[Chiari (Pietro)]

L'Americana Ramminga

cioe Memorie di Donna Jnnez di Quebrada. Scritte da lei stessa, ed ora pubblicate da M.G. DIS. Sua confidente amica.

Engraved frontispiece in vol.1 and vignette on both title-pages.

First Edition. Two volumes. 8vo. [193 x 125 x 30 mm]. [1]f, v-viii, 139, [5] pp; vi, [ii], 118, [2] pp. Contemporary binding of hand-coloured woodblocked floral paper over paste-paper boards, uncut edges. (A few strips of paper missing on spines and extremities. "Di Luigi" written on the front boards in a contemporary hand). Contained within a new tan cloth drop-over box. Stock no. ebc3011.
Venezia [i.e. Venice]: Angelo Pasinelli, 1763.

A little trivial foxing and some light damp-staining in vol.1. The floral covers appear to have been produced in Parma, as printed at the foot of the sheet used for vol.1. "Di Luigi" has been added in hand, which may indicate the bookseller.

A delightful copy of this fictionalised historical account of the travels in America of Donna Innez de Quebrada. Full of incident, romantic escapades and local colour, the turbulent events of Innez's life take her to a number of places, including Mexico, Cuba and New England, in particular Boston (II, 88), before she returns to Europe. It has a graphic frontispiece by Giuliana Zuliani, depicting Innez escaping a fire by rowing boat. The novel is usually attributed to Pietro Chiari, though there is some doubt about this. OCLC lists Harvard, Princeton and Newberry only.