Lettere di XIII huomini illustri. Nelle quali sono due libri di diversi altri autori, et il fiore di quante belle Lettere, che fin'hora si sono vedute; con molte del Bembo, del Navagero, del Fracastoro, del Manuzio, & di altri famosi Autori non più date in luce

8vo. (8) leaves, 768 pp. A-Z, AA-ZZ, Aaa-Ccc⁸. With the printer's device on the title-page. Contemporary limp vellum, old entry of ownership on the title-page: “Julij Camerasij Venasij”.

Basso, p. 179; Braida, p. 159; Edit 16, CNCE 24766.

THIS is a reprint (third edition) of Girolamo Ruscelli's re-use of Atanagi's Lettere di XIII huomini illustri (1554) with the addtion of two books (XIV and XV). It was first printed at Venice by Giordano Ziletti in 1556, and then again in 1560, 1561, 1563. In 1564 appeared an edition to which was added a second part with the Lettere di M. Vincentio Martelli, gentilhuomo fiorentino, nuovamente aggiunte. And in 1565 was published Porcacchi's edition in seventeen books .

In the present edition the dedication by Ruscelli to Tommaso de' Marini, a Genuese banker, dated Venice, June 7, 1556 is not signed. Ruscelli does not only not mention his indebtment to Atanagi, but also shows proud of the pretended superiority of his compilation and writes about his edition: “Sono sollecitato da molti a darlo fuori, ho voluto metter'anco insieme un volume, nel quale si riconosca con gli essempi tutto quello, che nel Trattato [del modo di scriver lettere (never published)] si divisa con le regole, & con i precetti, & così di tutte le lettere che fin qui si son vedute in confuso, & a fascio, come poco avanzo ho detto, io ho fatta una scelta di tutte le migliori, fattone un corpo di tutte insieme; & aggiungendovene molte...” (leaf A³r-v).

“Il quattordicesimo libro raccoglieva epistole di diversi autori, ‘scelte da tutti i libri fin qui stampati' e il quindicesimo includeva ‘lettere nuove, et non più stampate'. Il lettore che acquistava il volume edito da Ziletti non si procurava solo una riedizione della raccolta dell'Atanagi, ma aveva a disposizione 67 testi in più, di cui 26 nel quattordicesimo libro e 41 nel quindicesimo. Le 26 del quattordicesimo libro erano quasi tutte tratte dal primo e secondo libro delle Lettere volgari del Manuzio, e in gran parte presenti anche nella raccolta del Dolce del 1555. Poco note o del tutto sconosciute erano invece le epistole del quindicesimo libro, la maggior parte delle quali non erano mai state pubblicate. Emergevano qui due delle grandi passioni di Ruscelli, che affioravano attraverso una scelta di temi poco percorsi nelle antologie epistolari: la geografia e la descrizione di viaggi, un interesse che stava maturando perché lì da poco avrebbe edito la Geografia di Tolomeo (1561). Inseriva infatti numerose lettere il cui destinatario era Giovanni Battista Ramusio, geografo illustre, autore di Navigazioni e viaggi (1550-1559), un'opera in più volumi frutto dell'immenso lavoro di raccolta e traduzioni di relazioni dei grandi esploratori, pubblicate in un tempo molto vicino al periodo in cui le scoperte si erano verificate, tanto da influenzare la cartografia coeva e successiva. Il lettore, scorrendo quelle pagine, si imbatteva dovunque in una nuova e vivacissima rete di amicizie che si aggiungeva a quelle già conosciute attraverso i tredici libri dell'Atanagi. Del circolo di Ramusio facevano parte Pietro Bembo, Andrea Navagero, Girolamo Fracastoro, Raimondo e Giovanbattista della Torre, questi ultimi filosofi e astronomi conosciuti del geografo veneziano all'ateneo Padovano” (L. Braida, Libri di lettere. Le raccolte epistolari del Cinquecento tra inquietudini religiose e ‘buon volgare', Bari, 2009, pp. 155-156).

In Book I (pp. 1-38, letters by Ludovico Canossa), were omitted 10 letters (one to Margherita Pio Sanseverino, two to Giovanni Battista della Torre, two to Luigi Calino, one to M.L.C., one to Paolo Giustiniani, one to Giovanni Girolamo de' Rossi, one to Gasparo Contarini, and one to Alfonso d'Este), and one letter to Odet de Foix, count of Lautrec was added (p. 35).

In Book II (pp. 39-78, letters by Giovanni Battista Sanga), were omitted 8 letters: two to Giovanni Battista Montebuona, one to Uberto Gambara, one to Sebastiano d'Ancona, and 4 to Lorenzo Campeggio.

In Book III (pp. 79–119, letters by Giovanni Guidiccioni), six letters were omitted (two without recipient, one to M. Simone, one to Alessandro Passolini, one to Cesare Nobili, and one to M.G.G.), and two letters were added: one to Giovanni Castaldo (p. 102) and one to Francesco da Gambara (p. 104)

In Book IV (pp. 120-148, letters by Gian Matteo Giberti), three letters were omitted: one to Giovanni Francesco Bini and two to Giovanni Battista Mentebuona.

In Book V (pp. 149-178, letters by Francesco della Torre), two letters were omitted: one to Giovanni Francesco Bini and one to Carlo Gualteruzzi.

In Book VI (pp. 179-210) all the letters by Jacopo Sadoleto have been included.

In Book VII (pp. 211-249, letters by Nicolò Ardinghelli), only the last letter, that to the Duke of Calabria, was omitted.

In Book VIII (pp. 241-300), all the letters by Marco Antonio Flaminio have been replaced with letters by Paolo Manuzio, taken from the latter's Tre libri di lettere of 1556. Flaminio's letters were replaced for the first time in Lorenzini's edition of 1560. This was done because most of Flaminio's works were put on the Pauline Index of 1559:

Marcellus II. Venezia, Easter [April 14], 1555 (p. 241)

Cervini, Alessandro. Venezia, April 15, [1555] (p. 243)

[Elio, Antonio]. Venezia, May 4, 1555 (p. 244)

Cervini, Alessandro. Venezia, May 18, 1555 (p. 246)

Carnesecchi, Pietro. Venezia, May 14, 1555 (p. 250)

n.r. [Venezia, end of 1554] (p. 252)

Dolfin, Faustino. Venezia, December 23, 1554 (p. 253)

Dolfin, Girolamo. Venezia, January 12, 1554 (p. 256)

Formento, Giovanni. Venezia, March 29, 1555 (p. 259)

Ferrario, Ottaviano. Venezia, May 25, 1555 (p. 261)

Discorso intorno all'officio dell'oratore (p. 265)

Olivo, [Giambattista]. Venezia, May 13, 1555 (p. 275)

[Della Torre, Michele]. Venezia, March 16, 1555 (p. 277)

Santacroce, [Prospero]. Venezia, May 10, 1553 (p. 278)

Partenio, Bernardino. Venezia, May 20, 1555 (p. 280)

Castelvetro, Ludovico. Venezia, May 4, 1555 (p. 281)

Mocenigo, Luigi. Venezia, December 3, 1554 (p. 283)

[Pio, Rodolfo]. Venezia, December 15, [1556 a.] (p. 283)

Montalto, Giulio. Venezia, May 1, [1553] (p. 285)

Sigonio, Carlo. Bologna, August 10, 1555 (p. 288)

Gualteruzzi, Ugolino. Venezia, December 29, 1553 (p. 290)

Pantagato, Ottavio. Venezia, January 6, 1554 (p. 291)

id. Venezia, January 15, 1553 (p.292)

Carnesecchi, Pietro. Venezia, January 24, 1553 (p. 294)

Porto, Francesco. Venezia, January 25, [1554] (p. 295)

From Speroni, Sperone. Villa, February 26, 1554 (p. 296)

Speroni, Sperone. Venezia, March 3, 1554 (p. 297)

id. Venezia, April 29, 1555 (p. 299)

The following letters from Tre libri di lettere by Paolo Manuzio were not included in the present edition: Coccio, Francesco. Venezia, February 28, 1553 (l. 30v); [Merveille, Jean de]. Venezia, September 27, 1555 (l. 32r); Gualteruzzi, Ugolino. Venezia, April 15, 1553 (l. 33v); Carnesecchi, Pietro. Venezia, August 27, 1554 (l. 34v); Binardi, Giambattista. Venezia, September 7, 1553 (l. 35v); Gualdi, Filippo. Venezia, January 4, 1555 (l. 36r); Discorso intorno alle cinque parti dell'oratore (l. 36v).

In Book IX ( pp. 301-322) all the letters by Paolo Giovio have been included.

In Book X (pp. 323-346, letters by Bernardo Tasso), four letters were omitted: one to Bernardino Rota, one to Giovanni Angelo Papio, one to Galeazzo Riario, and one to Giovanni Antonio Serone.

In Book XI (pp. 347-376), all the letters by Annibal Caro have been included.

In Book XII (pp. 377-416), all the letters by Claudio Tolomei have been included.

In Book XIII (pp. 417-452), all the letters by Paolo Sadoleto have been included.

Book XIV (Lettere di diversi auttori illustri. Scelte da tutti i libri fin qui stampati:)

Contarini, Gaspare to Trifon Gabriele (p. 453)

Caro, Annibal to [Piccolomini], Marco Antonio. Serra San Quirico (p. 459)

Caro, Annibal to Arnolfini [Guidiccioni], Isabetta. Roma, [October 26, 1541] (p. 469)

Lorenzo de' Medici to Giovanni de' Medici. Firenze, [March, 1492] (p. 480)

Barbaro, Daniele to Badoer Federico (p. 486)

Guidiccioni, Giovanni to Trivulzio, Agostino. Aix-en-Provence, August 13, 1536 (p. 491)

Boccaccio, Giovanni to Rossi, Pindo de' (p. 499)

Boccaccio, Giovanni to Fiammetta [Maria d'Aquino]. Napoli, April 15, 1341 (p. 533)

Lollio, Alberto to Perinato, Ercole. Villa Lolliana, October 21, 1543 (p. 538)

[Colonna, Vittoria], Marquess of Pescara to [Chalon, Philibert de], Prince of Orange. [July, 1528] (p. 570)

[Colonna, Vittoria] to Contarini, Serafina. Viterbo, [August 23, 1542] (p. 572)

Marguerite de Navarre to Colonna, Vittoria. [1540] (p. 575)

Colonna, Vittoria to Maguerite de Navarre. [Roma, February 15, 1540] (p. 577)

Castiglione, Baldassare to [Avalos, Alfonso d'], Marquis of Vasto. Madrid, March 14, 1525 (p. 580)

id. to [Vittoria Colonna]. Madrid, March 21, 1525 (p. 581)

id. to [Landriani Cavazzi, Bianca], Countess Somaglia. Toledo, June 16, 1525 (p. 582)

id. to [Fioramonda, Ippolita], Marquess of Scaldasole. Toledo, June 21, 1525 (p. 584)

id. to [Colonna, Vittoria], Marquess of Pescara. Valladolid, August 25, 1522 (p. 585)

id. to id. Burgos, September 21, 1527 (p. 587)

Sannazaro, Jacopo to Michiel, Marco Antonio. Napoli (p. 559)

id. to id. Napoli (p. 592)

id. to id. Napoli (p. 593)

Mula, Marco Antonio to Capello, Bernardo. Venezia (p. 594)

Medici, [Giuliano] de' Cardinal to Canigiani, Lodovico. Roma (p. 601)

Vergerio, Aurelio to [Gonzaga], Giulia. Roma (p. 606)

id. to Aretino, Pietro. Roma, March 11, 1545 (p. 607)

Book XV (Nel quale sono tutte lettere nuove & non più stampate:)

Henry III, King of France to the Balia [government] of Siena. Rheims, October 17, 1552 (p. 609)

Girolamo [Vecchiani] da Pisa to Henry III, King of France. Isex, April 27, 1553 (p. 616, i.e 610)

Di Castro, Scipione to [Emanuele Filiberto], Duke of Savoy. London, January 15, 1555 (p. 618).

Erizzo, Sebastiano to Lando, Bassiano. Venezia, November 17, 1553 (p. 620)

id. to id. Venezia, March 4, 1552 (p. 625)

id. to G.G.M. (p. 627)

id. to Camozzi, Giovanni Battista. Venezia, December 31, 1549 (p. 636)

Della Rovere, Girolamo to Porcellaga, Aurelio. Padova, May 15, 1551 (p. 637)

Robortello, Francesco to Porcellaga, Aurelio. Padova, July 15, 1555 (p. 639)

Bembo, Pietro to Bembo, Giovanni Matteo. Padova, March 13, 1533 (p. 640)

id. to id. Roma, December 23, 1542 (p. 643)

id. to id. Roma, January 13, 1543 (p. 644)

id. to id. Padova, February 23, 1533 (p. 645)

id. to id. Roma, November 3, 1541 (p. 647)

id. to id. Padova, March 14, 1533 (p. 650)

id. to id. Roma, November 25, 1542 (p. 651)

id. to Ramusio, Giovanni Battista. Padova, October 19, 1530 (p. 653)

id. to id. Padova, July 7, 1532 (p. 654)

id. to id. Padova, January 21, 1535 (p. 656)

id. to id. Padova, March 10, 1536 (p. 658)

id. to id. Roma, March 5, 1541 (p. 659)

id. to id. Roma, July 31, 1546 (p. 660)

Navagero, Andrea to Ramusio, Giovanni Battista. Barcelona, May 5, 1525 (p. 661)

id. to id. Toledo, September 12, 1525 (p. 668)

id. to id. Toledo, February 20, 1526 (p. 675)

id. to id. Sevilla, May 12, 1526 (p. 676)

id. to id. Granada, May 31, 1526 (p. 686)

Fracastoro, Girolamo to Ramusio, Giovanni Battista. Verona, January 22, 1533 (p. 706)

id. to id. Verona, January 10, 1534 (p. 711)

id. to id. Verona, February 16, 1539 (p. 717)

id. to id. Verona, November 17, 1541 (p. 722)

id. to id. Verona, January 25, 1548 (p. 724)

id. to id. Verona, May 10, 1549 (p. 731)

id. to id. Verona, May 18, n.y. (p. 736)

id. to Paolo Ramusio. Verona, January 21, 1550 (p. 743)

Girolamo [Vecchiani] da Pisa to [Medici, Caterina de'], Queen of France. Lausanne, February 12, 1554 (p. 747)

Di Castro, Scipione to Giacomo da Pisa. London, April 12, 1556 (p. 749)

Corso, Rinaldo to Gambara, Veronica. Correggio, April, 1569 (p. 752)

Giustiniani, Giovanni to Canato, Bartolomeo. Venezia, May 13, 1556 (p. 759)

Contile, Luca to Di Castro, Scipione. Piacenza, January 26, 1555 (p. 764)

Di Castro, Scipione to Di Castro, Rodrigo. December 4, 1555 (p. 765)

Dionigi Atanagi was born in Cagli in the Duchy of Urbino. After receiving his early education in Perugia, he moved in 1532 to Rome, where he served as secretary to the prelate Giovanni Guidiccioni, made other influential friends, joined literary academies, and wrote poetry, some of which was published in the Versi et regole de la nuova poesia toscana (1539) edited by his friend Claudio Tolomei. The first fruit of his real vocation, that of editor, was the present collection De le lettere di tredici huomini illustri (1554). However, he spent twenty-five years in Rome striving in vain against the ill fortune, which (caused perhaps by his own faults) incessantly persecuted him. After the death of both, Guidiccioni and Tolomei, he left Rome in sickness and dejection. For a certain time he found a harbor in Pesaro at the court of Urbino revising Bernardo Tasso's Amadigi for the press. Because of the precarious state of his health he retired temporarily to his native Cagli. In 1559 he moved to Venice, no doubt in search of better publishing opportunities than those offered in Rome. In Venice he found a steady employment as secretary to the short-lived Accademia della Fama, which was dissolved in 1561, probably in prudent anticipation of a possible investigation by the Inquisition. He spent, with short interruptions at Cagli, the remainder of his life in Venice, earning a precarious livelihood by occasionally assisting literary amateurs in the preparation of their works for the press. He died in Venice and was buried in the church of San Luca beside Lodovico Dolce.

Atanagi's acquaintance with major literary figures all over Italy (for instance, Benedetto Varchi, Bernardo Cappello, Bernardo Tasso, Curzio Gonzaga, Domenico Vernier, Erasmo Valvassone, Francesco Patrizi, Giuseppe Betussi, Giovanni Battista Pigna, Girolamo Muzio, Girolamo Zoppio, Lodovico Dolce, Lodovico Domenichi, Luca Contile, Luigi Tansillo, Remigio Nannini, Scipione Ammirato, Sebastiano Erizzo, Tommaso Porcacchi, Torquato Tasso, Laura Battiferri, Laura Terracina and many others) enabled him to accomplish some ambitious editorial projects like the present one and, previously, the collection of poems in memory of Irene di Spilimbergo (Rime di diversi nobilissimi, et eccelentissimi autori, in morte della Signora Irene delle Signore di Spilimbergo, Venezia, 1561) (cf. A. Corsaro, Dionigi Atanagi e la silloge per Irene di Spilimbergo (Intorno alla formazione del giovane Tasso), in: “Italica”, 75/1, 1998, pp. 41-61; Dizionario biografico degli Italiani, Roma, 1962, IV, pp. 503-506; and G. Meyrat, Dionigi Atanagi e un esempio di petrarchismo nel Cinquecento, in: “Aevum”, LII, 1978, pp. 450-458).

Girolamo Ruscelli, of humble origins, was born in Viterbo and became one of the leading editors of the Cinquecento. He was first active in Rome, where he founded the Accademia dello Sdegno, and later settled in Venice working for such publishers as Sessa and Valgrisi. He was a friend of Bernardo and Torquato Tasso, Lodovico Dolce and Pietro Aretino, the last two were to become his rivals in several bitter controversies (cf. P. Trovato, Con ogni diligenza corretto: la stampa e le revisioni editoriali dei testi letterari italiani (1470-1570), Bologna, 1991, pp. 241-298; and B. Richardson, Print Culture in Renaissance Italy. The Editor and the Vernacular Text, 1470-1600, Cambridge, 1994, passim and p. 109).

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