Marchi, Della architettura militare... libri tre, Brescia, 1599, vellum

MARCHI, FRANCESCO DE'

Della architettura militare... libri tre, Nelli quali si descrivono li veri modi, del fortificare, che si usa a' tempi moderni. Con un breve, et utile trattato, nel quale si dimostrano li modi del fabricar l'artigliaria, et la prattica di adoperarla. Brescia: C. Presegni, for Gasparo dall' Oglio, 1599

FIRST EDITION, large folio (417 x 306mm.), 160 (of 161) engraved architectural plans (one is blank), most double-page on guards (nos 137-142 are 2-to-a-page), including maps of Malta and the Tuscan Maremma, the chapters on versos (numbered 1-161), deletions on the engravings appearing as blank patches, undated additional title with woodcut Gonzaga arms and dedication to Vincenzo Gonzaga (1562-1612), engraved passe-partout, printer's device on title, woodcut ornaments, vellum boards, manuscript title to spine, lacking 2 engraved plans, nos 15 (blank) and 90 (89 is printed twice), 141/142 and 148 misprinted, 65 & 67 present but misplaced, 161 is misnumbered 30, trimmed to plate by the binder, new liners and flyleaves

Rare outside Italy; not traced in auction records. This is considered "the most comprehensive survey of the state of military architecture in the second half of the sixteenth century" (H. de La Croix, "The Literature of Fortification in Renaissance Italy", Technology and Culture 4 (1963), p. 42). De' Marchi was an experienced artilleryman and engineer; he wrote this between 1542 and 1565 but it was only published posthumously. Vauban utilised many of his designs and ideas.

LITERATURE:

Edit 16 36029 (for the dedication issue to Vincenzo Gonzaga see Edit16 65718)