Il torneo a piedi, e l’invenzione, ed allegoria, colla quale il Signor Borso Bonacossi comparì a mantenerlo: e l’Alcina maga favola pescatoria fatta rappresentare dal suddetto Signore nella Sala detta de’ Giaganti in Ferrara, alla presenza di tre Altezze Serenissime di Mantova, de i due Eminentissimi Cardinali Sacchetti, e Spada, nel Carnovale dell’Anno 1631. Descritti dall’Aggirato Accademico Fileno. Evvi aggiunto il Tebro Epitalamio, che fu dispensato nella sera, e nel Teatro, in cui si fece il Torneo

4to (198x140 mm). [16], 107, [1] pp. and [6] etched folding plates attributed to Alfonso Chenda (1607-1640). Collation: a-b⁴ A-M⁴ N⁶. 18^th-century half vellum, inked title on spine, panels covered by light blue floral paper, red sprinkled edges (slightly worn and rubbed). Private stamp to the title-page verso. Worm track to the lower outer corner of the first ten leaves, which then becomes just a small hole, never affecting the text, other work track to the outer margin of the final leaves with no loss of text, two small holes on l. C2 one of which slightly affects the text, some foxing and staining, more strongly towards the end, all in all a good, genuine copy.

Extremely rare first and only edition of the account by Francesco Berni (1610-1673, disguised under the academic name of “Aggirato”) of the first festival held in Ferrara after the War of the Mantua Succession (1628-1631), to celebrate the wedding of Giovanni Francesco Sacchetti (1595-1656) and Beatrice Estense Tassoni (1611-1633), in the presence of the Duke of Mantua, Charles de Nevers -to whom the volume is dedicated- and Cardinal Giulio Sacchetti. The book describes a tournament organised by Borso Bonacossi at Carnival time and accompanied by recited texts (one of which is signed by Ottavio Magnanini), as well as poems, stage designs, and machinery (pp. 6-86). It also contains the Alcina maga, a “favola pescatoria” by Sebastiano Martini (pp. 87-96), a wedding ode by Francesco Berni recited that same evening (Il Tebro, overo la Pittura loquace del pittor muto, pp. 99-107), two sonnets, by Alfonso Fiornovelli and Ippolito Visdomini, and a Latin poem by I. Visdomini. The plates depict the allegorical and historical re-enactments that were performed, including two scenes from the Alcina maga.