Voyage en Italie et en Sicile, fait en MDCCCI et MCCCII

First edition (cf. Monglond, VII, 242. Brunet, 20178. Quérard, II, 337.)

Contemporary half tawny sheepskin binding, smooth spine ruled in gilt and decorated with gilt typographic ornaments, a few rubs to the spine, modern blue shagreen lettering-piece, upper cap worn away.

Some foxing to the first and last leaves, a tear to the lower margin of page 277, joints restored at foot, dampstaining to the margins of the boards. 

Baron Auguste Creuzé de Lesser (1771-1839), prefect of Charente and Hérault under the Empire and the Restoration, published anonymous opéras-comiques under the name Auguste, as well as heroic and lyrical poems, a translation of Schiller, and a life of La Fontaine.

In this Voyage en Italie, published under his own name, he gives a vivid account of his journey through Italy to Sicily, including a chapter devoted to Bodoni, whom the author had known during a stay in Parma. "Creuzé had published, upon his return from Italy and Sicily, a Voyage ; according to the habitual bent of his mind, and with little regard for the old classical admirations, he had spoken very lightly of the monuments of Antiquity and the masterpieces of art. He had also shown himself disdainful of the Italian character. It was said that all this had displeased Napoleon" (Barante, quoted by Larousse).