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Venice, 1570. FIRST EDITION, (Venice, Grazioso Percacino), 1570. folio, 405 x 275 mm, 16 x 10¾ inches, engraved title with large architectural border including standing figures of the dedicatee, the emperor Maximilan II, four Virtues and four Sciences, 39 engravings in Book 2, mainly plans for fortresses, 20 are double page, 8 are single page and 11 are large engravings in the text, historiated initials, pages (64), 406, blank leaf at *4 present, lacking final blank 3B8, tables in the preliminary pages misbound so that a-c6 follows d6, e4, nothing is missing, bound in modern full blind panelled and decorated calf, raised bands, blind rules and blind motif in compartments to spine, gilt lettered morocco label, new endpapers. Title page slightly spotted in margins and a little dusty, small blind oval library stamp in upper margin, repeated at the top of most illustrations, some small wormholes to prelims, mainly to lower margin, a couple persisting to page 29, a little pale foxing to some margins, a few leaves lightly age browned, small ink stain in 1 margin, small pale damp stain to top outer corner of 22 leaves, another slightly larger affects same corner of last 16 leaves,10 mm (½ inch) closed tear to lower edge of 7 leaves, neatly repaired, upper and lower margins cropped on some double page illustrations just shaving edge of 2 of them. A very good sound copy of a scarce early Italian work on military fortifications. The Italian architect Galasso Alghisi (c. 1523-1573) from Carpi worked alongside Antonio da Sangallo in Rome before entering the service of the duke of Ferrara, where he was engaged in building a theatre in the ducal palace and possibly the bell tower of the Carthusian monastery. The work is divided into three books: methods of construction; building design; and selection of sites and suitable materials. Harvard, Italian 16th century books, page 19, No. 15; Cockle, Bibliography of Military Books, No. 778; Sotheby's Library of the Earls of Macclesfield, Part Ten, No. 3325. Images sent on request.

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