SAVORGNANO, Mario (1513 - 1574) - Arte militare terrestre e marittima secondo la ragione, e l'uso de più valorosi capitani antichi e moderni. Venice: eredi di Francesco de Franceschi, 1599.   First edition of the most important Italian military treatise of the late 16th century enriched with woodcut plates depicting both ancient and modern theaters of war and military schemes, including the Battle of Trasimene in 217 BC. fought by the Roman army against Hannibal's troops. Savorgnano, military commander under the Duke of Urbino Francesco Maria I della Rovere, was a passionate scholar of classical studies, acquiring great notoriety among the men of letters and humanists of his time. This work was edited and published by Cesare Campana (1540-1606) after the author's death.   Folio (300 x 195mm). Printer's device on title, a double-page table included in the collation and pagination, 23 woodcut plates and one table not included in the collation, included in the pagination but numbered as leaves (provenance removed from title, occasional wormtracks at inner margin of some leaves, some restorations to plates touching the engraving, plates numbered 197-198, 205-206 and 213-214 shorter, browning). 19th-century binding with calf spine over marbled paper, blindstamped decorations and gilt title on spine labels (light rubbing especially to spine ends). SBN calls for 22 plates, but in the digitized copies consulted and in some copies sold at auction there are 23 plates as in our copy. Provenance: Ferdinando (early ownership inscription on title) - JAN (stamp on title).

Estimate € 700 - 1,000