An interesting piece of Galileiana*,* Micalori’s well-illustrated astronomical handbook is intended for the layman since, as Cinti notes, the author gives no geometrical or mathematical demonstrations, and his concepts are strongly rooted in Aristotelianism. He does, however, make a slightly begrudging reference to the telescope ’nouamente ritrouato occhiale, o cannone, che chiamono teloscopio’ on p.13.
Micalori (1570-1645) was a canon of Urbino and also professor of theology and philosophy at the University of Urbino. Earlier editions noted by Riccardi dated 1624 and 1625 in the publication Degli uomini illustri di Urbino appear to be ghosts as this is the first (and only) edition in SBN, and identified as the first by Parenti.
Provenance: the Harmsworth copy, lot 8504 in Sotheby’s 22 October 1951, to Maggs. The major part of Sir Leicester Harmsworth’s (1870-1937) extensive library was sold by Sotheby’s in 35 sales between 1939 -1954, the English pre-1640 books having been sold en-bloc to the Folger.
Cinti 78. Honeyman 2228. Parenti 223. Riccardi I(ii) 155. Vinciana, Aut. Ital. del ’600 1583.
