Alcionio, Medices legatus de exsilio, Venice, Aldus, 1522, contemporary calf

Alcionio, Pietro. Petri Alcyonii Medices legatus, de exsilio. (Venice: in the house of Aldo Manuzio & Andrea Torresano, November 1522)

De exsilio is a philosophical dialogue in two books set in the year 1512, put in the mouths of Giovanni de’ Medici (Legatus), soon to be elected pope Leo X; Giulio de’ Medici, the future pope Clement VII; and Lorenzo de’ Medici, duke of Urbino. It was dedicated to Nikolaus von Schönberg, Archbishop of Capua and close friend of Giulio, who in 1522 was living in Florence in temporary exile from the Roman curia. Alcionio (1487-1527) was patronized by Giulio, who procured for him the chair of Greek in Florence. When Giulio was elected as pope Clement VII the following year, Alcionio followed him to Rome.

4to (210 x 136 mm). Italic type, 36 lines plus headline. collation: a-h⁸ i⁶: 70 leaves, unfoliated (e7-8 at end of book I blank). Woodcut Aldine device on title-page and final verso, extensive early manuscript annotations (plausibly by Émile Perrot; see provenance). (Section at head of title-page restored and inscription crossed through. Small stain on last two leaves.)

binding: Contemporary French (presumably Paris) calf with blind fillets enclosing blind-tooled borders (215 x 140 mm), edges plain. (Rebacked, binding somewhat rubbed.) 

provenance: Émile Perrot (ca. 1505-1556), of Paris, inscription on inside front cover dated Padua, 1532 (he spent the years 1530-1533 in Padua) — Charles Perrot (1541-1608, son of Émile), inscription dated Bourges (biturigalis), 1559 — Claude Perrot, signature at end — obscured inscription at head of title-page dated Paris. acquisition: Purchased from Georges Heilbrun, Paris, 1973. references: UCLA 215; Adams A633; Cataldi Palau 83; Edit16 859; Renouard 95/6