Probably written at the court of Federico da Montefeltro in Urbino around 1480, the Treatise by Francesco di Giorgio Martini (1439-1501), the famous painter, sculptor and architect from Sienna, is one of the milestones of architectural theory of the Italian Renaissance. Along its twofold subjects–civil and miltary architecture–is an organic collection of notes and drawings presented thematically, which so much appealed to Leonardo. Not by chance the precious manuscript, known as Ashburnham 361, now preserved in the Laurentian Library (no.282), belonged to Leonardo, quite possibily given to him by Francesco di Giorgio himself in Milan in 1490. This is in fact the only book known to have come down to us directly from Leonardo's own library, and as such it is of course an extraordinary bibliographical unicum in that it contains Leonardo's own marginal notes and sketches made about 1506. The treatise is reproduced in its entirety together with 4 pages recently rediscovered and preserved in the Biblioteca Municipale of Reggio Emilia. The "Fogli Reggiani", illustrated with 44 ink drawings, contain the chapter on ancient and modern military machines, which directly follows the final paragraph of the Ashburnham codex. Limited edition with commentary and critical transcription by Massimo Mussini.
3 volumes—26.8 x 39.5 cm—158+128+36 pp, in slipcase.
Giunti Editore, 1994. Euro 1,300. Please call for OMI price.