GIANNONE, Pietro (1676--1748)
Istoria civile del regno di Napoli di Pietro Giannone ... Con accrescimento di note, riflessioni, e medaglie, date e fatte dall'autore, e con moltissime correzioni e citazioni di nuovo aggiunte, che non si trovano in tutte le altre precedenti edizione. Prima edizione in ottavo. ...
Napoli (Place), nella stamperia di Giovanni Gravier,, 1770.
16 vols ; 17.9 cm. (8º)

Edited by Lionardo Panzini. First published in 1723 in 4 volumes quarto. Anti-clerical and critical of the Curia, it was put on the Index and the author imprisoned, but was widely read and translated. The English translation by James Ogilvie appeared in 1729--31. Tome XVI has title reading 'Indice Generale Degli Autori Citati, e delle Materie contenute Nella Istoria Civile Del Regno di Napoli di Pietro Giannone. Tomo Decimosesto.'. Title-pages printed within decorative frame. The plates have binding directions for the quarto and octavo volumes.

Copy Notes Uniformly bound to form a 19-volume set with the Opere postume di Pietro Giannone, 1773 (q.v.), the first volume of which bears the ownership inscription of Sir William Molesworth, 6th Baronet (1758--1798) who was in Naples in winter 1778, and a member of Thomas Pitt's party in whose company Soane visited Pompeii in January 1779. The set evidently came into Soane's possession by gift or purchase no later than August 1779, when a note on the endpaper of his sketchbook 'Notes Italy and Italian Language' (SM Vol 162) records that '19 vol of Gianelli's History of Naples' was 'Sent to England in Mr. Burdon's Box' with '6 vol. of Stern's Sermons' (q.v.). See P. de la Ruffinière du Prey, John Soane's architectural education (New York and London 1977), pp. 173--179, 239.

Binding C18th Italian vellum, gilt-tooled and red- and black-stained spine-title and volume number compartments.

Reference Number 1365

Additional Names Panzini, Lionardo; Molesworth, William