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NAPOLI 2500: History of a city and its territory

Monday 29 September 2025, 03:00 PM • Rome

21

Balzano, Francesco

Ancient Herculaneum or the Torre del Greco saved from oblivion, 1688

Estimate

€ 350 - 450

Sold

€ 581

The price includes buyer's premium

Information

Naples, Giovan Francesco Paci, 1688. In 4°. Engraving eagle on the title page, foxing, some small marginal wormholes on the last leaf, contemporary loose parchment binding.

Specialist Notes

First rare edition . From p. 92 to the last page, the fires of Vesuvius are discussed. Seven fires are reported before the Christian era; twelve from the fire of 79 up to and including those of 1631; the fires that occurred from 1660 to 1686 are accurately described, and the information on the changes to the crater is especially important, as the author had climbed Vesuvius several times - Michel, I, p. 192 - Furchheim Bibliogr. di Pompei, Ercolano e Stabia, p. 6: "This work speaks of the fires of Vesuvius, but not of Ercolano. We have cited it only for the curiosity of its title." Francesco Balzano (1631-?), was born in Torre del Greco and was a very erudite antiquarian and a good poet.

Fera-Morlicchio,I,206: "It is to be considered the rarest work on Herculaneum and Torre del Greco" - Furchheim, p. 13: "Rather rare".

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