MERCURIALE Gerolamo - Artis Gymnasticae apud antiquos celeberrimae, nostris temporibus ignoratae, Libri sex. In quibus exercitationum omnium vetustarum, genera, loca, modi, facultates & quicquid denique ad corporis humani exercitationes pertinet, diligenter explicatur...
Venezia, Giunta, 1569.

4to mm. 215 x 160; Contemporary full vellum binding; 20 leaves nn, 120 leaves 1 plate. Printer’s device of Giunti on title page and the verso of the last leaf. One copper plate out text depicting a roman gym second Vitruvius.

First edition. Garrison-Morton: “One of the earliest books to discuss the therapeutic value of gymnastics and sports generally for the cure of disease and disability, and an important study of gymnastics in the ancient world”. The folded plate out depicting the plan of a Roman gymnasium according to Vitruvius. Mercuriale studied the classical and medical literature of the Greeks and Romans. His studies of the attitudes of the ancients toward diet, exercise and hygiene and the use of natural methods for the cure of disease culminated in the publication of his De Arte Gymnasticae. With its explanations concerning the principles of physical therapy, it is considered the first book on sports medicine. Dark spot on the upper right corner, stamp of extinct libraries on title page.

Wellcome, I, n. 4223; Garrison-Morton 1986.1; Durling 3087.