Le Cose Volgari de Messer Francesco Petrarcha.

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Creator

Petrarch.

Title

Le Cose Volgari de Messer Francesco Petrarcha.

Coverage

Venice

Publisher

Aldus Manutius

Date

July 1501.

Description

This Petrarch is the first vernacular text printed in italic type and in the Portable Library format. Printed on goatskin vellum, the book contains two miniatures that have been ascribed to the Paduan artist Benedetto Bordone (1460–1531), who is likely the creator of the woodcuts in the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili as well. The verso of the titlepage depicts Apollo crowning Petrarch with a laurel wreath, beneath the arms of the Johnstone family, which have been painted over the Bembo family arms.

Source

From the collections of The Morgan Library & Museum.