PALLADIUS RUTILIUS TAURUS AEMILIANUS, Opus agriculturae (Treatise on Agriculture), in Italian, manuscript on paper

BOOK DESCRIPTION: RARE RENAISSANCE MANUSCRIPT OF a practical guide to agriculturE. In Italian, manuscript on paper, Central Italy, c. 1450-1460. Dimensions 295 x 220 mm, 48 folios on paper with two watermarks, complete, written by a single hand in Italian cursive script in two columns of 45-55 lines, book and chapter titles in red. BINDING: unbound but text block and endleaves sewn on three alum tawed thongs, the two conjugate parchment manuscript leaves serving as a wrapper, text block lacks boards or any further evidence of the now-lost binding. TEXT: it was through Palladius's treatise that knowledge of Roman agricultural practices and the agronomy of the Later Roman Empire were transmitted to medieval Europe and beyond. Organized according to the calendar, this influential text was a practical guide, in simple language, to the agricultural tasks to be performed in each season of the year. This is a witness to the first Italian translation of the text, known in only 13 manuscripts. Manuscripts of Palladius's work are extremely rare in the market with only four sales of the Latin text recorded since 1898, and no sales of any translation. PROVENANCE: Copied in Italy c.1450-1460; in various catalogues sales of Davis and Orioli, booksellers of Florence from 1910, and then in London from 1913, cat. 32 (1922), no. 5, cat.39 (1924), no. 8, cat. 45 (1927), no. 6, and then appearing as no. 33 in a subsequent catalogue; Library of the Rothamsted Experimental Station, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, England, acquired in 1937; Sold at Forum Auctions, London, July 10, 2018, lot 3. CONDITION: old water stains to margins and occasionally in text, margins frayed, with loss to some upper and lower corners, otherwise good condition. Images and full description available. (TM 1264)