FALDA, Giovanni Battista (1648--1678)
[Nuovo teatro delle fabriche. Libri 1--3. 1665--1669]
Il nvovo teatro delle fabriche, et edificii, in prospettiva di Roma moderna, sotto il felice pontificato di N.S. Papa Alessandro VII. ... Libro primo ...
([Libro II:] Il secondo libro del' novo teatro delle fabriche, et edificii, fatte fare in Roma, e fuori di Roma ... Disegnate, in prospettiva et intagliate da Gio. Battista Falda ...
[Libro III:] Il terzo libro del' novo teatro delle chiese di Roma date in lvce sotto il felice pontificato di ... Clemente IX. Disegnate in prospettiva et intagliate da Gio. Battista Falda ...
[Roma]:, date in luce da Gio. Jacomo Rossi ([Libro II & III:] ... con direttione e cura di Gio. Jacomo Rossi),, 1665--[1669].
3 vols in 1 ; 38.7 cm. (2°)
I: 35 pl.
II: [17] pl.
III: 38 pl.

The engraved title-plate of Libro I bears the date 'j665' corresponding to the dedication plate which is dated that year and credits Falda as the draughtsman and engraver of the views. Libri II and III are undated, but probably first appeared by 1667 and 1669 respectively. The plates were reissued well into the eighteenth century with little or no change save the addition of plate numbers and the removal of the date from the title-plate of Libro I, and two further volumes were published: Libro IV, by Alessandro Specchi, 1699 and Libro V, by G.D. Campiglia, 1739; another copy of Falda's work, also in the Soane Museum, represents this later state (q.v.). BAL suggests that "[i]t would seem that the numbering (and hence ordering) of the plates did not take place until after 1699, and that, well into the eighteenth century, sets of unnumbered plates were bound up in random order." The Soane copy (i.e. copy 1) is printed on paper watermarked with a fleur-de-lys on hills between horizontally opposed letters A and N within a double-line circle; the plates of Libro II are unnumbered but those of Libri I and III are numbered, suggesting that if the supposition in BAL is correct, the present copy was likely issued after 1699. Fowler Cat. 116 (Libri I--III with the plates in unnumbered states) and BAL, Early printed books, no. 1019 (Libro I only, plates in unnumbered states).

Copy Notes Copy 1: Libri I--III only. With the plates in Libri I and III in numbered states and those in Libro II in unnumbered states, and with the plate of the 'Arsenale Del' Porto Di Civita Vecchia' from Libro II misbound at the end of Libro I. Inscribed on front free-endpaper 0/9/6 binding.
Copy 2: 23.4 x 37.1 (oblong 2°). Libro II only. With the plates in unnumbered states. Ownership signature and collector's stamp of Sir Joshua Reynolds on title-plate. Inscribed in ink on front paste-down in an earlier hand H_c(?) fò 17 leaves. The Binding an all and on upper cover 181.

Binding Copy 1: C19th half diced russia, marbled paper boards. Bound by Peter Low for 9s., 9 September 1805. (Spiers Box).
Copy 2: C18th quarter calf(?), marbled-paper boards, paper spine-label lettered in ink 'Roma - Fabriche in Roma'.

Reference Number 6541

Additional Names Reynolds, Sir Joshua (1723--1792) - Collections; Pope Alexander VII (Fabio Chigi 1599--1667)