RARE ELEGANT EDITION OF THIS COLLECTION OF ORDINANCES RELATING TO THE TERRIBLE PLAGUE THAT STRUCK THE CITY OF MESSINA IN 1743

Broggia, Carlo Antonio - La Placa, Pietro (Senato Palermitano - Suprema deputazione generale di salute pubblica). Governo generale di Sanità  del Regno di Sicilia, e instruzioni del lazzaretto della città  di Messina, per comandamento di s. r. m. disposti dalla suprema, e generale Diputazione alla salute e con la regale approvazione. [...] con la Pratica degli statuti formati nell'occasion della peste di Messina dell'anno 1743. Riordinati da Pietro la Placa [...]. In Palermo: nella Nuova Stamperielegant a de' SS. Appostoli presso Pietro Bentivenga, 1749.

Folio (328x224 mm), contemporary full vellum binding, with gilt title on a leather label at spine; pp. [8], LX, XXXIII, 236.
Beautiful and large chalcographic head- and final-pieces, and historiated initials, engraved by Orlando on drawings by Randazzo and Trisca.

Rare edition, printed with great elegance on distinguished paper, of this collection of ordinances relating to the terrible plague that struck the city of Messina in 1743.
That plague had halved the population, at the very beginning of the new regency by the Bourbon, who had returned to the harbor the old exemptions, giving a new impetus to the fragile local economy.
The work is attributed to Carlo Antonio Broggia (see: Melzi, Dizz. anon.), but was collected and published by the historian La Placa from Palermo.

The work is divided into three parts: the first part is a summary of the regulations and implemented ways to contain the spread of the epidemic in Messina during the centuries. The second part and the third instead report the documents relating to the establishment of the Supreme Magistrate (1575), which at that time had full powers, and all orders issued from 1743 on these occasions, as well as various documents, letters and the General Statutes for magistrates of the public health of the Kingdom of Sicily: these are provisions for purging of goods, fraud in health care licenses, information for sea quarantine hospitals, ships arriving from outside the kingdom etc.

References: IT\ICCU\SBLE\010157 (8 copies). OCLC, 14330174 (1 copy in UK and 1 copy in USA), 493996279 (1 copy in France) and 804679304 (1 copy in Spain). Cat. Senato IV, 275-276; Narbone II, 165; Manca a Mira e Lozzi.

Presence of some ink spots at boards, but genuine wonderful copy printed in strong paper with wide margins, very fresh. A fine copy.