Beschreibung:

MICHELI, Pier Antonio (1679-1737). Catalogus plantarum horti caesarei florentini opus postumum . Florentiae, Bernard Paperini, 1748. F irst edition describing the plants in the botanical garden in Florence, bound in contemporary red morocco for Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor. The Orto Botanico di Firenze, also known as the Giardino dei Semplici ('Garden of simples'), was established on 1 December 1545 by Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany. It is Europe's third oldest botanical garden, after those in Pisa and Padua, and was laid out by the landscape gardener Niccolò Pericoli to a botanical system and plantings chosen by Luca Ghini. However, it was not until 1718, when Micheli became the garden's first director, that it really came to prominence. Micheli also experimented on fungi and deduced that they reproduced through spores, and not from spontaneous generation. He was also an avid plant and mineral collector, but unfortunately he died from pleurisy contracted on one of his plant-collecting expeditions. This catalogue was published posthumously by his successor Giovanni Targioni Tozzetti, who contributed a prefatory history of the garden to the work. Pritzel 6203; not in Nissen or Hunt. Quarto (342 x 237mm). Half-title, title printed in red and black with engraved armorial vignette, folding engraved garden plan, 7 engraved plates, engraved vignettes and initials. Contemporary red morocco gilt, central arms gilt of Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor, within wide foliate borders gilt with foliate cornerpieces, spine gilt in 7 compartments; top compartment of spine neatly restored. Provenance : Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor, 1708-1765 (arms as Grand Duke of Tuscany to binding).