BERTOTTI SCAMOZZI, Ottavio - Lot 71

BERTOTTI SCAMOZZI, Ottavio Il Forestiere istruito delle cose più rare di architettura e di alcune pitture della città di Vicenza. Dialogo di Ottavio Bertotti Scamozzi dedicato al nob. Sig. Marchese Mario Capra Vicenza, Giovambattista Vendramini Mosca, 1761 REMARKABLE GUIDE TO VICENZA DESCRIBING, IN THE FORM OF A DEBATE BETWEEN TWO GENTLEMEN, THE MAIN PALLADIAN BUILDINGS, IN THEIR ARCHITECTURE AS WELL AS THEIR DECORATIONS AND PAINTINGS: "ASCENDIAMO, SIGNORE, CHE NE VEDETE PARECCHIE". SUPERB COPY, UNTRIMMED ORIGINAL EDITION In-4 (257 x 177 mm). Copper-engraved vignette printed on title page. Woodcut headbands, tailpieces and initials. ILLUSTRATION: frontispiece portrait of Marquis Mario Capra and 36 copper-engraved plates by Cristoforo Dall'Acqua after the author's drawings, including 31 fold-outs. With the beautiful engraving of Palladio's Teatro Olimpico. ITALIAN BINDING OF THE PERIOD. Contemporary paper boards, multicolored paper spine with handwritten title. Minor damage to spine This work brings together Palladio's most important buildings, with elevations, plans and views: "It is a guide book, written in dialogue form, describing for the most part Palladio's buildings in Vicenza" (Fowler). Described are the Basilica, the Villa Rotonda (three plates), the Villa Valmarana, Palladio's house, the Palazzo Chieregati, the Teatro Olimpico (three plates, including a superb interior view), and a number of churches. The dialogue also includes references to lighting, perspective, decoration and festivities. The interior decoration, paintings and works of art in each building are also described in detail. Buildings are measured in both Vicentine and English feet. This guide is particularly well-suited to the English community, so keen to discover the riches of Italy through the Grand Tour in the second half of the 18th century. The Italian architect Ottavio Bertotti Scamozzi (1719-1790) built several fine palaces near Vicenza and published a number of splendidly illustrated architectural works. Ottavio Bertotti Scamozzi was appreciated as one of the best cicerone by the cognoscendi of the Grand Tour. The dedicatee, Marquis Mario Capra, belonged to one of Vicenza's wealthiest families, and at the time owned the famous Villa Rotonda built by Palladio. BIBLIOGRAPHY : Fowler 43 -- Berlin Kat., 2709 -- Millard IV, 19 -- RIBA, Early Printed Books, 262