DIDEROT, Denis (1713-1784), Jean-Baptiste Le Rond D'ALEMBERT (1717-1783) - Encyclopédie, ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers. Lucca: Vincenzo Giuntini, 1758-1776 (i 28 volumi di testo e planches) - Parigi: Panckoucke, Stoupe, Brunet e Amsterdam: Rey, 1776-1777 (i 5 volumi di supplemento).   A fine copy in contemporary mottled calf and in good conditions of the renowned edition printed in Lucca of the Encyclopedie of Diderot and D'Alembert, the work that more than any other marked a real revolution in the diffusion of culture and thought in Europe. The present copy also contanins 5 volumes of supplement printed in Paris and Amsterdam.   The first Parisian edition was printed between 1754 and 1780 and the Lucchese version, curated by Ottaviano Diodati, was published almost simultaneously with the French princeps.   It is one of the most splendid products of the Enlightenment, and one of the great landmarks of Western intellectual history. "A monument in the history of European thought; the pinnacle of the age of reason; a primary driving force in undermining the Ancien régime and announcing the French Revolution; a permanent source for all aspects of eighteenth-century civilization" (PMM). "The largest encyclopedia of science, which has had a widespread effect in establishing uniformity of terminology, concept and procedure in all fields of science and technology" (Grolier-Horblit).   33 volumes, folio (402 x 260mm). 17 volumes of text: half-titles, engraved vignettes on title designed by Paladini , first volume with frontispiece engraved by Guidotti after Cochin, variant B of SBN with χ1 bound before the half-title containing "Explication du frontispice de l'Encyclopedie", a folding plate of "Systeme figure des connoissance humaine" (SBN mentions a second plate not present in the digital copy of the Università della Sapienza in Rome), volume 8 with folding plate of "Mesures itinéraires anciennes" (SBN mentions a second plate that is not present in the digital copies preserved in Rome), engraved and woodcut headpieces and initials; in addition to the first volume also volumes 12, 13 and 17 are in variant B (some light browning, occasionally heavier, internal margin of a few initial leaves of the first volume with slight wear, occasional small marginal tears that do not touch the text, without a few final blanks, sporadic, marginal and minimal traces of worming in the first 4 volumes and in vols. 11, 13, 14).   11 volumes of plates: 2751 engraved plates in total, 249 (of 253) in the first volume, 206 in the second, 189 (of 195) in the third, 275 in the fourth, 236 in the fifth, 266 in the sixth, 243 in the seventh, 237 in the eighth, 210 in the ninth, 266 in the tenth, 194 in the eleventh, woodcut headpieces (some foxing, small annotation in the sixth volume that touche plate XLVIII of "Histoire naturelle", occasional minimal defects to the margins that do not touch the plates).   4 volumes of supplement to the text and one supplement to the planches: in the supplements to the texts 3 folding plates in the first volume, one in the second and one in the third (not called for in SBN), in the supplement to the planches 210 (of 215) engraved plates, frontispieces, woodcut headpieces and initials (in the supplements to the text there are a few small marginal tears, first volume with a small wormtrack in the inner margin of gatherings 3C to 3H that does not touch the text, some general foxing and browning).   Elegant and well preserved contemporary mottled calf decorated in gilt, red edges, marbled endpapers, the supplement vols lightly lighter (generally in good conditions but with some occasional scuffing, rubbing and worming). Provenance: occasional contemporary annotations - Guglierame di Cosio (bookplates at the endpapers). A more detailed condition report on the individual volumes is available upon request. (33)

Estimate € 6,000 - 9,000

Sold € 11,000