La divina commedia
La divina commedia / di Dante Allighieri. Parma: Nel regal palazzo ... co’ tipi Bodoniani, MDCCXCVI [1796]
The Italian type-designer and printer Giambattista Bodoni is known for his modern typefaces, which characteristically reveal strong contrasts between the thick and thin parts of individual letters. Because of his emphasis on typography, Bodoni’s books usually have wide margins and no illustrations; his editions of Dante are no exception. In 1795 he published the Divina Commedia in a limited run of only 130 copies. The next year, he reprinted the text in both a folio and quarto format. Vassar’s set, recently acquired through the Zuccaro Book Fund, is an example of the quarto edition. There are three volumes, each roughly the same length. Of special note for the Vassar copy is that each volume is preserved in its original 18th century binding of orange-colored paper boards.