Beschreibung:

Serlio, Sebastiano. Regole generali di architetura sopra le cinque maniere degli edifici cioè thoscano, dorico, ionico, corinthio et composito, con gli essempi dell'antiquita che per la magior parte concordano con la dottrina di Vitruvio. Venice: Francesco Marcolini (September) 1537
The first appearance of Serlio in print: a wide-margined copy of the Fourth Book of Serlio's treatise (the first to be printed) with contemporary marginal annotations in Italian on several leaves, which together point to an active, disciplined early reader. At one point, this reader notes in the margin that "Matematichi fanno l'homo accorto" (Mathematics makes a man shrewd; E3r). Elsewhere, the same reader notes in the margin with interest that there are "Cinque maniere d'Edificare" (B1r), receptive to one of the conceptual innovations of Serlio within the Renaissance genre of the architectural treatise: namely his expansion of the existing list of the four classical orders so as to include the fifth ("Composite") order.
Sebastian Serlio (1475-ca 1554) was an Italian Mannerist architect, who produced "one of the most easy to use, and hence widely studied, of the illustrated treatises on architecture published in vernacular languages in the sixteenth century" (Hart and Hicks, Paper Palaces). Uniting text with woodcuts rendered the treatise more accessible than preceding examples of the genre. Serlio's ambition was to produce seven Books, though only five were published during his lifetime. Complicating the textual history is the fact that the books were not published in order, with Book 4 (the present volume) appearing first in 1537, before Book 3 appeared in 1540. The first edition of Book 4 was produced under the patronage of Ercole d'Este, whilst Book 3 was dedicated to François I of France. Royal patronage extended to Serlio's installation as "premier peintre et architecte" at Fontainebleau, where, between 1541 and 1550 he produced a number of high-profile designs for the court. However, in 1548, after the accession of Henri II, he was unceremoniously replaced by Philibert de L'Orme amidst a surge of nationalistic feeling. In 1550, he moved to Lyon, a centre for printing (perhaps specifically with a view to publishing the remaining volumes), where he died in poverty.
Folio (335 x 239 mm). Italic type. collation: A2 B-H4 I6 K-T4: 76 leaves. Title-page within woodcut architectural frame, 127 further woodcut illustrations, contemporary marginal annotations on B1r, E3r, H3v, I1v, N2v, L2v, O2v, P1v, R3v, S1-S3. 
binding: Contemporary limp vellum (338 x 248 mm), holes from 2 pairs of ties, plain edges. (Plausibly a remboitage.)
provenance: Contemporary inscription in ink on upper cover, "D'Antonio Colomb- [...] in Bolognia" — Lorenzo Mina, of Alessandria, architect, ink stamp and paper label on rear flyleaf. acquisition: Purchased in 2011 from Fiammetta Soave, Rome. references: BAL RIBA 2966; Fowler 253; Mortimer, Harvard Italian 471