1783 Rare Italian 4 Vol Set Pocket Edition - Orlando Furioso by Lodovico Ariosto

A charming 18th-century pocket edition of Ariosto’s masterpiece, beautifully bound and complete in four elegant volumes.

Author: Lodovico Ariosto.
Title: Orlando Furioso.
Publisher: London, 1783.
Language: Text in Italian.
Size: 5 x 3 inches.
Pages: 272; 336; 334; 333 pages. Complete in four volumes.
Binding: Very good and attractive uniform contemporary bindings in brown calf spines with gilt decorative tooling, over beautifully marbled paper-covered boards; spines richly gilt with title “Ariosto” and volume numbering; all edges marbled; a refined and decorative 18th-century set under a protective, removable mylar cover.
Content: Very good content (bright, tight and clean, rare light foxing - as shown).; text clean and well preserved; complete set; includes the engraved frontispiece portrait of Ariosto; a handsome and well-preserved pocket edition.
Illustrations: Engraved frontispiece portrait of the author (complete).

Estimate: (USD 500–800).

The books: Orlando Furioso stands as one of the great masterpieces of Renaissance literature, blending chivalric romance, epic poetry, and imaginative fantasy into a richly layered narrative. This elegant 1783 London pocket edition captures the enduring popularity of Ariosto’s work in the 18th century, presenting the text in a compact and highly collectible format. The finely marbled boards and gilt spines enhance its aesthetic appeal, making it as pleasing to the eye as it is significant in literary history.

The author: Lodovico Ariosto (1474–1533) was one of the foremost poets of the Italian Renaissance. His Orlando Furioso, first published in 1516 and expanded in later editions, became a cornerstone of European literature, influencing writers from Spenser to Shakespeare. Celebrated for its wit, narrative complexity, and imaginative scope, the work remains a defining achievement of epic poetry.