742J. Virgil. born October 15, 70 BCE, Tranced by Annibal Caro 1507-1566.

L’Eneide di Virgilio, del commendatore Annibal Caro. Col Privilegio di N.S. & della Ser.ma Sig.ria di Venetia.

Venetia : Bernardo. Giunti & fratelli, M.D. LXXXI.1581

Price  $2,500

Title page of 'L'Eneide di Virgilio, del commendatore Annibal Caro', featuring decorative border, text in Italian, and the Giunti printing device with Medici coat of arms.

Quarto  20 x 14.5 Cm. Signatures: π⁴ A-Z⁸, Aa-Ll⁸ Mm⁶ +². First edition.  printer’s device of the Giunta brothers, Filippo and Jacopo (Medici coat of arms, below which is a cat holding an olive branch in his mouth, with motto “Amat victoria curam”) Bound in early limp vellum lacking ties with an interesting ownership stamp S.E.G. with a cathedral and three fleur-de-lys in an oval . 

This is the first edition of Caro’s canonical  translation of the Aenid, this translation came to dominate the market for Virgil in Italian, and thus becoming a  treasure of Italian literature.   Annibale’s nephew Lepido Caro wrote the dedication to Cardinal Farnese.  This translation of Virgil’s epic poem ‘Aeneid’ into Italian, is must-have for lovers of Italian epic poetry. His other translated works include Aristotle’s Rhetoric and Longus’ Daphnis and Chloe.

BM STC Italian, 1465-1600, p. 732; CCBE S. XVI; V, 1167; EDIT16; CNCE28541