"Itinerario de Ludovico de Varthema Bolognese" - Mecca / Middle East - Venice - 1518

Extremely early Italian edition of Varthema's Itinerario from 1518  - One the earliest travel narratives - No other Italian editions of this work published before 1520 are recorded in auction records for the past 50 years 

 "Itinerario de Ludovico de Varthema ne lo Egypto ne la Syria ne la Arabia deserta & felice ne la Persia ne la India: & ne la Ethiopia. La fede el vivere & costumi de tutte le prefate provincie. Novamente impresso."

Published in Venice on 20th December 1518 by Zorzi di Rusconi.

92 pages including index (complete): A-L8,M4. Octavo format in 18th Century vellum remboitage.

 Condition: title page with loss and around 3/4 has been replaced in facsimile. Textually complete with some marks, stains and paper losses. Binding remboitage.

Varthema was an Italian from Bologna who travelled to Asia visiting the Middle East, India and the Spice Islands from 1502-1507. He was the first European traveller to visit Mecca and described in detail the precious stones, spices, trade and landscapes of the East. On his return he published his account in 1510 in Rome. The well written narrative was popular and fascinated early readers with its descriptions of far away lands. Further editions were soon published in German, Latin and Spanish.

All early editions are rare, and this Italian edition was published in Venice by Zorzi di Rusconi in 1518. This is the 2nd Italian edition, 2nd Impression, and the 5th overall edition. Only 4 other copies are recorded in institutions on USTC of this edition (NYPL, Bodleian, Italy (Siena & Messina)). Other post-incunable editions including the 1511 Latin and the 1515/16 German editions sometimes appear on the market, but this is the earliest edition in the original language of Italian that has been on the market for a significant period.

No auction records of post-incunable (pre-1520) Italian editions since the 1960s. USTC 862067.

Summary of Early editions:

1510 1^st overall (1^st Italian) Ed. - (10 copies USTC – NYPL/UK/Spain/Italy)

1511 - 1^st Latin ed. (2^nd overall )

1515 – 1^st German (5 copies on USTC)

1516  - 1^st German (2nd impression) - (7 copies on USTC)

1517 – 1st Italian ed (2^nd Impression) – (2 known USTC – UK and Italy)

1517 – 2^nd Italian (1st impression) - (4 copies USTC – UK and Italy)

1518 – 2^nd Italian (2^nd Impression) -This copy plus 4 copies on USTC UK/Italy/NYPL