Spartaco

A later nineteenth-century illustrated edition of Giovagnoli's celebrated historical novel on the life of Spartacus, first published in 1874 and quickly achieving canonical status within the patriotic and republican literary culture of post-unification Italy. The present edition is distinguished by its extensive cycle of narrative engravings by Nicola Sanesi, whose plates depicting gladiatorial scenes, senatorial debates, and episodes from the Servile War are among the best-known visual interpretations of Giovagnoli's text. With an engraved frontispiece portrait of Giovagnoli and numerous in-text wood-engraved illustrations by Cav. Nicola Sanesi; printed in double-column throughout. Contemporary half black calf over marbled boards, spine gilt-ruled in compartments with gilt title; marbled edges. light wear to binding; boards rubbed; foxing to frontispiece, title-page and intermittently throughout, as common; inner hinges sound though showing early signs of strain; leaves generally clean with wide margins, Italian text.…