9 - [AGRICULTURE] ALAMANNI, Luigi. *La Coltivatione*.

[AGRICULTURE] ALAMANNI, Luigi. *La Coltivatione*. Second Italian edition of this classic of Renaissance didactic and agricultural poetry, in a full binding signed by Thouvenin. Florence, Bernardo Giunti, 1549. In-12, full fawn calfskin, spine with raised bands accented by a dotted fillet, compartments adorned with gilt fillets and a central cold-stamped fleur-de-lis, quadruple gilt fillet enhanced with corner flowers on the covers, gilt interior lace, gilt roulette on the edges, gilt edges, preserved blank parchment covers. Binding signed by Thouvenin. 102 ff. and 2 unnumbered folios (printing completed and printer’s mark). Jaws and corners slightly rubbed, sun-faded mark on the lower cover, foxing on the first few pages, one leaf dislodged, restored (text damaged), and reattached. Second Italian edition. This famous poem in free verse was composed by Luigi Alamanni (1595–1556) during his exile. Forced to leave his country following a political intrigue under the Medici, the famous poet composed most of his works from France, including this *Coltivazione*, dedicated to King Francis I and first published in 1546 in Paris and Florence. Written in the style of Virgil’s *Georgics*, the work offers a brilliant translation of the precepts of Columella, Varro, and Pliny the Elder, as well as numerous didactic instructions on agriculture. The author thus blends poetic elegance with the ancient body of agronomic knowledge across six books covering the seasons, crops, gardens, and meteorology. A very fine copy in an elegant fawn calfskin binding by Joseph Thouvenin (1791–1834), a master bookbinder during the Restoration.