Nela q[ua]l si cõtiene a che modi si debbe coltiuar la terra: semiare, iserire le alberi, gouernar gli giardini e li horti: la propieta de tutti frutti, & herbe: la natura de tutti gli aiali: & vccelli, cõe ampleme[n]te nela tauola p ordie posta si potra vedere. Cõposta p leccellentissimo dottor nela arti pietro Cresce[n]tio citadio di Bologna. Nouame[n]te cõ grãdissima fatica a la sua pristina forma restituita: e con diligenza STAMPATA. [Cólofon] in Venegia per Bernardino de Viano de Lexona Vercellese. Ne lãno. M. DXXXVIII. [1538].

In 8.º (15x10 cm). Col: 391 fólios.

Encadernação do século xix em pergaminho rígido ao gosto da época.

Ilustrado com tarja tipográfica na folha de rosto, gravura de página inteira com retrato do autor e capitulares xilográficas.

Exemplar com falta de 1 fólio branco entre o final do texto e o índice.

 Edition in Italian language of this important work book on farming and agriculture on agriculture which comprises gardens and vegetable production; and the proprieties of all fruits and herbs. Printed in Venice in 1538. In 8º (15x10 cm) with 391 folium. Binding: late 19th Century parchment. Typographical framework at title page; full-page engraving with the portrait of the author; and woodcut capital letters.

Copy missing a blank folio between last folio of text and the index.

Crescenzi who is one of the best writers of his time; and not possible to find a book of equal merit several centuries before or after its time.

The work consists of 12 parts covering the following subjects; 1st) Agriculture in general and the management of the household, layout of a manor and water supplies; 2); the nature of plants and the different fertilities of the soils; 3) the building of granaries and the cultivation of grains, including the crops from mays and rise, and their use and culture; 4) the wine and vineyards occupy a very long chapter with all needed information to wine making; 5) the chapter on fruits (edible and non-edible) contains the description of circa 63 trees; 6) gardens and plants: describing about 120 plants useful for medicine and nourishment, botanical properties of plants, and giving the recipes to the medicinal uses of plants; 7) meadows and woods; 8) pleasure gardens; 9) deal with cattle breeding, bee keeping and husbandry, diseases of animals, and domestic hygiene 10) breeding of pigeons and hunting with dogs and hawks 11) about the management of the farm and the rules to forward the productions according with the previous chapters 12) a schedule (tavola or almanac) as a memory for the annual tasks detailing everything that needs to be done monthly in the orchard, farm and field.

Pietro de' Crescenzi (circa 1230/35-circa 1320) was an Italian jurist from Bologna, best known as a writer on agriculture. Educated at the University of Bologna in logic, medicine, the natural sciences and law, he practiced as a lawyer and judge from about 1269 until 1299. After retiring to his villa, the Villa Olmo outside the walls of Bologna, he wrote this agricultural treatise based on classical and medieval sources, as well as in his own experience as a landowner. He was seventy years of age when he undertook to write, in Latin, this sort of Gentleman's Recreation or Maison Rustique, in twelve books, with information of all kinds likely to be of use of a farmer. After circulating in numerous manuscript copies, this treatise became the first printed modern text on agriculture when it was published in Augsburg in 1471, by Johann Schüssler. It became a very popular work, with some 57 editions in Latin, Italian, French, and German appearing during the following century. With woodcut title-border and decorative capital letters in woodcut in text. There is a cat and mouse device worked into the woodcut top border.

BM/STC 203; Adams C-2931.