Gorgeous contemporary panel-stamped binding, Il Petrarca, 1564

PETRARCA, Francesco. Il Petrarca con nuove spositioni nelle quali, oltre l’altre cose, si dimostra qual fusse il vero giorno et l’hora del suo innamoramento.
Lyon: Guillaume Rouillé, 1564

Description:
This is the sixth edition of Il Petrarca con nuove spositioni, published in Lyon in 1564 by Guillaume Rouillé. It is distinguished by its contemporary Italian brown morocco panel-stamped binding, which displays evidence of censorship from the period of the Reformation and Counter-Reformation.

The volume notably includes Petrarch’s “Babylonian Sonnets,” such as Fiamma dal Ciel, L’ava Babilonia, and Fontana di dolore. These sonnets have been censored with ink, resulting in ink burns across the affected pages. The sonnets themselves contain virulent denunciations of the Avignon papacy, which were read as attacks on the Roman papacy; references include “l’avara Babilonia,” “Babilonia falsa et ria,” “nido di tradimenti,” “fontana di dolore,” “scola d’errori,” and “templo d’eresia.” The inclusion of these sonnets coincided with their appearance on the 1557 Roman Index printed by Antonio Blado, and subsequent editions from 1559 onward show efforts to suppress their circulation.

The second part of the work, the “Tavola di tutte le rime de i sonetti e canzoni del Petrarca,” signed a–t8, is absent from this copy. The book contains a woodcut portrait of Petrarch and Laura on verso of a8, along with woodcut illustrations, initials, head- and tailpieces, and the prominent printer’s device on the title page.

The binding is an early Italian panel-stamped morocco, approximately 128 x 80 mm, decorated with repeated leaf motifs and interlaced leafy forms. The upper cover bears a central oval with the initials “M.D.S.” arranged vertically, while the lower cover displays a crowned lion. The spine has four bands, with leaf rolls in compartments. The binding shows signs of repair, including old spine end and corner mends, with some spine cracking at the head, missing ties, and upper endleaves replaced.

The provenance includes the initials “M.D.S.” on the binding, a partially erased inscription reading “… di Bergamo” on the title, and additional inscriptions related to Tammaro De Marinis (noted bibliophile and collector, exhibited at Florence in 1922, and sold at auction in 1925). The volume was purchased in 2001 from Sokol Books, London.

Physical Details:
8vo; 122x 72mm;  336 leaves, collating *8 *8 a-z8 A-R8 (final leaves blank). The text is set in roman and italic types, with woodcut initials, illustrations, and a printer’s device. The volume exhibits censorship through ink burns, with some light browning and dampstaining primarily at the head of initial quires. The binding features old repairs and signs of age but remains sturdy.

References:
CNCE 30185; von Gültlingen X: 599; Ley, No. 262a; Stallybrass, 2016.

This volume offers a fascinating study of Petrarch’s poetry, the censorship practices of the 16th century, and Renaissance bookbinding craftsmanship—highlighting the complex interplay between literary expression and ecclesiastical authority.