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Rare first edition of a mathematical work in the wake of the theories of Galilei on the system of the world

ROSSETTI, Donato.
Antignome fisico-matematiche con il nuovo orbe e sistema terrestre.

With woodcut coat-of-arms of the dedicatee on title, title printed in red and black, and 66 geometrical and perspectival woodcuts in text.

With woodcut coat-of-arms of the dedicatee on title, title printed in red and black, and 66 geometrical and perspectival woodcuts in text.

With woodcut coat-of-arms of the dedicatee on title, title printed in red and black, and 66 geometrical and perspectival woodcuts in text.

With woodcut coat-of-arms of the dedicatee on title, title printed in red and black, and 66 geometrical and perspectival woodcuts in text.

With woodcut coat-of-arms of the dedicatee on title, title printed in red and black, and 66 geometrical and perspectival woodcuts in text.



Livorno, Giovanni Vinc. Bonsigli, 1667. 4to. Contemporary vellum. only the loops of the fore-edge closure present. With woodcut coat-of-arms of the dedicatee on title, title printed in red and black, and 66 geometrical and perspectival woodcuts in text. XII, 179, (1) pp.

Rare first edition of a scientific mathematical work in the wake of the theories of Galileo Galilei on the system of the world, by Donato Rossetti, professor of natural philosophy at Pisa, and later tutor in mathematics to the Duke of Savoy and professor of mathematics at Turin. The book is a refutation of Geminiano Montanari's Pensieri fisico-matematici (Bologna 1667). In the period shortly after Galilei, experimentalists like Montanari (1633-1675) were engaged in a battle against the more mystical views of scientists such as Rossetti.
Donato Rossetti (1633-1688), was the pupil at Pisa of Giovanni Alfonso Borelli, and friend of Lorenzo Bellini and Alessandro Marchetti. The preface (pp. v-vi) is addressed to Borelli and Bellini. Rossetti belongs to that current of post-Galileans who argued that what was absolutely basic was research on the causes of phenomena and on the structure of matter. These philosophical interests led to Descartes, and to Gassendi the restorer of atomism, but above all to uniting physics and Galilean mechanics with the Renaissance visions of nature of Bruno, Campanella and Telesio.
In three dialogues the book teaches a new cosmic science, clearly illustrated also with numerous perspectival woodcuts: for the correct interpretation of the movements of the sun and earth, optics, but especially perspective played an important role. Applying the notion of macrocosm and microcosm in reverse, Rossetti  held that at the earth's centre there was a great heart with two ventricles which dilated and contracted with diastole and systole every twelve hours, This hypothesis explained all natural phenomena such as the tides and winds. Rosetti further maintained that the universe consisted of atoms which attracted or repelled one another by sympathy or antipathy (Thorndike).

The book is dedicated by Rossetti to Cardinal Leopoldo de' Medici (1617-1675), scholar, patron of the arts and Governor of Siena. He was the brother of Ferdinando II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany. He took a great interest in science and technology. In 1638 he founded the Accademia Platonica, and, together with Ferdinando, the Accademia del Cimento (Academy of the Daring) in 1657 to promote observation of nature through the Galileian Method. Leopoldo was also a great collector of rare books, paintings, drawings, statues, coins and self-portraits. On 12 December 1667 (the year of publication of the present book; the dedication (pp. iii-iv) is dated 18 December 1667!) Pope Clement IX named him cardinal of Santi Cosma e Damiano. Leopoldo has had a long correspondence with Christian Huygens.

Fine copy of a rare work.- (Front cover sl. stained, and sm. defect to spine).
Riccardi I, 2, 394; Poggendorff II, 700; Thorndyke VII, p. 583; not in Honeyman Coll., etc.; a modern edition appeared in 2005.

Related Subjects: Astronomy & Cosmography  Mathematics  Perspective  Science 

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