SPOLVERINI, Giambattista (1695-1762). La coltivazione... Lot 103

SPOLVERINI, Giambattista (1695-1762). La coltivazione del riso. Verona: Carattoni, 1758. First edition of this poem on the cultivation of rice, appreciated by both Leopardi and Pindemonte. The work's typographical elegance is further enriched by vignettes and initials by Domenico Cunego after drawings by Francesco Lorenzi, a pupil of Tiepolo and Piazzetta. The work deals extensively with the quality of the soil, the sowing of rice, irrigation methods, and the various stages of processing the grain, from harvesting to marketing. ''It cost the poet twenty years of study.'' Gamba 2452; Brunet V, 498. 4to, (300 x 216mm). Allegorical frontispiece, portrait of the dedicatee Elisabetta Farnese, numerous engraved vignettes and initials. An uncut, wide-margined copy, printed on strong paper (some wear). Contemporary rustic paper binding. (1)