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Giuseppe d'Alessandro (1656-1715). Titelblatt: "OPERA / DI / D. GIUSEPPE / D'ALESSANDRO / DUCA DI PESCHIOLANCIANO / Divisa in cinque Libri. / Ne' quali si tratta delle regole di Cavalcare, della Professione / di Spada, ed altri Esercizj d'Armi, con figure di Briglie, / Torni, e Bisce, ed altro a ciò appartenente: / Con un Trattato del modo di curare l'infermita de' Cavalli, / loro preservativi, e diverse notizie circa li medesimi, / ed ancora con le figure de' Merchi delle Razze più / nobili del Regno di Napoli / Parimente con l'aggiunta d'alcune Rime, Lettere, / e Trattati di Fisonomia, Pittura, e c. / DATA IN LUCE / DA D. ETTORE D'ALESSANDRO / DUCA DI PESCHIOLANCIANO." [Pubblicazione] "In Napoli [Neapel 1723]. Nella Stampa, e Gettaria, ove si fondono nuovi Caratteri di Antonio Muzio / Erede di Michele Luigi. Kollation: Titelblatt, 1 gestochenes Porträt-Frontispiz (Karl VI.), 3 Blätter, 466 S., 1 Blatt ("Aggiunta"), S. 468 [recte 467]-811, 3 Blätter ("Indice"). Mit 177 [von 179] zumeist ganzseitigen Kupfern. Modernes geflammtes Ganzleder auf 6 Bünden mit etwas Rückenvergoldung. Zustand: Aufwendig restauriertes Exemplar (= neu gebunden). Einige Blätter mit hinterlegten Randein- und -ausrissen (1 Blatt [S. 333/334] mit geringem Darstellungsverlust). Es fehlen 5 Blätter, und zwar die Seiten 361-364 (Text), 699/700 (1 Kupferstich - Herkules), 739/740 (1 Kupferstich - nackter Mann mit ausgebreiteten Armen) und 749/750 (Text). Von den genannten Mängeln abgesehen ein schönes Exemplar dieses seltenen Titels. Condition: Lavishly restored copy (= newly bound). Several sheets with backed margin tears and tears (1 sheet [pp. 333/334] with little loss of representation). Five sheets are missing, namely pages 361-364 (text), 699/700 (1 engraving - Hercules), 739/740 (1 engraving - naked man with outstretched arms) and 749/750 (text). Apart from the mentioned defects a fine copy of this rare title. - Posthum erschienenes Werk des italienischen Adeligen Guiseppe d'Alessandro, Herzog von Peschiolanciano, über die Kunst des Reitens und der Waffenführung. - Die prächtigen Kupfer zeigen neben Pferden und verschiedensten Dressurinstrumenten auch andere Tiere wie Löwen, Adler und Nashorn (frei nach Dürer) sowie Kampfszenen mit unterschiedlichen Waffen (Schwert, Lanze etc.). - Giuseppe d'Alessandro, Duke of Pescolanciano, was an enthusiastic horseman and equestrian. In 1711 he published the "PIETRA PARAGONE DE? CAVALIERI", a veritable encyclopaedia on the art of riding, handling and training horses, which was reprinted in 1714. In 1723 his son Ettore edited posthumously the first edition of his father's collected works, partly re-using copies of the 1714 "PIETRA PARAGONE", and addressing his publishing initiative to the Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI of Hapsburg. The first part of d'Alessandro's monumental "Opera" is divided into five Books, which deal respectively with riding instructions (LIBRO PRIMO: S. 1-64), bridling horses (LIBRO SECONDO: S. 65-100), kinds of mouth-pieces and bits (LIBRO TERZO: S. 101-260), tournament rules and biographies of illustrious cavalieri (LIBRO QUARTO: S. 261-377), and horse medicine (LIBRO QUNITO: S. 378-466). The second part (S. 467-811) has the half-title "AGGIUNTA DI RIME DIVERSE, Lettere, e Trattati di Fisonomia, Pittura, &c. ES ALTRI ESERCIZJ, Che sono la Pietra del Paragone de' Cavalieri", a large verse and prose collection entirely inspired by horsemanship, equestrianism and fencing, which d'Alessandro had mostly previously published in other works, such as the "SELVA POETICA" (1713). Both parts are lavishly illustrated with engravings possibly designed by the renowned Flemish artist Guglielmo Borremans (1672-1724), who was mainly active in Naples and other cities in southern Italy; some of them are signed by Francesco de Grado (1694-1730), the senior member of a family of engravers working in Naples. Especially noteworthy are the plates showing mouth-pieces and bits in Libro terzo, the series of 14 full-page.
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