TRATTENIMENTO ACCADEMICO DI LETTERE E DI BELLE ARTI: umiliato a S.A. Serenissima Ercole III ... dai convittori del civico ducale collegio di Correggio sotto la direzione de’ PP. delle schole pie. Nel Settembre dell’Anno MDCCLCCCVIII.

4to, pp. 20; woodcut armorial device on title-page, and headpiece; wormhole to foot of title, a couple of marginal nicks, and some browning throughout, but otherwise clean; in contemporary patterned wrappers, slightly chipped at head of spine, but an attractive copy.

Very rare account of the gathering of the Collegio Ducale in Correggio in Emilia, held over three days in September 1787, to celebrate the achievements of students with demonstrations from the students of their proficiency in discussing various matters; these range from the nature of chronology, and the ways in which days, weeks, months, and years have historically been understood, to questions of heraldry, the history of the Old Testament, and Roman history. These are interspersed with numerous performances, both of extemporised verse votes of thanks, and of music by the students, ranging from solo keyboard recitals to pieces of chamber music (including one uncommonly scored for two keyboards, four violins, and a flute, which doubtless reflected the forces available among the student body). The students are all named, as are the teachers, listed by subject, giving an idea of the broader curriculum: philosophy, pure mathematics, geography, history, military architecture, heraldry, antiquarianism, rhetoric, grammar, Greek, Latin, and Italian were all taught by the priests of the Scuole Pie, while laymen taught design and civil architecture, keyboard, flute, and cello, violin, dancing, French, writing, and arithmetic.

The Collegio Ducale had been under the charge of the Piarists only since 1783, and went through several incarnations until 1888, when it became state-run; it exists ti this day as the Convitto nazionale Rinaldo Corso.

Not in OCLC; SBN records only the Biblioteca Arturo Loria at Carpi.