PLINIUS SECUNDUS, Gaius. Historia Naturale di C. Plinio Secondo tradocta di lingua latina in fiorentina per Christophoro Landino al Serenissimo Ferdinando Re di Napoli.
Venice, Bartholomaeus de Zanis, 12 September 1489
Large folio. 302x214 mm. 17th-century binding in soft parchment. 259 unnumbered pages (of 260). The blank page a1 is missing. Collation: a12 b–q8 r–s6 A–N8 O–P6. Roman type, text in two columns, 60 lines plus the title. Spaces reserved for initials, with guide letters. Title on l. a2r. Colophon on leaf 260: "Finisse il Libro chiamato Plinio. Vulgare Impresso in Venesia per Bartolamio de Zani de Portesio nell anno della Natiuita del nostro Signore Iesu Christo Mcccclxxxix. adi. xii. di Septembre. Finis." Handwritten annotation on the flyleaf and heraldic bookplate at the foot of final leaf by Abbot Lodovico Baratti. Internal tear repaired in a2, a few scattered marginal stains. Binding slightly damaged and dirty, pen marks on the covers.
Third edition of Landino's Italian translation of Pliny's Natural History. Pliny's work consists of 37 books, the first of which includes a preface, an index, and a list of sources used, which includes more than a hundred ancient authors. The work then deals with astronomy, physics, and earth sciences (books II-VI), natural sciences (VII-XXXII), and materials and art (XXXIII-XXXVII). In 1474, Landino was commissioned by Ferdinand of Aragon, King of Naples, to write a vernacular version of Pliny's work, which the humanist produced with a strong Florentine linguistic component, especially in the rendering of the names of plants and animals. The first edition was printed for the first time in 1476 by Nicolas Jenson, while in 1481 only the first book of the work had been published.
PMM 5; BMC V 431 (IB. 23218); Goff P803; GW M34345; Dibner 75; ISTC ip00803000.