CAROLUS CLUSIUS (CHARLES DE L'ÉCLUSE, 1526-1609). AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED TO MATTEO CACCINI, LEYDEN, 25 SEPTEMBER 1608, IN ITALIAN, ONE PAGE, 138 X 200 MM, ADDRESS PANEL ON VERSO, TRACES OF RED WAX SEAL, ENDORSED BY THE RECIPIENT (SMALL STRIP, APPROXIMATELY 55 X 7 MM, TORN FROM BLANK INNER MARGIN). CLUSIUS WRITES THAT HE IS UPSET THAT A BOX OF FLOWERS ARRIVED IN FLORENCE DURING CACCINI'S ABSENCE, AND WORRIED ABOUT THE FRITILLARY AND THE WHITE-FLOWERED MARTAGON 'CHE SONO PIANTE RARISSIMME IN QUESTE PARTI'; HE RECEIVED IN AUGUST THE PLANTS OF THE HEMEROCALLIS VALENTINA 'O VERO NARCISSO MARINO', AND SENT A CATALOGUE OF THE PLANTS HE WAS TO SEND CACCINI, WITH SAMPLES OF ARGYROCUME OR GNAFOLIO AMERICANO. THE LETTER CONTINUES ON THE EXCHANGE OF PLANT SPECIMENS AND SEEDS, SOME COLLECTED BY HIS FRIENDS WHICH HAVE NOT RIPENED IN THE CONTINUAL RAIN, OTHERS FROM SINGLE-FLOWERED PLANTS GERMINATED FROM SEEDS OF DOUBLE-FLOWERED PLANTS, ALSO VARIETIES OF MARTAGON FOR CACCINI TO TRY OUT, ADDING THAT HE HAS LETTERS FROM PADRE GREGORIO DI REGGIO, AT INNSBRUCK, AND REMINDING CACCINI THAT HE IS AWAITING THE PLANTS THAT HE REQUESTED. A POSTCRIPT INCLUDES A REQUEST FOR SEEDS OF THE LEAVED HYACINTH. CLUSIUS, THE GREATEST BOTANIST OF THE 16TH-CENTURY, HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS EUROPE'S FIRST SCIENTIFIC HORTICULTURALIST. HE INTRODUCED AND DISTRIBUTED MANY EXOTIC GARDEN PLANTS, AND PARTICULARLY BULBS, THROUGHOUT THE CONTINENT. HIS FAME LIES IN PARTICULAR WITH THE CULTIVATION OF RARE BULBS AND TUBERS FROM WESTERN ASIA, AND IS LINKED ESPECIALLY TO THE TULIP. HIS PATRONESS, MARIE DE BRIMEN, CALLED HIM 'LE PÈRE DE TOUTS LES BEAUX JARDINS DE CE PAYS'. MATTEO CACCINI (1573-1640), A SON OF GIOVANNI CACCINI, THE FRIEND OF VASARI, CULTIVATED MANY VARIETIES OF PLANTS IN HIS BOTANICAL GARDEN IN FLORENCE. HE WAS INTRODUCED TO CLUSIUS IN A LETTER BY PADRE GREGORIO DI REGGIO, A CAPUCIN, WHO CORRESPONDED WITH CLUSIUS FROM 1602. THE LETTER IS NOT IN PIERO GINORI CONTI'S EDITION OF THE LETTERE INEDITE DI CHARLES DE L'ESCLUSE A MATTEO CACCINI (FLORENCE, 1939), A SERIES OF 23 LETTERS DATED 29 SEPTEMBER 1606 - 22 MARCH 1609.
Details
Carolus Clusius (Charles de l'Écluse, 1526-1609).
Autograph letter signed to Matteo Caccini, Leyden, 25 September 1608, in Italian, one page, 138 x 200 mm, address panel on verso, traces of red wax seal, endorsed by the recipient (small strip, approximately 55 x 7 mm, torn from blank inner margin).
Clusius writes that he is upset that a box of flowers arrived in Florence during Caccini's absence, and worried about the fritillary and the white-flowered Martagon 'che sono piante rarissimme in queste parti'; he received in August the plants of the Hemerocallis Valentina 'o vero Narcisso marino', and sent a catalogue of the plants he was to send Caccini, with samples of Argyrocume or Gnafolio Americano. The letter continues on the exchange of plant specimens and seeds, some collected by his friends which have not ripened in the continual rain, others from single-flowered plants germinated from seeds of double-flowered plants, also varieties of Martagon for Caccini to try out, adding that he has letters from Padre Gregorio di Reggio, at Innsbruck, and reminding Caccini that he is awaiting the plants that he requested. A postcript includes a request for seeds of the leaved hyacinth. Clusius, the greatest botanist of the 16th-century, has been described as Europe's first scientific horticulturalist. He introduced and distributed many exotic garden plants, and particularly bulbs, throughout the continent. His fame lies in particular with the cultivation of rare bulbs and tubers from Western Asia, and is linked especially to the tulip. His patroness, Marie de Brimen, called him 'le père de touts les beaux jardins de ce pays'.
Matteo Caccini (1573-1640), a son of Giovanni Caccini, the friend of Vasari, cultivated many varieties of plants in his botanical garden in Florence. He was introduced to Clusius in a letter by Padre Gregorio di Reggio, a Capucin, who corresponded with Clusius from 1602. The letter is not in Piero Ginori Conti's edition of the Lettere Inedite di Charles de l'Escluse a Matteo Caccini (Florence, 1939), a series of 23 letters dated 29 September 1606 - 22 March 1609.
Autograph letter signed to Matteo Caccini, Leyden, 25 September 1608, in Italian, one page, 138 x 200 mm, address panel on verso, traces of red wax seal, endorsed by the recipient (small strip, approximately 55 x 7 mm, torn from blank inner margin).
Clusius writes that he is upset that a box of flowers arrived in Florence during Caccini's absence, and worried about the fritillary and the white-flowered Martagon 'che sono piante rarissimme in queste parti'; he received in August the plants of the Hemerocallis Valentina 'o vero Narcisso marino', and sent a catalogue of the plants he was to send Caccini, with samples of Argyrocume or Gnafolio Americano. The letter continues on the exchange of plant specimens and seeds, some collected by his friends which have not ripened in the continual rain, others from single-flowered plants germinated from seeds of double-flowered plants, also varieties of Martagon for Caccini to try out, adding that he has letters from Padre Gregorio di Reggio, at Innsbruck, and reminding Caccini that he is awaiting the plants that he requested. A postcript includes a request for seeds of the leaved hyacinth. Clusius, the greatest botanist of the 16th-century, has been described as Europe's first scientific horticulturalist. He introduced and distributed many exotic garden plants, and particularly bulbs, throughout the continent. His fame lies in particular with the cultivation of rare bulbs and tubers from Western Asia, and is linked especially to the tulip. His patroness, Marie de Brimen, called him 'le père de touts les beaux jardins de ce pays'.
Matteo Caccini (1573-1640), a son of Giovanni Caccini, the friend of Vasari, cultivated many varieties of plants in his botanical garden in Florence. He was introduced to Clusius in a letter by Padre Gregorio di Reggio, a Capucin, who corresponded with Clusius from 1602. The letter is not in Piero Ginori Conti's edition of the Lettere Inedite di Charles de l'Escluse a Matteo Caccini (Florence, 1939), a series of 23 letters dated 29 September 1606 - 22 March 1609.
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