[Italy] Guicciardini, Francesco. La Historia D'Italia. Appresso Gabriel Giolito, Venice, 1568 (col. : 1567).4to. lxxx 819 xxiv 173 (i) pp., early full calf, raised bands, two leather labels and gilt designs in compartments, roll-tool gilt design at edges of covers, marbled endpapers, text in twenty parts with separate title page for last four parts, beautiful woodcut engraving on both title pages, numerous head and tail pieces throughout book, numerous woodcut initials, first complete edition with all 20 books, published in Venice by same publisher as first edition. First full edition: initially published in Florence 1561 in octavo and folio for the first portion of text and second part issued by Giolito in Venice earlier in 1567.Francesco Guicciardini was a noted writer of Italian political history in the 16th century. His use of government documents to help write his history was an advance in historiography. Guicciardini served Florence as an ambassador to the Papal States, the court of Ferdinand of Spain, and was active with the Medici regime. Guicciardini wrote the history of Italy for posterity. His analysis and interweaving of political dynamics gives the work lasting relevance. Moderate wear, joints cracked, missing segments from both spine labels, gilt dull, text still firm, slightly trimmed when bound, still extremely clean with brief aging, first title page neatly rebacked.

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