First edition of the first illustrated description of the Low Countries. The present copy comes from the library of princess Maria Gabriella of Savoy (1940). This popular guide to the Netherlands was written by the nobleman Ludovico Guicciardini (1521-1589), an Antwerp-based merchant from Florence, Italy. Most of the cities shown in the plans and views had never before been depicted in a book. Not only was the work a great success, going through dozens of editions in a wide variety of languages, its maps, plans and views were also copied for decades, both for use in other books and for separate publication.
Guicciardini's work was published in Italian, French, Dutch, Latin, German and English, all through the 16th and part of the 17th century, with slightly different plates in each edition. The work is divided into sections, each devoted to a particular region. It is a sophisticated traveller's guide, with emphasis on the topography of the various regions and the major cities, which are beautifully illustrated by the engraved plans and views. The work covers also all aspects of contemporary life in each area, including the fine arts, trade and the commercial concerns of each region. As a result, it is also an important source for early modern Dutch history.
With the (shelfmark?) label of Princess Maria Gabriella of Savoy ("MG 2d P.G. II") mounted at the foot of the spine, remnants of a paper label on the pastedown, next to two crossed out 18th-century manuscript shelfmarks(?) ("Aa. III. 14" and "Dd. III.") and an earlier one which is not crossed out underneath ("C.C.2"), a faded 17th-century ownership annotation at the foot of the title page. The boards are somewhat warped. The work is somewhat browned and foxed throughout. Otherwise in good condition. Belg. Typ. 1360; Deys, Guicciardini illustratus 1; Tiele, Bibl. 420; STCV 7036217 (2 copies, 1 incomplete); USTC 405351 (numerous copies); cf. H. de la Fontaine Verwey, "The history of Guicciardini's description of the Low Countries", in: Quaerendo XII (1982), pp. 22-51.