MAZZOTTA Benedetto De triplici philosophia naturali, astrologica, et minerali.

Riccardi I, 2, cols. 144-145 (‘con due tavole sul rame’); Schuh, Mineralogy (2007) II, pp. 1024-1025; Thorndike VII, pp. 643-646. Not in Hoover, Cole, Neville, Caillet, Dorbon, and other specialized bibliographies.

First edition, very rare, never republished, of this detailed treatise combining astronomy, astrology, mineralogy, metallurgy, chemistry, alchemy and gemmology, by Benedetto Mazzotta, professor of theology at the University of Bologna and member of the Benedictine order.

Mazzotta belonged to the old school of Bolognese scientists, attributing powers to the four traditional elements, the planets and precious stones, and defending the geocentric model of the universe against Copernicus, whose heliocentric model (he notes) had been condemned by the Church. It “magnificently illustrates scientific knowledge on the threshold of modern science, which will increasingly be based on experiments rather than philosophical speculation” (Schuh). The work has escaped the attention of alchemists, scientists, historians and collectors, perhaps because it stands at the transition between alchemy and astrology, on the one hand, and modern science, on the other.

The illustration consists of a fine allegorical frontispiece with the arms of the city of Bologna, engraved on copper by Bartolomeo Coriolano (1599-1676), 2 vignettes engraved on copper in the text of the second part, showing a comet (p. 16) and lightning (p. 23), a full-page figure representing various natural phenomena (p.42 ), as well as a fold-out plate printed with two plates depicting a figure mounted on a column and blowing into an instrument, and a compass rose.

Some occasional toning. Complete copy of the rare book.