Incunabulum - Geographical Sources of Christopher Columbus' Ocean Crossing. SOLINUS. Rerum memorabilium collectaneae. [..]

4to. 200 x 145 mm. Contemporary leather binding with rich blind decorations on the covers and spine, later endpapers and clasps. 102 leaves, the first blank, 28 lines. Colophon at the end “Impressum parmae per Andream Portiliam || … M.ccclxxx. xiii. Kalen. Ianuariis [20.XII.1480]” Roman type, spaces reserved for initials, with guide letters, rubricated initials in red and blue, one illuminated. Illuminated coat of arms in the lower margin of leaf b1. Numerous marginalia by an ancient hand. Heraldic Exlibris ‘on the inside cover. Contemporary ownership note on the back of the last leaf, not legible. 

Sporadic light foxing, a fine copy in its original binding.

A very rare incunabulum, printed by the first printer in Parma. One of the literary and geographical sources of Christopher Columbus' ocean crossing. Oviedo, in his ‘Historia General Y Natural de las Indias’, cites the passage in which Solinus, referring to Stazio Seboso, speaks of the fabulous islands ‘Hesperides’ (here on leaf c. n9v), which are located in the inner part of the Atlantic Ocean forty days‘ navigation from the Gorgades islands, i.e. Cape Verde, and concludes: “Perché se le Esperidi sono a quaranta giorni di navigazione dalle Gorgades, non potrebbero essere in nessun posto del mondo se non le nostre Indie, che sono a ovest di Capo Verde … così possiamo dire che Colombo le trovò nel secondo viaggio che fece in queste parti’. The work speaks of the wonders of the world: in the final part, from leaf m4v, it describes India and then Taprobane, or Ceylon, countries where fabulous peoples live, characterised by monstrous features, terrifying beings and wild animals, and where treasures are hidden: in leaf n2, the whales of the Indian seas ‘extending over four acres’ are mentioned; in leaf n3, diamonds are described, which are distinguished into different types, and then other precious stones and their uses are mentioned; finally, in the last pages, the Atlantic Ocean is mentioned.

The first book printed, in 1472, by Portilia was a work by Plutarch. Later he published editions of Virgil, Ovid, Pliny and Aesop. According to BMC although the volume is dated ‘M.cccclxxx. xiii. Kalen. Ianuariis.', the true date of printing is probably somewhere between 1479 and 1480.

Specimen with an illuminated initial and rubricated initials in red and blue.

IGI 9088; Hain-Cop. 14878; Bod-inc S-247; BMC VII 937; GW M42823; Goff S619; Cfr. Fernández de Oviedo Y Valdés, Gonzalo (1478-1557), Historia General Y Natural De Las Indias, Book II, Chapter 3.