Nuova guida della citta di Siena per gli amatori delle belle-arti.

1822. SIENA. Nuova guida della città di Siena per gli amatori delle belle-arti. viii, 167, [1] pp., illustrated with four large folding engraved plates. 4to, 185 x 140 mm., bound in original blue paper wrappers, with deckled edges. Siena: Nella Stamperia Mucci, 1822. Presumed first edition, with no other edition listed in OCLC. A historical introduction lays the foundation for this detailed tour of the architecture and art of Siena, presented in a comprehensive, handy guide, complete with an index and a very large, very detailed folding engraved map of the city bound-in at the end. The three other plates, in order of appearance, show the facade of the Duomo and the Palazzo Reale; the famous main piazza; and a floor plan of the Duomo. Dedicated to the Sienese nobleman Giulio del Taja, this guide builds on previous publications intended for a foreign audience, readers with little or no knowledge of the city "viv[endo] con estrema vergogna in mezzo a mille bellissimi oggetti senza conoscerli." Churches, palaces, piazze, and other monuments painted, frescoed, and scuplted by notable artists are described with great detail. Some monuments, including la pubblica Libreria and S. Caterina (pp. 140-141), are marked with manicules for emphasis. The text is sometimes attributed to Marco Ferri, although Guido Mucci signed the dedication. Small holes from natural paper flaws affecting text on one leaf and headline on another. Neatly rebacked. PROVENANCE: Unidentified armorial stamp on front cover and title-page, and single word inscribed in early ink on each cover; sparse contemporary annotations in Italian; old library stamp on verso of city map. See Fossati-Bellani 3306 (1828 ed.).