Zabaglia | Castelli e ponti, Rome, 1743, vellum

Zabaglia, Niccola

Castelli, e ponti... con alcune ingegnose pratiche, e con la descrizione del trasporto dell'Obelisco vaticano. Rome: Niccolò and Marco Pagliarini, 1743

folio (480 x 362mm.), title-page, preface and explanatory text for plates (on 21 folding letterpress sheets) in Italian and Latin, engraved portrait, engraved vignettes on title-pages, 54 plates (4 double-page), contemporary speckled vellum, portrait detached and slightly worn, some foxing and worming, binding somewhat worn, spine defective, text-block splitting

FIRST EDITION of this treatise on the history of the construction of Saint Peter's Basilica, demonstrating the technicalities of contemporary building practice. Zabaglia worked on the construction of the Basilica, and thanks to his talent for inventing machines to aid in the task, he achieved the status of engineer for the project. Here he illustrates his techniques, with the help of Giovanni Bottari and Lelio Cosatto. The plates also illustrate the achievement of Domenico Fontana in re-erecting the Vatican obelisk.

LITERATURE:

Rossetti 11489; BAL RIBA 3733; Cicognara 968