GIRONI Robustiano, “Saggio di Robustiano Gironi intorno alle costumanze civili dei Greci”, Milan, Dalla tipografia del Dottore Giulio Ferrario, 1823. ONE OF THE ONLY 80 COPIES. Folio (25x35cm), pp. 133, [2]. Including all the 19 hand-coloured aquatint plates. Contemporary binding: thick paper boards. Spine slightly torn and lacking small pieces Light marginal spotting inside, aquatint plates in very fine condition. A group of 4 leaves detached inside. Handwritten Ex-libris & dedicatory text on free endpaper among them dedicatory text to “D. Calvo Sozzi Arcidiacono della Metropolitana di Milano”. Robustiano GIRONI was an Italian philologist, librarian and respected member of the Milaneze society of the early 19th century. Connoisseur of Latin, ancient Greek and many modern languages he dedicated his life to studies and literary production. Although he published important bibliographic studies along the Italian classics and Italian art, he gained great fame with his works about the life, customs and costumes of ancient Greeks. These works, published during the Greek War of Independence, were adorned with impressive plates and produced in high quality publications of a very small print run. The current edition about the Greek Customs, printed in only 80 copies, includes views of the modern life of Greeks, mirroring the increasing interest for the “modern” Greeks, their connection to their ancestors and their fight against the Ottomans. Very few pieces tracked in auction the last 40 years. Very Rare. Not in Blackmer, Colas 1254