Lot 66: ALBERTI, Leon Battista (1404-1472). L'Architettura . Venice: Francesco Franceschi Sanese, 1565. 4° (209 x 157mm). Title within a woodcut historiated border with portrait on verso, woodcuts, one folding plate. (Title and A2-A3 remargined,

ALBERTI, Leon Battista (1404-1472). L'Architettura. Venice: Francesco Franceschi Sanese, 1565. 4° (209 x 157mm). Title within a woodcut historiated border with portrait on verso, woodcuts, one folding plate. (Title and A2-A3 remargined, folding plate stained with a few small tears causing partial loss of caption, marginal worming in first half of the book, causing slight loss to title and first few leaves, some browning, staining and spotting.) Early vellum, manuscript title on spine (stained, corners bumped, two small wormholes on spine). Provenance: Gasparo Villamagna (extensive early annotations and erased ownership inscription on title).

SECOND EDITION. The work was first published in 1550 in Florence, but this Venetian edition is considered superior as being more complete (Gamba). Also in 1565, another edition was published by Torrentino in Mondovi; the present edition appears to pre-date that of Mondovi by a few months, according to the date of the dedication. Cicognara 375; Gamba 1186; Fowler 9; RIBA 54.