Frequently, curiosity-seekers are rewarded for asking about the oldest book in the library.
It is up in the Archives and Special Collections, where it is stored in a climate controlled area that keeps its fine cotton rag pages supple. Because of its wordy title, it is usually referred to as De Re Militari.
The title loosely translates to “Regarding Military Matters.” It is a treatise on the art of war written by Roberto Valturio for his patron, Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta, Lord of Rimini. Valturio originally composed the work around 1460 and it circulated as a manuscript for many years before its first printing. It became a widely known handbook for military leaders of the Renaissance.
A gift from the class of 1952 on their 40th anniversary, our copy is one of an edition published in Paris in 1532. The brown leather cover presents a puzzle because it is stamped with “1582,” fifty years after the publishing date noted in Roman numerals on the title page. This is because books used to be sold without covers so buyers could personalize their copy with a binding suiting their pocketbook and style.
The text is in Latin and is heavily illustrated with woodcut illustrations of equipment for the military and naval engineer. These illustrations are much of what makes the book stand out. The woodcuts have been attributed to different artists, primarily Matteo de’ Pasti and Fra Giocondo. They are remarkable as some of the earliest examples of book illustration that was not simply decorative but used to communicate information and ideas.
Subjects of the woodcuts range from revolving gun turrets to platforms and ladders for sieges to a diver's suit to a completely closed boat that could be half submerged. Leonardo da Vinci is believed to have drawn inspiration for some of his drawings of military technology from the Italian edition of the book.
A selection of illustrations from different sections of the book:
This book is just one of many rare and special books housed in the NU Archives & Special Collections.
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