Milestones of Science Books

XIMENES, Leonardo.

Del vecchio e nuovo gnomone fiorentino, e delle osservazioni astronomiche, fisiche ed architettoniche.

Florence: Stamperia Imperiale, 1757.

1st Edition. Hardcover. Fine. Item #002906

4to (257 x 182 mm). [8], cxxiv, 336, [2] pp. Signatures: [cross]⁴ a-g⁸ h⁶, A-X⁸ [chi]1. Title-page printed in red and black and with engraved vignette, 14 engraved plates (including 2 tables, 13 folding), errata leaf, woodcut initials and tailpieces. Contemporary half vellum over marbled boards, spine with red morocco label lettered in gilt (chipping of spine label, rubbing of boards, corners bumped), red-sprinkled edges. Text and plates exceptionally crisp and clean, just one table at end with brown spot at margin. Provenance: Giancarlo Beltrame Library; unidentified armorial bookplate to front pastedown. A very fine copy, unusually well preserved. ----

Riccardi II 634-635; Brunet V, 1503. VERY RARE FIRST EDITION of the important study by the great Sicilian scientist Leonardo Ximenes, geographer and engineer of the Grand Duke of Tuscany. Ximenes restored the great sundial of the Dome of Santa Maria del Fiore. At this occasion he performed a series of astronomical and physical observations of great importance, and marked the meridian line on the floor of the transept of the Croce del Duomo. The present work also contains a compendium of the history of astronomy in Tuscany including a detailed bibliography, where many astronomical works by Tuscan authors are recorded along with some news about their life (see Riccardi).
Lo scienzato Leonardo Ximenes restauro il grande gnomone della Cupola di Santa Maria del Fiore, che utilizzo per compiere una serie di rilevazioni astronomiche e fisiche di grande importanza, e installo la linea meridiana sul pavimento del transetto della Croce del Duomo. L'opera contiene anche un compendio della storia dell'astronomia in Toscana: '...abbiamo inoltre dovuto piuvolte citare la erudita introduzione di quest'opera, ove sono registrate molte opere astronomiche d'autori toscani, e non poche notizie intorno alla loro vita' (Riccardi). - Visit our website for additional images and information.

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