Rare first edition of Baldi's translation into Italian of Heron of Alexandria's Automata, a treatise on self-propelled machines which enable wonders in banquets and in theatrical contexts by mechanical or pneumatical means, like automatic opening or closing of temple doors, statues that pour wine and milk, etc. This edition also includes the Discorso di chi traduce sopra le macchine se moventi (A4r) and the Annotationi del S. Bernardino Baldi d'Urbino, abbate di Guastalla, sopra le machine se mouenti di Herone (L2r).

'Bella e rara edizione' (Riccardi I, 67).

First Italian edition; 2 parts in one vol., 4to (20.9 x 15.4 cm); title within elaborate engraved architectural border, woodcut headpieces, tailpieces and initials, 11 engravings, of which 6 are full page, woodcut diagrams to text, very light spotting and soiling to margins, short closed tear to B2; contemporary limp vellum, manuscript lettering to spine, some soiling to boards, light wear to extremities, purple edges, overall a very good copy; collation: A4-M4 (M4 blank).

USTC 835654; Adams H-368; Gamba 1384; Mortimer Italian 231; Riccardi I, 67; Tomash & Williams, The Erwin Tomash Library on the History of Computing, H119.