Orlando furioso [...], ornato di varie figure, con cinque canti d'un nuovo libro, & altre stanze del medesimo, nuovamente aggiunti: con belle allegorie: & nel fine, vna breve espositione de gli oscuri vocaboli: con la tavola di tutto quello che nell'opera si contiene

4to (249x156 mm). 508, [44] pp. Collation: A-Z8 Aa-Ll8 Mm4. Printer's device on title page and ll. Ff1r, Kk1r, and Mm4r. Leaf Ii8 is a blank. Colophon on l. Ii7v. Text printed in two columns, italic and roman type. With a woodcut architectural title page, numerous decorated initials, and 52 woodcut vignettes printed at the beginning of every book of the poem and the final stanza. On l. Ff1r Gli Cinque canti opens with a separate title page; on l. Kk1r Le sposizione di tutti i vocaboli […] raccolte da M. Lodovico Dolce begins, likewise with a separate title page. Contemporary Lyonnaise binding in richly gilt-tooled light brown morocco, flat spine, panels with large gilt-stamped centre- and corner-pieces, gilt and gauffered edges (skillfully restored, lower joint slightly cracked). On l. A2r the ownership inscription “Juris Consulti D. Joseph Lishri [?]”; on the last back flyleaf the manuscript note “Respize”. Upper margin of l. Ff1 repaired, some staining, slightly and uniformly browned, small round wormhole to the lower margin in the first half of the volume, not affecting the text. A good copy ruled in red throughout. Preserved in a cloth box.
FIRST ITALIAN-LANGUAGE EDITION PRINTED IN FRANCE of Ariosto's poem. In the same year Faure-Honorat also issued an 8vo edition and Rouillé an edition in 16mo. The Furioso had previously been printed in Paris and Lyons only in its French and Spanish translations.
The significant production of Italian books that came out of French presses in the 1540s and 1550s were intended not only for Italians residing in France, but also the many French speakers who had learned Italian over the course of war, study, or business, including many impressive noblewomen (cf. J. Balsamo, L'italianisme lyonnais et l'illustration de la langue française, in: “Lyon et l'illustration de la langue française à la Renaissance”, Lyon, 2003, pp. 211-229).
Agnelli-Ravegnani, I, pp. 102-103; Baudrier, IV, pp. 168-170; Index Aureliensis, 107.469; N. Bingen, Le Maître italien (1510-1660): bibliographie des ouvrages d'enseignement de la langue italienne destinés au public de langue française, Bruxelles, 1987, p. 270.