Bartolomeo Gamba I Viaggi in Asia in Africa, nel mare dell’Indie descritti nel secolo XIII da Marco Polo veneziano, testo di lingua detto Il Milione illustrato con annotazioni, Venice: Tipografia di Alvisopoli, 8vo.

Matteo Giro

Printed book, 182 × 128 mm

This first edition in “paperback” format was printed in just one hundred copies. Edited by the bibliographer and bibliophile Bartolomeo Gamba (Bassano del Grappa, 1766 – Venice, 1841), librarian at the Biblioteca Marciana from 1830. Gamba’s intent was to make Marco Polo’s famous book, Il Milione, easier to consult and read. As explained in the introduction, he endeavored to drastically reduce the original amount of writing to “that which is indispensable for taking possession of the Text, by accompanying it with sufficient pithy notes as to make it clearly understandable.” 
The book also includes numerous updated notes and by a large map of the world showing the travel routes made by Marco Polo and other Venetian explorers, including Giovanni and Sebastiano Caboto, and Nicolò and Antonio Zeno. This copy is from the library of Giovanni Vacca (1872-1953), an Italian mathematician and expert sinologist.

Bibliography: P. Amat di San Filippo, Bibliografia dei viaggiatori italiani..., Rome 1874, p. 13