First Edition of the Life of Columbus Written by his Son: A Major Document of Columbian Discovery
Historie del S. D. Fernando Colombo; nelle quali s’ha particolare, & vera relatione della vita, & de’ faiti dell’ Ammiraglio D. Christoforo Colombo, suo padre.
Venice: Francesco de'Franceschi Sanese, 1571.
Price: $17,500.00
About the item
First edition. a-b⁸ c⁴ A-2H⁸; [20], 247, [1] leaves. 12mo. Later crushed green morocco gilt, marbled endpapers, gilt edges. Housed in a morocco backed box. Provenance: Giovanni Pietro Pestalozzi (signature on rear blank). Church 114; European Americana 571/8; JCB (3) I:244; LeClerc 138; Rich 47; Sabin 14674; STC (Italian), p.190; Streeter Sale 22.
Item #372712
The first edition of the life of Christopher Columbus, written by his illegitimate son, Fernando, and translated into Italian by Alfonso Ulloa from the original Spanish manuscript. Fernando accompanied his father on his fourth voyage to the New World in 1502, and was witness to many of the events described in the text. While the authenticity of this work was challenged by early commentators, modern researchers have increasingly found it an accurate source of information on many of the events of Christopher Columbus' life. It is now generally considered "the most important of our sources of information on the life of the discoverer of America" (Vignaud).
"His work is an invaluable document, entitled to great faith, and is the cornerstone of the history of the American continent" (The English Catalogue, quoted in Sabin). “Still remains the only source of information upon many events in the life of Columbus” (Church).
