Il primo libro delle lettere di Nicolo Martelli

First edition, very rare. Portrait of Nicolo Martelli on title page, woodcut, in a medallion. Address and place in colophon: In Fiorenza a instanza dell'auttore, l'anno MDXLVI adi xviij del mese di giugno. Printed by Antonio Francesco Doni. Printed in italics. Edition dedicated to Maddalena Buonaiuta, wife of Luigi Alamanni.
Only one copy at Cambridge University, nothing in the electronic catalogues of the British Library or the Bibliothèque Nationale de France. One copy at the Paul Getty Museum. Listed in Italian sixteen century books, Harvard College Library, p. 426, 427. Vellum copy, gift of Philip Hofer.
Ca. 1820 binding in half brown sheep. Spine with false raised bands decorated with 5 blind tooled ornaments and blind and gilt fillets. Head worn. Lower joint split at head. Generally rubbed. The 2 lower corners turned and stripped of marbled paper. Yellow stains on final leaves.
Label on pastedown: Harvard College Library. From the bequest of Mary P. C. Nash, in memory of her husband Benett Hubbard Nash instructor and professor of italian and spanish. 1866-1894. Stamp below label: Harvard College Library Released. On verso of title page, stamp: Harvard College Library Nah Fund. In grey pencil below: July 22 1926. Mary Nash was responsible for several foundations following her husband's death including one bearing the name of Benett Hubbard Nash, intended for the purchase of books for Harvard.
Collection of letters addressed to various personalities including the Queen of Navarre, Pietro Aretino, Benvenuto Cellini, Cardinal Bembo, Benedetto Varchi, Fiammetta Strozza, Michele Angelo Buonaroti, and several Lettera d'amore. These letters, missives and messages were written from 1539 to 1546. Poet and important literary personality of his time, Nicolo Martelli was especially known as a master in the art of love, hence the numerous love letters in this collection, and the letters to the Queen of Navarre, to courtesans... The collection also contains Michelangelo Buonarroti's response to poems sent to the painter celebrating the paintings of the Sistine Chapel.