Isabella Orsini duchessa di Bracciano.

Florence: G. Barbèra, 1888. About fine.. 48mo (105 x 70mm); 610 pages. Frontispiece with tissue guard. Bound in 20th-century full leather tooled with fleurs-de-lis on both boards, with interesting bevels spaced along the fore-edges and top and bottom edges. Equipped with leather ties. Title gilt-stamped onto the spine between raised bands. The bands emerge over the boards to be incorporated into the design of the fleurs-de-lis as the stems of the lilies. All edges brightly gilt. Endleaves are block-printed decorated paper sometimes called "carta Varese."

Nineteenth-century Italian historical novel by one of the architects of the Risorgimento. (truncated) The hero of the novel is Isabella de' Medici Orsini, a notable intellectual who was murdered in 1576 at the age of 34 by her jealous husband because he believed she was seeing the man he had assigned to keep an eye on her. Offered primarily for the interesting binding. (Inventory #: 6819)