Cento Imprese – Scipione Bargagli – 1591 First Edition | Sienese Medici Knights

This 1591 first edition of Cento Imprese by Scipione Bargagli, printed in Bologna by Gio. Rossi, celebrates one hundred knights from Siena who served under the Medici. Bargagli often used metaphor, comparing noblemen like Lattantio Tolomei to the ibis, a creature said to ward off serpents in Egyptian lore. Each knight’s entry stands alone, with consistent formatting across the volume.

The book features large woodcut initials and a title vignette showing a Roman-style figure in armor. The layout follows strict order. Emblems appear with mottos in Latin or Italian. Notes beside each image identify traits, duties, or family history. Names include members of known Sienese houses. This 16th-century edition marks a shift in how noble service was recorded in post-republican Italy.

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Rolo, overo Cento Imprese de gl’illustri Sigri. huomini d’arme Sanesi, militanti sotto’l Reale, e felicissimo Stendardo del Serenissimo Ferdinando de’ Medici, Gran Duca III. di Toscana MDXCI. xxiiii. di Giugno
• Author(s): Scipione Bargagli
• Publisher: In Bologna, per Gio. Rossi
• Edition: First Edition, 1591
• Format: Octavo, single volume
• Binding: Full vellum, no boards
• Size:  8.25 x 6 in (21 x 15 cm)
• Collation: 96, [8] pp
• Illustrations: Woodcut printer’s device, decorative initials and headings
• Contents Include:
  • Prefatory dedication to Ferdinando I de’ Medici
  • One hundred symbolic emblems with commentary
  • Descriptions of each knight’s imprese and motto
  • References to chivalric ideals and Sienese lineage
• Reference(s): USTC 806697

Condition:

Very Good. Bound in original vellum from the 16th century. Vellum shows light warping and mild wear along the edges. Pages are complete and toned evenly. Minor spots and smudges appear on some leaves, with moderate foxing on some leaves. Woodcut initials and title vignette retain clarity. Layout and pagination are intact.

Why Collect This?

• First edition printed in 1591 with original vellum binding
• Published under Ferdinando I de’ Medici for Sienese knights
• Of interest to collectors of Renaissance heraldry and Medici history

Item Number: # 28803