The edition was edited by the Friar Minor Conventual Baldassarre Lombardi (born Antonio Maria; Vimercate, 1718 – Rome, 1802). The friar worked on the text and commentaries on Dante's text from mid-1782 to early 1788. Davide Colombo's studies have enhanced Lombardi's work, beginning with the discovery of the original manuscript, the Codice del PM Lombardi MC Sopra la Divina Commedia di Dante Alighieri (Rome, Archivio Generale dei Frati Minor Conventuali, Convento dei XII Apostoli, D 54). The criteria followed in the edition of the poem are illustrated in the Foreword (To the courteous readers of FBL, anticipated in “Antologia romana,” no. III, July 1791, pp. 20-24), and summarized in the editorial announcement published in the “Gazzetta universale” of Florence on March 19, 1791.

Rome. Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy is about to be published by the Propaganda Printing House, newly corrected, explained, and defended by a celebrated scholar. His many years of hard work should be of great satisfaction to scholars and lovers of poetry and the Italian language. The Accademia della Crusca began collating the 1502 Aldine Edition with nearly a hundred of the most celebrated manuscripts from their rich libraries in 1595. But now we turn to the editions of the previous century, and especially to the one produced in Milan in 1478 for Martin Paolo Nidobeato. Comparison with this edition reveals many errors of every kind that occurred in subsequent editions, and now the one we announce will be published, which will be the most thoroughly edited to date. The publisher desires nothing more than that the Gentlemen, whom they wish to associate, give their names so that he can regulate the quantity of copies to be submitted to the Press without seeking any advance payment.»