Blaeu, Nieuw Stedeboeck van Italien (Piemont), The Hague, 1724-1725, 8 volumes, marbled calf gilt

Johannes Blaeu

A magnificent set of Blaeu's townbooks of Italy and Piedmont, in 8 volumes, comprising:

Nieuw vermeerderd en verbeterd Groot Stedeboek van geheel Italie, of naauwkeurige beschryving van alle deszelfs steden, paleizen, kerken, en voornaamste gebouwen, enz. The Hague: Rutgert Christoph Alberts, 1724, 4 volumes, 283 engraved maps and plates

Nieuw vermeerderd en verbeterd Groot Stedeboek van Piemont en van Savoye, of naauwkeurige beschryving van derzelver steden, paleizen, kerken, en voornaamste gebouwen, enz. The Hague: Rutgert Christoph Alberts, 1725, 4 volumes, 141 engraved maps and plates

together 8 volumes, folio (536 x 322mm.), engraved frontispiece in each volume, titles printed in red and black with engraved monogram, list of subscribers, near-uniform contemporary marbled calf gilt with gilt arabesque centrepieces (on the Italy books the centrepiece has the initials CVM, on the Savoy books the monogram HB), spines gilt in compartments (with slightly different tools on each set of volumes) with navy morocco lettering-pieces, blue speckled edges, extremities very slightly rubbed with some small repairs to corners and ends of spines, a few small wormholes in bindings, small scrape to lower cover of Piemonte vol.4

AN ATTRACTIVE SET OF TOWN BOOKS, constituting the complete works on Italy, Piedmont and Savoy by Blaeu and his heirs. As well as maps and plans, the volumes contain bird's-eye views, topographical views, and plates of monuments and architectural features and elevations.

LITERATURE:

Koeman 43:232 & 43:331