Beschreibung:

STATUTA-- Statuti Communis Veronae . Vicenza: Hermannus Liechtenstein (Levilapis), 20 December 1475. Super-chancery 2° (302 x 213 mm). Collation: A-D 10 E-F 8 G-H 10 I 8 K 6 a-e 10 f-g 8 h-i 10 k 8 l 6 (A1 blank, A2r proemium, dated "in cancellaria communis Veronae, xiii kl. septembris...1450", A4v table Book I, A7v Book I, De honorifico introitu domini potestatis , E7v two rescripts of Doge Pasquale Malipiero, dated 3 February 1457 and 28 March 1458, E8r table Book II, F3r Book II, a1r table Book III, a3r Book III, De criminalibus causis , c3r additional (unnumbered) statutes ( reformationes ), dated 1458, 1468, 1469 and 1466, c7r table Book IV, c10v Book IV, g7r table Book V, h2r Book V, k8r various privilegia, l7v colophon, l8 blank). 188 leaves (of 190, without the first and final blanks). 39-40 lines and headlines (book numbers), section numbers printed in margins. Type 2:114R. 9-, 8- and 7-line spaces for the six opening initials, 3-line initial spaces elsewhere. Opening initials finely illuminated by a contemporary Italian artist in gold with interlacing white-vine on blue, red and green grounds with white tracery, outlined in red ink, A2r with 3 gold bezant ornaments in inner margin and in lower margin the painted armorial shield of the Bonasuti family on blue ground within green wreath and with red ribbon flourishes; the smaller initials in alternating red and blue (or black on fols. b7r-b10r), many with white highlighting. (Soiling to first leaf, occasional marginal soiling elsewhere, some minor marginal dampstaining mostly in second half, old patch-repairs to lower blank margins of 5 leaves, very small wormhole through first 3 leaves, occasional showthrough of initials.) 16th- or 17th-century vellum over pasteboard, two pairs of tawed leather ties, title inscribed on upper cover and spine in an 18th-century hand (backstrip partially worn exposing stitching, outer joints split, lacking ties, sewing of last few quires loose at tail); modern russet morocco folding case. Provenance : Bonasuti family of Verona, illuminated armorial shield as above; one or two later marginalia. FIRST PRINTED EDITION OF THE STATUTES OF VERONA. The prologue contains an historical sketch of the city, an enumeration of her most important monuments, and a panegyric to her beauties and the rectitude of her citizens. Hermannus Liechtenstein, the second printer of Vicenza and like his predecessor there a native of Cologne, began his career as printer in Vicenza, printing a few books in Treviso in 1477, returning to Vicenza, and finally settling in Venice. This edition of the Statutes of Verona, which was commissioned by the five brothers named in the colophon as citizens of that city, was the fourth and most important of the dozen or so books issued from Liechtenstein's Vicenza press. HC 10000; BMC VII, 1036 (IB. 31754); CIBN S-412; IGI 10247; Oates 2674; Pellechet 10712; Proctor 7141; Goff S-726.