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

Post-Incunable edition of Varthema in the Original Italian Language

 "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.”

“The Journey of Ludovico de Varthema to Egypt, Syria, Arabia, Persia, India, and Ethiopia describing their Religion and Customs”

-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. Modern Case.

 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. His journey was one of the most significant travel accounts of the renaissance period and was well received by contemporary audiences. It was one of the first “accurate” accounts to reach a wide audience, replacing earlier Mediaeval narratives by John Mandeville,  Marco Polo and others, which had mixed fact and fiction.

 During his journey, Varthema described in detail the precious stones, spices, trade and landscapes of the East. He was the first European traveller to visit Mecca, describing its beauty and religious significance. In India, he described the grand processions and the differences between European and Indian customs in religion and day to day life. His description of the caste system is one of the earliest accounts of this by a European. In Ethiopia, he was struck by the distinctive form of Christianity and their subterranean Rock Churches. In Persia he was impressed by the grandeur and sophistication of the Shah’s court.

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.

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 has been recorded in auction records for the past 50 years 

USTC 862067

£65,000

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