Descrizione Delle Feste Celebrate In Parma L'Anno MDCCLXIX. Per Le Auguste Nozze Di Sua Altezza Reale L'Infante Don Ferdinando Colla Reale Arciduchessa Maria Amalia.

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Parma

Feste Celebrate In Parma Per Le Nozze Del Reale Infante Duca Ferdinando Di Borbone Con S. A. R. L'Arciduchessa D'Austria Maria Amalia L'Anno MDCCLXIX.

In Parma: Nella Stamperia Reale, [1769].

[6], 16, [4], 19-76 p., add. engr. t.-pl., [35] pl. on 41 leaves (6 double); 520 mm. (Folio.)

The National Art Library copy is catalogued as beginning with 8 rather than 6 unnumbered pages.

[Half-t., add. engr. t.pl., t.p.] - [Preface] - [Text with plates].

The parallel Italian and French texts are attributed by Graesse to Paolo Maria Paciaudi and Claude François Xavier Millot.

All plates are signed as designed by Ennemond Alexandre Petitot - except [20-29], which show armorial devices. They are signed by the engravers Giovanni Volpato, Giuseppe Patrini, Domenico Muzzi, Simone Ravenet, Antonio Baratti, Tomasso Baratti, Giul. Zuliani or Pietro Perfetti. Most head- and tail-pieces are signed by Benigno Bossi.

Graesse II, 368; G. de Lama, Vita del Cavaliere Giambattista Bodoni ... Ristampa ... cura di Leonardo Farinelli e Corrado Mingardi (1989); C. Mingardi, 'Petitot, Bossi e Bodoni per le feste di Parma', in Feste Fontane e Festoni a Parma nel Settecento, ed. P. Bedarida (1989), p.109-112; I. Marini, Giovanni Volpato 1735-1803 (1988), nos. 129-131; M.E. Cosenza, Biographical and bibliographical dictionary of the Italian printers ... to 1800 (1968); G. Giani, Catalogo delle autentiche edizioni bodoniane (1948); H. C. Brooks, Compendiosa bibliografia di edizioni bodoniane (1927); R. Bertieri, L'arte di Giambattista Bodoni (1913).

No publication-date is given on the title-page; but the added engraved title-plate and most plates carry the date of 1769. A title variant occurs on the added engraved title-plate: 'Feste Celebrate In Parma Per Le Nozze Del Reale Infante Duca Ferdinando Di Borbone Con S.A.R. L'Arciduchessa D'Austria Maria Amalia L'Anno MDCCLXIX.'

Text and plates describe festivities marking the wedding of Ferdinando (Bourbon), Duke of Parma, and Maria Amalia (Hapsburg), Archduchess of Austria, which lasted from July to September 1769, and included a nocturnal Tournament, an 'Arcadia' and a Chinese Fair.

The work is among the first printed under the direction of Giambattista Bodoni after his arrival at the Stamperia Reale, Parma, in 1768. An example of his earlier manner, when he was still influenced by Pierre Simon Fournier, it was carefully composed and was much admired. In 1771 Pierre Jean Mariette told Paciaudi, Royal Librarian of Parma, that he had not expected from a new printing-house a masterpiece so perfectly executed in all its parts; while John Symonds, the agronomist and Member of the Society of Dilettanti, declared it unsurpassable for the beauty and elegance of its designs and engravings.

'to petitot's festivals £2. 15.' (RA Treasurer's Account Book 1768-1795, Oct. 1772).

19th-century morocco, with 'R.A.' gilt-stamped on spine.

Ferdinando Duke of Parma
Maria Amalia Duchess, consort of Ferdinando, Duke of Parma

Festivals - Weddings - Tournaments - Fetes - Pageants - Ceremonies - Celebrations - Italy - Emilia Romagna - Parma - History - 18th century - Fireworks
Pictorial works - Typography - Italy - 18th century

Ennemond Alexandre Petitot, 1727-1801, draughtsman
Giambattista Bodoni, 1740-1813, printer
Giovanni Volpato, 1733-1803, engraver
Benigno Bossi, 1727-1797, engraver
Paolo Maria Paciaudi, 1710-1785
Claude Francois Xavier Millot, 1726-1785
Giuseppe Patrini, 1711-1786, engraver
Domenico Muzzi, 1742-1812, engraver
Simon François Ravenet junior, engraver
Antonio Baratta, 1724-1787, engraver
Tomasso Baratti, , engraver
Giuliano Zuliani, ca. 1730-ca. 1814, engraver
Pietro Perfetti, ca. 1755-, engraver
Parma - Stamperia Reale, printer