Antichità Siciliane Spiegate Colle Notizie Generali Di Questo Regno Cui si comprende la Storia particolare di quelle Città, delle quali se ne riportano, ed illustrano separatamente gl'antichi Monumenti. Opera Del Padre D. Giuseppe Maria Pancrazi Cherico Regolare Teatino Patrizio Cortonese, Accademico Etrusco, e Socio Colombario Fiorentino. Tomo I. Diviso In Due Parti Nella prima si contengono le notizie generali di quest'Isola. Nella seconda la Pianta, le varie Vedute, e la Descrizione dell'antico Agrigento. Alla S.R.M. Di Carlo Re Delle Due Sicilie Di Gerusalemme &c. Infante Di Spagna, Duca Di Parma, Piacenza, Castro &c. Gran Principe Ereditario Di Toscana, &c. (II. Diviso In Due Parti Nella prima si contengono altre notizie generali di quest'Isola: nella seconda si principia a ragionare dei fatti degli Agrigentini, si descrive la magnificenza di essi, e si espongono in tante Tavole separate gl'antichi loro Monumenti nella maniera, che attualmente esistono. Alla S.R.M. Di Maria Amalia Regina Delle Due Sicilie Principessa Di Polonia, E Sassonia.)

Giuseppe Maria Pancrazi

RA Collection: Book

Record number

07/2338

Author

Imprint

In Napoli: MDCCLI. (-MDCCLII.), Nella Stamperia Di Alessio Pellecchia. Con Licenza De' Superiori.

Physical Description

2 vols.; 423 mm. (Folio.)

General Note

Vol. I: [6], xxiii, [1], 102, [2], iii, [1], 86 p., frontis., port., [3] fold. maps, [2], 15, [1] pl. (many fold. or dble.): illus. (The pairs of pages xv, xvi and xxi, xxii do not carry page numbers or letter-press text, but each pair carries a full-page engraved illustration on one side (recto or verso) and is blank on its other side. We consider these to be in-text illustrations and do not list them among the plates, as they are included by the printer in his pagination and are presumably conjugate with the letter-press text.) - Vol. II: [6], vii, [1], 45, [3], iii, [1], 124 p., frontis., port., fold. map, 29 [i.e. 30, there being an unnumbered plate between nos. 28 and 29] pl. (many fold. or dble.): illus. (Pages vi, vii are misnumbered as ii, iii; pages 22, 23 as 21, 22; pages 77, [78] as 75, [76]. Many pages have blank versos - so that their texts march with the plates to which they relate.)

Contents

Vol. I: [Frontis., t.p., port., dedic.] - Al Benigno, Ed Erudito Lettore - [Fold. map] - [Text] - [Divisional t.p., 'Antichità Siciliane Spiegate. Parte Seconda.'] - Al Cortese, Ed Erudito Lettore - [Fold. map] - [Text, with map and plates]. - Vol. II: [Frontis., t.p., port., dedic.] - Al Benigno, Ed Erudito Lettore - [Text] - [Div. t.p., 'Antichità Siciliane Spiegate'] - Al Cortese, E Sapiente Lettore - [Text].

Responsibility Note

The frontispiece of Volume I is signed as designed by Pancratius and engraved by Nic. d'Oratij; that of Volume II as designed by Antonius Desio and engraved by Ioseph Ant. Aloja. The portrait of Vol. I is signed as engraved by Fran. Cepparuli; that of Vol. II as drawn by Alesandro Guglielmo and engraved by Fran. Cepparuli. Most plates in both volumes are signed by draughtsman and engraver. Draughtsmen were 'Del Cluverio', Salvatore Ettore (Romano), 'Gian: Bapt:', Gius. Ant. Aloja, Nic. d'Oratii or Bened. Cimarelli. Engravers were Fran. Cepparuli, Nic. d'Oratij, 'Gian: Bapt:', Joseph Ant. Aloja, Ioseph Oratii Romanus, Filip. Morghen, Bened. Cimarelli. (In some cases borders are signed in addition to the main image.) One plate (Vol. I. pl. [6] (folding map)) carries the publisher's imprint of D. Ioseph Maria Pancrazi and the date (1747).

In-text illustrations are signed as drawn by Ioseph Pancratius, Nic. d'Oratij, M. Tuscher, Ferd. Vacca or Ioan. Batt. Natali, and engraved by Nic. d'Oratij, Cepparuli, M. Tuscher, Vacca, Joseph Ant. Aloja or B. Cimarelli.

The volumes are dedicated by Giuseppe Maria Pancrazj to Carlo Re Delle Due Sicilie (Vol. I) and Maria Amalia Valburga Regina Delle Due Sicilie (Vol. II).

References

Royal Institute of British Architects, British Architectural Library ... Early Printed, 3 (1999), no. 2419, p.1379-80.

A. Negro Spina, L'Incisione napoletana dell'ottocento (1976); N. Fabbrini, Cenni biografici su Giuseppe Maria Pancrazi c.r. dell'ordine dei Teatini (1890).

Summary Note

A publication-date of 1747 is carried by one of the folding maps in Volume I.

Each volume contains an allegoric frontispiece and a portrait of the dedicatee. In Volume I the first part is a history of Sicily consisting of an untitled preface ( preceded by a folding map and accompanied by two unnumbered plates) and four chapters of text. The second part is an archaeological account of Agrigento in three chapters, of which the first is preceded by a folding map of Agrigento and the third is accompanied by a folding map of Agrigento and plates most of which are topographic views.

In Volume II the first part, in two chapters, continues the history of Sicily. The second continues the account of Agrigento, in two chapters, preceded by a folding map and accompanied by topographic plates, elevations and plans. The plates are not picturesque views but archaeological records - plates 16 and 23 of Volume II are good examples of their almost photographic simplicity.

In-text illustrations consist of two full-page prints accompanying the address to the reader in Volume I, title-page vignettes, head- and tail-pieces and initials. The chapter headpieces by Vacca show a charming series of scenes from the story of Odysseus and the Cyclops.

Most plates carry their own dedications - the majority of them to Britons: John Malpas, Giovanni Leeland, George 3rd viscount Midleton, Thomas Hollis, Benjamin Lethieullier, John Bouverie, Lascelles Raymond Iremonger, 'Claudio Passavant', William Young, William Allen, Thomas Steavens, John Ward, Ld. Charlemont, Sir Thomas Kennedy, Thomas Brand, George Potter, James Dawkins, [William Legge] Ld. Dartmouth, [Thomas] Lennard Barrett, Augustus [John] Hervey, Nathaniel Thorold, [Frederick] Ld. North, and Joseph Henry.

Provenance

Purchased from Francesco Sastres for £3 3s. on 19 April 1788 (see his invoice of that date 'for books sent to Mr. Wilton for the Royal Academy').

Binding Note

Late 18th-century mottled calf, marbled-papered boards; red and green morocco spine-labels lettered 'Antichita Siciliane Tom I (II)', spines lettered 'R.A.'; bound for the Royal Academy by John Miller for 17s. (see his bill dated 13 July 1788).

Subject

Antiquities - Architecture - Architecture, Greek - Temples - Italy - Sicily - Agrigento - History
Art history - Italy - 18th century
Pictorial works - Italy - 18th century

Contributors

Alessio Pellecchia, printer
Giuseppe Maria Pancrazi, draughtsman
Niccolò Orazi, draughtsman, engraver
Marcus Tuscher, draughtsman, engraver
Salvatore Ettore, draughtsman
Francesco Cepparoli, engraver
Carlos III King of Spain, dedicatee
Maria Amalia Queen, Consort of Charles III, King of Spain, dedicatee
Antonio Desio, draughtsman
Giuseppe Antonio Aloja, draughtsman, engraver
Giuseppe Orazi, engraver
Filippo Morghen, engraver
Benedetto Cimarelli, draughtsman, engraver
Ferdinando Vacca, draughtsman, engraver
Giovanni Battista Natali, draughtsman
John Miller, binder