Libro de Nobili, che portano Veste, cioè L’Anno Mese e Giorno, che sono nati, et anco L’Anno che sono congiunti in Mattrimonio. Fatto del Mese di Marzo l’Anno 1708. [Register of nobles ‘who wear the habit’ (patricians), it means the year, month and day in which they were born, as well as the year in which they were married. Done in March 1708.] Small handwritten notebook (10 x7,5 cm), sepia and black ink. 1 blank leave, 1 leave (title), [7] leaves (table), 200 leaves, 8 blank leaves. Contemporary full black muted shagreen, 4 ribbed spine, cold fillet on covers, chased gilt edges.
Probably written in Venice, this elegant vade mecum, sized to fit the pockets of a waistcoat or suit, was probably composed from Li Pregi della nobiltà veneta abbozzati in un giuoco d’arme by Casimiro Freschot published in Venice in 1682. 222 families from Venice and Veneto are listed, with their coats of arms drawn at the bottom of the page.
A more recent hand has indicated in blue ink the representation of 4 enamels (green, black, red and blue) and 2 metals (gold and silver), « Segni pei colori degli stemmini ».
Provenance: Traces of an engraved bookplate pasted to the front pastedown and an engraved bookplate in red depicting a Cocca Veneta with ‘Nave’ as its motto, pasted to the 1st blank page;
from the library of Pierre Baruzy (1897-1994), with his coat of arms and ‘Comte Piero Barozzi, Barone di Santorino’ engraved and cut out;
note that the Barozzi family is listed on folio 17 of the manuscript.
Pierre Baruzy (1897-1994) was a French industrialist, boxer and French boxing trainer, as well as an activist in associations and politics. Attached to the city of his ancestors, he is the author of Les Doges de Venise, Barré & Dayez, 1992, 165 p. and of Savoir aimer Venise, Imprimerie de l’Observateur, s.d., 62 p., opus sold in aid of the preservation of Venice.
Very pale marginal wetting.
An elegant vade mecum, written at a time when the Serenissima was shining in its last days.
2 800 €