrui del reale, di cui si privilegiano gli elementi ‘bassi' e stravaganti. Nelle lettere doniane l'universo narrativo si offre al lettore in un'esuberante varietà divertita e piacevole, dove non mancano, tuttavia, momenti fortemente polemici” (M.C. Figorilli, ‘Meglio ignorante che dotto'. L'elogio paradossale in prosa nel Cinquecento, Napoli, 2008, pp. 165-166).

Doni's letters were put on the Roman Indices of 1559 and 1564, and in the Parma Index of 1580 all his writings were condemned to be expurgated (cf. U. Rozzo, La censura libraria nell'Europa del secolo XVI, Udine, 1997, p. 261).

(Libro primo:)

Somma, Silvia di, Countess of Bagno [1549] (p. 4)

Sforza, Sforza, Count of Borgonuovo. Piacenza, January 8, 1543 (p. 5)

Buonarotti, Michelangelo. Piacenza, January 12, 1543 (p. 6)

[Stampa, Anna], Marquise of Soncino. Piacenza, January 13, 1543 (p. 8)

Torrigiani, Bonaventura. Piacenza, January 18, 1543 (p. 9)

Dati, Pietro [Domenichi, Giovan Pietro]. Piacenza, January 25, 1543 (p. 12)

Romito, Macario. Piacenza, January 25, 1543 (p. 12)

Strozzi, Francesco. Piacenza, February 5, 1543 (p. 13)

Fonasco, Mauro. Piacenza, February 13, 1543 (p. 16)

Gambarotta, Giovanna. Piacenza, February 13, 1543 (p. 18)

Sforza, Isabella. Piacenza, February 28, 1543 (p. 20)

Marcello, Domenico. Piacenza, February 28, 1543 (p. 21)

Bosso, Lodovico. Piacenza, March 1, 1543 (p. 23)

Cassola, [Luigi]. Piacenza, March 1, 1543 (p. 25)

Ferraro, Giovanni Paolo. Piacenza, March 2, 1543 (p. 29)

Cassola, Luigi. March 5, 1543 (p. 30)

Lumachi, Salino. Piacenza, March 8, 1543 (p. 33)

Ricami, Ricciardo. Piacenza, March 14, 1543 (p. 35)

Landi, Ottavio. March 20, 1543 (p. 36)

Riccio, Luigi. Piacenza, March 25, 1543 (p. 39)

[Medici, Cosimo I de'], Duke of Firenze. Piacenza, March 27, 1543 (p. 41)

Aretino, Pietro. April 28, 1543 (p. 42)

Marenga Gambarotta, Caterina. Piacenza, April 2, 1543 (p. 44)

Macchia, Silvestro. Piacenza, April 5, 1543 (p. 45)

Barlacchi, Domenico. Piacenza, May 4, 1543 (p. 47)

Gambara, [Uberto]. Piacenza, May 7, 1543 (p. 48)

Farnese, [Alessandro]. Piacenza, May 19, 1543 (p. 49)

All'Eccellente Signor Finto Amico [Domenichi, Lodovico]. Piacenza, May 23, 1543 (p. 51)

[Sforza, Guido Ascanio], Cardinal Santa Fiore. Piacenza, May 29, 1543 (p. 53)

Baffo, Francesca. Piacenza, May 31, 1543 (p. 56)

[Doni], Giovanni Angelo. Piacenza, June 3, 1543 (p. 59)

Girondi, Cesare. Piacenza, June 6, 1543 (p. 64)

Campesano, Alessandro. Piacenza, June 6, 1543 (p. 67)

Cassola, Jacopo. Piacenza, June 26, 1543 (p. 68)

Bernieri, Jacopo. Piacenza, June 27, 1543 (p. 70)

Moisé Hebreo. Piacenza, June 29, 1543 (p. 71)

Pallavicino, Sforza. Piacenza, June 30, 1543 (p. 71)

Baffo, Francesca. Piacenza, July 1, 1543 (p. 73)

Campesano, Alessandro. Piacenza, July 3, 1543 (p. 74)

Borromeo Tornielli, Livia. Piacenza, July 7, 1543 (p. 75)

Tintoretto, Jacopo. Como, July 17, 1543 (p. 75)

Buoni, Giulia. Como, July 20, 1543 (p. 79)

Landi, Agostino. Como, July 20, 1543 (p. 80)

Giovio, [Paolo]. Piacenza, April 7, 1543 (p. 86)

G.F. Piacenza, July 27, 1543 (p. 88)

Sforza, Giulio. Piacenza, September 10, 1543 (p. 89)

Blesi, Stefano. Piacenza September 25, 1543 (p. 90)

Braccioforte, Anton Maria. Piacenza, September 27, 1543 (p. 91)

Sansovino, Francesco. Piacenza, September 28, 1543 (p. 92)

Brani, Fulcio. Piacenza, September 30, 1543 (p. 93)

Gottifredi, Bartolomeo. Piacenza, October 3, 1543 (p. 99)

Pecori, Orlando. Piacenza, October 5, 1543 (p. 102)

Amico finto [Domenichi, Lodovico]. Piacenza, October 14, 1543 (p. 103)

Sansovino, Francesco. Piacenza, October 21, 1543 (p. 105)

Marchi, Galeazzo. Piacenza, October 23, 1543 (p. 107)

Stampa, Baldassare. Piacenza, October 24, 1543 (p. 110)

Fenestella, Bindo. Piacenza, October 27, 1543 (p. 112)

Aretino, Pietro. Piacenza, October 30, 1543 (p. 113)

Landi, Ottavio. Piacenza, November 2, 1543 (p. 115)

[Genovese], Lazzaro. Piacenza, November 15, 1543 (p. 117)

Stampa, Baldassare. Piacenza, November 16, 1543 (p. 119)

A Poeti & Musici. Piacenza, November 19, 1543 (p. 120)

Al Predicatore [Fra Cipolla]. Piacenza, February 18, 1543 (p. 124)

Al Pelato [Dini, Vincenzo]. Piacenza, November 25, 1543 (p. 134)

Fontaneto, Domenico da. Piacenza, November 28, 1543 (p. 136)

Amico finto [Domenichi, Lodovico]. Piacenza, January 1, 1543 [i.e. 1544] (p. 143)

(Libro secondo:)

Bonucci, Agostino (p. 145, dedication letter)

Bordone, [Paris]. [1549] (p. 148)

Angosciola, Gabriele. Piacenza, December 3, 1543 (p. 153)

Gottifredi, Bartolomeo. Piacenza, December 3, 1543 (p. 155)

Tinca, Capitano del. Piacenza, December 4, 1543 (p. 161)

Ventura, cuoco. Piacenza, December 5, 1543 (p. 163)

Fr[anchini?], Benedetto. Piacenza, December 6, 1543 (p. 166)

Gabbia, Lena. Piacenza, December 6, 1543 (p. 167)

Moresini, Cipriano. Venezia, August 16, 1549 (p. 169)

Leonello, Giovan Battista. Venezia, August 16, 1549 (p. 172)

Calandra, Endimio. Borgo Forte, January 16, 1544 (p. 172)

[Gonzaga, Ercole], Cardinal of Mantova. Borgo Forte, January 16, 1544 (p. 174)

Tornielli Borromeo, Livia. Venezia, January 28, 1544 (p. 176)

Lollio, Alberto. Venezia, August 17, 1549 (p. 177)

Collalto, Collaltino di. Venezia, September 26, 1549 (p. 181)

Sansovino, Francesco. [Venezia, December 11, 1549] (p. 181)

De Ciri, Marino. [1549] (p. 182)

Buus, Jaches. [1549] (p. 183)

Carnesecchi, Simon. [1549] (p. 184)

[Vico], Enea. Venezia, August 31, [1549] (p. 185)

Fava, Girolamo. [Venezia], September, 1549 (p. 186)

Pecorino Fiorentino. Venezia, October 15, 1549 (p. 190)

Vincenzi, Francesco. [Venezia], October 9, 1549 (p. 191)

[Varotti?], Michele, Novarese. Venezia, February 3, 1544 (p. 162, i.e. 192)

Bazzicalupo, Alberto. Venezia, February 9, 1544 (p. 193)

Pavero, [Pier Maria]. Venezia, February 12, 1544 (p. 194)

Granza, Rocco. [Venezia, October 16, 1549] (p. 195)

M. [1549] (p. 196)

A [Domenichi, Lodovico]. Venezia, September 26, 1549 (p. 197)

Bentivoglio, Ermes. Venezia, October 15, 1549 (p. 198)

Aretino, Pietro. Venezia, August 10, [1549?] (p. 198)

Somma, Silvia di. [1549] (p. 199)

Giolito, Gabriel. Padova, February 15, 1544 (p. 202)

Coccio, Francesco. Padova, February 17, [1544?] (p. 205)

Daniello, Bernardino. Padova, February 17, 1544 (p. 209)

Fontana, Giovanni. Venezia, February 20, 1544 (p. 211)

Bolani, Giulio. Venezia, February 16, 1544 (p. 212)

Raina, Giulio. [Venezia, March 4, 1544] (p. 213)

Parabosco, Girolamo. [Venezia, March 7, 1544] (p. 215)

Mantovato, Girolamo. Venezia, March 19, 1544 (p. 216)

Al Suo Reverendo Monsignore [Trivulzio, Catelano]. Venezia, March 29, 1544 (p. 217)

Asinelli, Giovan Battista. Venezia, April 3, 1544 (p. 218)

Malvicino, Annibale. Venezia, April 7, 1544 (p. 219)

Landi, Ottavio. Venezia, April 9, 1544 (p. 220)

Doni, Giovan Battista. Venezia, April 12, 1544 (p. 221)

Volpe, Giovan Antonio. Venezia, April 15, 1544 (p. 222)

Bosello, Giovan Battista. Venezia, April 15, 1544 (p. 223)

Giraldini, Capolino. Venezia, April 16, 1544 (p. 224)

Giovio, Alessandro. Venezia, April 19, 1544 (p. 225)

Borromeo Angosciola, Ippolita. Venezia, April 9, 1544 (p. 227)

Gottifredi, Bartolomeo. [Venezia, April 19, 1544] (p. 229)

Lollio, Alberto. [Venezia, April 20, 1544] (p. 231)

id. Venezia, May 9, 1544 (p. 232)

Caro, Annibal. [Venezia, May 8, 1544] (p. 233)

Ussi, Matteo degli. Venezia, April 21, 1544 (p. 239)

Medici, Girolamo de'. Venezia, April 21, 1544 (p. 240)

Orlandi, Tommaso D'Aiolfo. Venezia, July 10, [1552] (p. 241)

Strozzi, Francesco. Venezia, [1547] (p. 243)

Boldu, Giulio. Venezia, May 6, 1544 (p. 246)

Cassola, Luigi. Venezia, May 6, 1544 (p. 247)

Betussi, Giuseppe. Venezia, May 5, 1544 (p. 248)

Scotta de' Tedeschi, Leonora. Venezia, May 11, 1544 (p. 250)

Strozzi, Francesco. [1552] (p. 251)

(Terzo libro:)

De Nores, Jacopo. Venezia, July 13, 1552 (p. 259 dedication letter)

Signor Abate. Venezia, May 17, 1549 (p. 261)

Conti, Vicenzo. Noale, May 27, 1549 (p. 262: contains Termine della lingua toscana)

Bembo, Torquato. Venezia, November 23, 1551 (p. 293)

Pino, Paolo. Venezia, 1551 (p. 293)

Ridolfi, [Niccolò]. [1552] (p. 297)

Belprato, Vincenzo. Venezia, February 5, 1550 (p. 298)

Gonzaga, Ferrante. Venezia, February 5, 1550 (p. 299)

Collalto, Collaltino di. Venezia, February 5, 1550(p. 299)

Donato, Francesco. Venezia, February 5, 1550 (p. 300)

Este, Ercole d'. Venezia, February 5, 1550 (p. 301)

Corner, Federico. Venezia, 1552 (p. 301)

Mantova [Benavides], Marco. Venezia, February 7, 1550 (p. 303)

Morosini, Francesco. Venezia, February 6, 1550 (p. 303)

Passero, Marco Antonio. Venezia, February 5, 1550 (p. 304)

T., Piero. Venezia (p. 305)

Ruscelli, Girolamo. [1552] (p. 307)

Astratto Amico & bizzarro Cervello N.N. (p. 308)

Marcolini, Francesco. [1552] (p. 310)

A M. & Cinico Jurisconsulto. Venezia, 1552 (p. 313)

Al Siniscalco del S. Venezia, 1552 (p. 313)

Longo, Niccolò. Venezia, 1552 (p. 314)

Al Sollecito Messer G. Venezia, 1552 (p. 314)

Mahona, Geronimo. [Firenze, June 19, 1546] (p. 316)

Al Omnipotente Bue A.F.D. Venezia (p. 317)

Fanzago, Bartolomeo. Noale, 1552 (p. 319)

Angosciola, Girolamo. [Venezia], December 30, [1545] (p. 333)

Comino, Bartolomeo. Piacenza, August 24, 1553 (p. 338)

Messer Bartolomeo. Venezia [or Piacenza, July 31, 1545] (p. 340)

Dolce, Lodovico. [1547] (p. 342)

from Ariosto, Lodovico to Este, Ippolito d' (p. 349)

Paoli, Luigi. Noale, 1552 (p. 351)

Doni, Lorenzo. [1552] (p. 351)

Fanzago, [Bartlolomeo]. Noale, 1552 (p. 352)

S., Zaccaria, dottore in Teologia. Venezia [or Pisa, December 29, 1546] 1549 (p. 354)

Cazzago, Baldassare. Venezia [or Piacenza, May 22, 1545] (p. 356)

Raimondi, Luigi. Venezia [or Firenze, January 14, 1547] (p. 359)

Cinuzzi, Marco Antonio. Venezia [or Firenze, January 17, 1547] (p. 360)

Madruzzo, Cristoforo. Venezia, December 5, 1551 (p. 360)

Maximilian & Maria, King & Queen of Bohemia. [1552] (p. 361)

Buonvisi, Vincenzo. [1552] (p. 362)

Musso, Filippo. [Firenze, January 6, 1547] (p. 362)

Volpe, Giovanni Antonio. Venezia [or Firenze, August 28, 1547] (p. 363)

San Gimignano, Lodovico da. Venezia [or Firenze, August 29, 1547] (p. 363)

Morando, Giovanni Antonio. Venezia [or Firenze, August 29, 1547] (p. 364)

Daniello, Bernardino. [Firenze, August 29, 1547] (p. 364)

Neri, Polisenna di. Venezia [or Firenze], October 13, [1545] (p. 365)

Gonzaga, Carlo. Venezia, [1552] (p. 371)

Marcolini, Francesco. Noale, [1552] (p. 372)

Mora, Vincenzo. Venezia, July, 1552 (p. 381)

Al S. Mar. Ten. Suo da maggior Fratello. Venezia, [1552] (p. 382)

Lettera in diffesa d'uno stampatore (letter in defence of a printer). Ferrara, 1552 (p. 383)

Al Quintana Ser huomo. Venezia, 1552  (p. 385)

Anton Francesco Doni was born in Florence, the son of a scissors-maker and second hand dealer. The first reliable information is that, after 1535, he joined the religious order of the Servi di Maria in the Florentine convent of the Santissima Annunziata, taking the name of brother Valerio. During his years there Doni became a friend of the sculptor Giovannangelo Montorsoli, a disciple of Michelangelo.

In 1540 they both left Florence and the convent and moved to Genoa; the following year Doni transferred to Alessandria, where he stayed with Antonio Trotti and Isabella Guasco. In 1542 he spent shorter periods in Pavia and Milan, and then moved to Piacenza to begin the study of law. Very soon, however, he gave up juridical studies and followed his inclination for literature. In Piacenza Doni joined the Accademia degli Ortolani, a group of intellectuals with whom he shared a very polemical, anti-classical attitude. Among its most prominent members were Giuseppe Betussi, Girolamo Parabosco, and Lodovico Domenichi.

To Domenichi, in particular, Doni was bound by a very close friendship, following him to Venice, where he was introduced to Pietro Aretino and where he published the first book of his Lettere, as well as the Dialogo della Musica (1544). Soon afterwards Doni travelled back to Florence, where he began to take part in the meetings of the Accademia degli Umidi. In 1546 he became secretary of the Accademia Fiorentina and, with the aid of Cosimo I de' Medici, duke of Florence, tried to establish a printing house of his own. The business turned out to be disastrous, however, and lasted only from 1546 to 1548. In this period Doni published approximately twenty texts closely connected with the activities of the Accademia Fiorentina, among which should be mentioned Gli spiriti folletti (1546) and the Prose antiche di Dante, Petrarcha e Boccaccio (1547). In 1548, after the failure of his printing house, Doni broke off his relations with the Florentine milieu leaving Florence once and for all and, after a violent quarrel, whose reasons remain obscure, ended his personal relationship with Domenichi.

Back in Venice, Doni edited the first Italian version of Thomas More's Utopia, translated by Ortensio Lando (1548). In 1549 his eldest son, Silvio, was born from an extramarital relationship with Lena Gabbia; to him Doni dedicated the Epistole di Seneca ridotte nella lingua toscana, issued in the same year. This is the first example of Doni's penchant for plagiarism, since what he actually did was to publish under this title his own adaptation of Sebastiano Manilio's translation of Seneca's Moral Epistles (1494).

Meanwhile, he had begun a close collaboration with the printer Gabriele Giolito with the publication of the Disegno (1549), a book concerned with the primacy of figurative art. In 1550 Giolito published three further volumes by Doni: Fortuna di Cesare, Prima Libraria, and Medaglie.

In his writings from 1549 onwards Doni often mentions the Accademia Pellegrina. However, this is neither the name of an existing institution (as it was believed until recently), nor the designation of a project for the creation of a new community of intellectuals; Doni's Accademia Pellegrina is simply a literary fiction and an important element of the setting of his works. Ercole Bentivoglio, Titian, Francesco Sansovino, Lodovico Dolce, Pietro Aretino, Francesco Marcolini, and other alleged members of the Accademia often appear as characters in, or even co-authors of, Doni's output.

Doni's most productive period coincided with the years 1551-1553, when he was a collaborator of the printer Francesco Marcolini, who during this triennium printed many of Doni's major works: the Seconda Libraria (1551), the Zucca (1551-52), the Moral Filosofia (1552), the Marmi (1552-53), the diptych Mondi-Inferni (1552-53), the Pistolotti amorosi (1552), a collection of letters written by various fictional lovers.

In 1555 Doni suddenly left Venice and went to Urbino, where he wanted to obtain the patronage of Duke Guidobaldo II della Rovere with the aid of Pietro Aretino. Aretino, however, refused, and to take revenge for what he considered a betrayal, in 1556 Doni wrote a very aggressive book, the Terremoto (Earthquake), in which he predicted that his former friend would die before the end of the year – exactly as happened. In 1556 he also published Le Ville, a work devoted to the features of country houses.

Between 1557 and 1558 Doni stayed in Ancona, where he tried to open a new printing house, but he was soon compelled to leave because of an edict of Pope Paul IV which ruled that all those who had left the priesthood should return to their convents. There is no clarity regarding the details of the following three years of Doni's life. However, between 1562 and 1563 he was certainly in Arquà, where he planned a monument in honour of Petrarch, which was never built. In 1562 Giolito printed Il Cancellieri dell'Eloquenza, Il Cancellieri della Memoria, the Dichiarazione sopra il XIII cap. dell'Apocalisse, and the second revised edition of the diptych Mondi-Inferni with the new title Mondi terrestri, celesti e infernali.

In 1564, Le Pitture was published in Padua by the printer Grazioso Percaccino. This work collects the invenzioni, or allegorical descriptions of love, fortune, time, sleep, and death, which Doni had created to adorn the projected monument dedicated to Petrarch. In 1567 Doni and his son Silvio moved to Monselice, near Padua. In the same year he composed the Lumiera, a short poem that takes up themes from the main works of the 1550s. The following year, Giorgio de' Cavalli printed an updated edition of the Mondi in Venice, the last before Doni's death.

Doni's works enjoyed great success throughout Europe and were soon translated into other major European languages: Spanish (Zucca en español, 1552), English (The Moral Philosophy of Doni, 1570), and French (Les Mondes célestes, terrestres et infernaux, 1578, 1580, 1583).

In July 1574 Doni returned to Venice, where he offered Henry III of Valois the precious manuscript of a poem in ottava rima, the Guerra di Cipro. This is the last known fact of Doni's life. He died soon after, in September 1574 – still in Venice, according to some sources, or back in Monselice, according to other (cf. P. Pelizzari, Nota biografica, in: A.F. Doni, “I Mondi e gli Inferni”, Torino, 1994, pp. LXIX-LXXXIV; and G. Masi, Appunti su Anton Francesco Doni e sull'edizione dei ‘Mondi' e degli ‘Inferni', in: “Filologia e Critica”, XXII, 1997, pp. 264-293).

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