HERBERSTEIN SIGISMUND von (1486-1566) Comentari della Moscovia. Et parimente della Russia, et delle altre cose belle et notabili, composti gia latinamente per il signor Sigismondo libero Barone in Herberstain. Neiperg et Guetnhag, tradotti novamente di latino in lingua nostra vuolgare Italiana. Senato Venetiano, MDL [1550].

[4], [4], 91, [1], [1] p., [3] p. il., [1] p card. 21х16,5 cm Engraved coat of arms of Baron Herberstein on front page and woodcuts hand-painted. In Italian. Parchment binding from the period. Second edition of the book. The first edition was published in Vienna in 1549 in Latin (only a few copies are known). It is the 1550 edition that is considered the benchmark. This edition of Herberstein is also exceptionally rare. Sigismund von Herberstein (1486-1566) was an Austrian diplomat, writer and historian, one of the most popular authors of the 16th century who wrote about Russia. Herberstein acted as ambassador to Grand Duke Basil III and visited Russia twice (in 1517 and 1526). The result of his diplomatic mission to Russia was his 1549 book Rerum Moscoviticarum Commentarii (Notes on Moscovia), which was later translated into other European languages. The Austrian ambassador’s book largely influenced foreigners’ writings on Russia. All further works on Russia borrowed his factual material on the history, ethnography and geography of Moskovia