Le antichita de la citta di Roma. (Contains Aldrovandi's first publication, an annotated inventory and location list of antique sculpture)

[Aldrovandi, Ulisse (1522-1605).] Mauro, Lucio. Le antichita de la citta di Roma. [24], 316pp. Venice: Giordano Ziletti, 1556. 149 x 97 mm. Old vellum, gilt-lettered leather spine label. Edges a bit spotted but very good. First Edition. Mauro's guidebook to the topography and antiquities of Rome is best known for its supplementary survey by the young Ulisse Aldrovandi of the region's antique sculpture. This survey, titled "Delle statue antiche che per tutta Roma in diversi luoghi . . . raccolte e descritte," has been called the first lengthy and detailed guidebook to the antiquities in the city of Rome; it represents a landmark in the scientific recording and documentation of works of art. It was also Aldrovandi's first publication. Though primarily remembered for his studies of natural history, Aldrovandi was also a classical scholar, well versed in the literature and archaeology of antiquity. His Delle statue antiche is one of the earliest works on statuary and sculpture in general, a topic treated by relatively few treatises. It is an essential work for documenting the sculpture gardens and collections of antiquities that existed in Rome in the mid-16th century, for reconstructing the contents and the appearance of individual collections, and for establishing the provenance and history of individual statues. . …