CASTELVETRO, Lodovico "Poetica D’Aristotele Vulgarizzata" [Pietro de Sedabonis, 1576]

"Poetica d'Aristotele vulgarizzata, et sposta per Lodovico Castelvetro. Riveduta, & ammendata secondo l'originale, & la mente dell'autore. Aggiuntovi nella fine un racconto delle cose piu notabili, che nella spositione si contengono" [Basel, Pietro Perna, ad instanza di Pietro de Sedabonis, 1576]. Lodovico Castelvetro's Translation and Commentary on Aristotle's "Poetics". Italian language. Full vellum with yapp edges, label with gilt on spine, all edges speckled. 4to; [16] 699 (i.e. 703) [57]pp. With index, woodcut on title page, initials, diagrams and tables. USTC 819474. 8 7/8 x 7 1/8 in. Boards with light staining, several wormholes and area of grime on back cover; manuscript on free endpaper ("Libreria Negroni"), toning and foxing throughout, occasional damp stain, with frequent ink marginalia and passages crossed out. Very Good.

Lodovico Castelvetro’s "Poetica d’Aristotele Vulgarizzata et Sposta" (1576) was a significant contribution to literary criticism and Renaissance poetics. As the first vernacular translation and commentary on Aristotle’s "Poetics" in Italian, it made Aristotle’s ideas accessible to a broader audience beyond scholars who could read Greek or Latin. This helped spread Aristotelian literary principles across Europe and influenced the way drama was understood and structured.

One of Castelvetro’s most enduring contributions was his emphasis on the unities of time, place, and action in drama. While Aristotle had mentioned these concepts in passing, Castelvetro codified them into strict rules that later became foundational in French Neoclassicism, influencing playwrights like Corneille and Racine. His interpretation of Aristotle was also unique in that he took a more prescriptive approach, arguing that drama should not only instruct but also entertain the common people, rather than being reserved for elite scholars.

The impact of "Poetica d’Aristotele Vulgarizzata" extended across European drama, shaping Italian, French, and even English theatrical traditions. However, Castelvetro’s reading of Aristotle was not without controversy. His rigid adherence to structure and rules led to distortions of Aristotle’s original meaning, which later scholars and playwrights would challenge. Despite these debates, his influence on early modern literature was profound, establishing many of the conventions that defined Renaissance and Neoclassical drama.