Hortus Romanus juxta systema Tournefortianum paulo strictius distributus a Georgio Bonelli Monregalensi ... specierum nomina suppeditante, praestantiorum, quas ipse selegit, adumbrationem dirigente Liberato Sabbati Maevaniensi ... adiectis unicuique volumini rariorum plantarum tabulis 100. aere incisis. Tom. 1. [-8.], Roma, 1772-1793.
Giorgio Bonelli (1724-1803?), physician and botanist, carried out most of his activities in Rome where he was also professor of medicine and chief pontifical physician. Author of memoirs and scientific dissertations, he is offered by publishers Bouchard and Gravier (French but resident in Rome) the scientific direction of a systematic catalogue of the plants of the Roman Botanical Garden, published since 1772 under the title of Hortus Romanus juxta systema Tournefortianum ... As mentioned in the title, the author uses the classification system of Tournefort, then already outdated, but from the second volume (Bonelli had by then been succeeded by Nicola Martelli) was more influenced by the Linnean lesson, particularly for the binomial nomenclature.
The momumental work (8 volumes, 100 exquisitely crafted plates in each volume) is one of the most important Italian contribution to the great botanical works of the eighteenth century. The work is also very rare: it is believed that only around 300 copies were published of the first volume and even less of the later ones. The specimen owned by the Science Library includes all volumes, with b/w plates and another copy of the first volume with colour plates.
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