Dante Alighieri [ed. by Giosafatte Biagioli] — La Divina Commedia: Volume Secondo, Purgatorio

Naples, Gabriele Rondinella, 1848. Leather. An illustrated edition of Purgatorio within Dante's Divine Comedy, including the commentary of a well-known scholar on the literary figure, Giosafatte Biagioli. The second volume Purgatorio, (Purgatory) within Dante's La Divina Commedia (The Divine Comedy), with comments by Italian lexicographer Giosafatte Biagioli. The illustrated second Neapolitan edition of Biagioli's commentary, published in 1848, with the Neapolitan edition first published between 1808-1818. Only one institutional copy of this particular edition is held in the UK, at the British Library. In half contemporary vellum, half marble boards. Contains a frontispiece, and all eight other illustrated plates. Collated complete. Despite perhaps being the least known in Dante's seminal trilogy, Purgatorio had a profound influence upon how the Catholic Church treat sins and where Dante outlines many of his views on politics and the church across the Italian states. Biagioli's commentary was seen as the standard reference work for the first half of the nineteenth century. In half contemporary vellum, half marble boards. Externally, mostly smart, with slight fading to boards and a little heavier to vellum spine and extremities. Minor browning to vellum. A faint crack to the front joint. Knocks to the extremities. Glint spine label intact. End papers are bright and clean with minor fading. Internally, firmly bound. Small previous bookseller sticker to verso of front free end paper. Pages are mostly bright and clean, with slight browning to plate extremities and first couple and final leaves. Very Good . Ill.: Unknown. Very Good .