La secchia rapita poema eroicomico di Alessandro Tassoni patrizio modenese, colle dichiarazioni di Gaspare Salviani romano, s'aggiungono la prefazione, e le annotazioni di Giannandrea Barotti ferrarese; le varie lezioni de' testi a penna, e di molte edizioni; e la vita del poeta composta da Lodovico Antonio Muratori [...]

LUXURY COPY WITH THE PLATES PRINTED IN LIGHT BLUE INK

4to (271x213 mm). LX, 92, 489, [3: errata and full-page woodcut showing the main city tower called “Ghirlandina”] pp. With frontispiece, author's portrait, 12 plates (one for each canto), 2 folding maps by Domenico Vandelli (Tavola geografica del Modenese and Tavola geografica del Padovano, e Romagna), 1 folding plate depicting the chariot of the Modenesi called “Carroccio”, 1 folding genealogical table, and 1 folding plate showing a Tassoni's handwriting sample. The plates are engraved by F. Zucchi, A. Bolzoni, G. Cantarelli, G. Benedetti, B. Bonvicini and A. Zuliani after D.M. Fratta, F. Villani and others. Title page printed in red and black. Contemporary stiff vellum, lettering piece on spine (worn), red sprinkled edges (binding slightly rubbed and stained). On the front pastedown “ex-libris Dinae Soli Muratori” celebrating the anniversary of Antonio Muratori's death (1750-1950); on the half title ownership inscription “di me Pietro Gibertini”; on title page another inscription completely inked out. Some foxing, inner margin of several leaves anciently reinforced, occasional signs of wear and marginal tear, tears (partly restored) to the folding plates with no loss, all in all a good copy with all the plates (including also some initials, head- and tail-pieces) printed in light blue ink.

Beautifully illustrated edition of Tassoni's poem, accompanied by splendid copper engravings and the critical apparatus of Gaspare Salviani and Giovanni Andrea Barotti.

The first edition of the Secchia printed in Modena, Tassoni's hometown, was that edited by Antonio Capponi in 1700, almost 80 years after the first Paris edition of 1622. The Capponi edition did not only appear very late but was also extremely incorrect, so in the Modena's cultural circles, dominated at the time by the charismatic figure of L.A. Muratori, the need was felt to urgently fill this gap by publishing an edition that was both philologically correct and typographically outstanding as a homage of the city's elite to the memory of Tassoni. “In this context, the three editions by Bartolomeo Soliani, [the 24mo edition of 1743 and the 4to and 8vo editions of 1744], constituted a major publishing event. Preceded by a long preparatory work, they filled an almost secular gap and, responding to a deeply felt cultural need, they fulfilled the twofold task of proposing a philologically accurate text -the one commissioned by Urban VIII- and offering, at least in two of them, a first-rate series of illustrations” (P. Puliatti, Bibliografia di Alessandro Tassoni, Florence, 1969, p. 184).

The text was edited by G.A. Barotti (1701-1772), who used the revised text of the second Ronciglione edition, printed in 1624 in accordance with the dictates of Urban VIII, collating it with the manuscripts and other editions. In the preface he outlines a brief history of the composition of the Secchia, for the first time indicating 1614 as the postquem date for the beginning of the composition. In the notes at the end he points out facts and figures from the poet's time and makes learned linguistic observations, recalling the poem's sources. The text he prepared was used for all three Soliani editions (cf. D.B.I., VI, pp. 486-487).

An epic poem written in octaves and spanning twelve books, La Secchia Rapita tells of the war that broke out between Bologna and Modena, as a result of the theft by the Modenese, called ‘Gemignani' after the name of their patron saint, of a moth-eaten bucket belonging to the ‘Petroniani', i.e. the Bolognesi. Homer's entire Olympus takes part in the war, siding with one town or the other. Ridiculous figures like the bully Count of Culagna and boastful womanizer Cavalier Titta complete the satirical poem, which mocks the secular and often futile rivalries between Italian cities.

Alessandro Tassoni was born in Modena in 1565 into a noble family, but was orphaned at an early age. He studied in Bologna, Ferrara and Pisa, then in 1599 he entered the service of Cardinal Ascanio Colonna. Between 1600 and 1603, Tassoni followed him to Spain. Back in Italy, he lived mainly in Rome as an ambassador of Charles Emmanuel I of Savoy. In 1618 he was called to Turin to carry out the duties of secretary. In 1621 he retired from the post and from court life altogether, but in 1626 he entered the service of Cardinal Ludovisi. From 1632 to his death, Tassoni lived at the court of Francis I, Duke of Modena (cf. P. Puliatti, Op. cit., pp. 162-191).

Puliatti, Op. cit., no. 128. Gamba, no. 2097.

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