Title from the general half-title in volume I only; imprint from volume I title page. The first three volumes have title-pages reading: La divina commedia di Dante Alighieri con varie annotazioni, e copiosi rami adornata. ... Tomo primo (- terzo); the fourth volume is dated 1758, and is in two parts with title-pages reading: Prose, e rime liriche edite, ed inedite di Dante Alighieri, con copiose ed erudite aggiunte, siccome dalla premessa prefazione apparisce. Tomo quarto. Parte prima (seconda). This is the first collected edition ever published of all of Dante's works, and the only illustrated edition of the Divina commedia since the early seventeenth century. The engraved portraits in vol. I are of the Empress Elizabeth of Russia (to whom the work is dedicated by Don Cristoforo Zapata de Cisneros on the title-pages of volumes I--III) and of Dante himself. Each canto of the Divina commedia is preceded by a plate and by an engraved head-piece containing the argument of the canto by G. Gozzi enclosed in an ornamental border, and followed by scholarly commentary by Giovanni Antonio Volpi or P. Pompeo Venturi. The engraved plates are by M.A. Chiavonio, B. Crivellari, F. Fontebasso, F. Giampicoli, G. Leonardis, F. Magnini, F. Marcaggi, Novelli, F. Rizzi, M.A. Schiavoni, or G. Zompini. There are extensive illustrative vignettes in the texts. With the 'Catalogo De' Signori Associati' at the end of vol. I, and additional subscribers' names at the end of volumes II and III. See T.W. Koch, Catalogue of the Dante Collection, Cornell University Library (Ithaca, N.Y., 1898--1900), v. I, 1; M.D. Sánchez-Jáuregui and Scott Wilcox (eds.), The English prize: the capture of the Westmorland, an episode of the grand tour (New Haven 2012), pp. 249--50, no. 86.

Copy Notes Inscribed in pencil on front free-endpaper 5 vols 5=10=- / Collated & Perfect.

Binding C18th Italian vellum laced case binding, gilt-tooled spine and lettering, red sprinkled-paper pastedowns.

Reference Number 3883

Additional Names Zapata De Cisneros, Cristoforo, Count; Berti, Giovanni Lorenzo (1696--1766); Bruni, Leonardo (1369--1444); Crescimbeni, Giovanni Mario (1663--1728); Gozzi, Gasparo, conte (1713--1786); Pelli Bencivenni, Giuseppe (1729--1808); Rosa Morando, Filippo (1732--1757); Venturi, Pompeo (1693--1753); Volpi, Gio. Antonio (1686--1766); La divina commedia di Dante Alighieri con varie annotazioni, e copiosi rami adornata; Prose, e rime liriche edite, ed inedite di Dante Alighieri