[Villedieu, Marie-Catherine]. Novelle egiziane ed africane. Tradotte dal francese nell’idioma italiano.

€ 1.500,00

Exceedingly rare Italian edition of Marie-Catherine de Villedieu's "Nouvelles africaines", first published in 1673. The first Italian translation dates back to 1730, prepared in Venice by Domenico Occhi; this was followed by the present edition by Francesco Garbo, who decided to resubmit the work to the public at the height of the Venetian rediscovery of oriental novellas that characterized the last two decades of the 18th century.

The story, which cashes in on adventurous and romantic motifs as well as its splendidly exotic setting, unfolds around the young Frenchman Albirondo, exiled following a duel and forced to land in Africa. Here he finds his friend Maometto Lapsi, in love with the slave Rahecma, who is none other than the young Uriane, loved by Albirondo. Torn between love and friendship, the protagonist will finally succeed in obtaining the woman's hand.

Of considerable rarity; only three copies traceable in libraries worldwide.