Storia naturale di Buffon nuovamente ordinata e continuata per opera del C. di Lacépède. Edizione adorna di rami. (Natural History by Buffon, reclassified and improved by C. of Lacépède. Edition decorated with branches)

Livorno : Vignozzi Typography, 1829-1833 BUC, CC 862-915

Georges-Louis Leclerc, count of Buffon (1707-1788), was a French naturalist, mathematician and astronomer.

An exponent of the scientific trend of the Age of Enlightenment, his theories had a great influence on the following generations of naturalists, and in particular on Jean-Baptiste Lamarck and Charles Darwin.

Buffon gained fame especially for his most important work, l'Histoire naturelle, générale et particulière in 36 volumes, published from 1749 to 1789, of which 8 volumes were published posthumously thanks to the work of fellow naturalist (and also one of Buffon’s students) Lacépède (1756-1825).

The Italian edition of Buffon’s work here on display was published in Livorno in 54 volumes by the Vignozzi brothers, starting in 1829, and includes the aforementioned 8 books, among which those devoted to fish.

The frontispiece of volume 48 is preceded by a color illustration, here on display, in which, among various species of fish, we can find an edible one, that is to say codfish, or “Gado merluzzo”. Fresh or preserved using several different techniques, it was a popular food across four continents and in many different countries (on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, from Scandinavia to the United Kingdom, from Western Africa to Iceland, to Brazil and the seaports of New England).

A popular food among many different populaces, from the Vikings to the mysterious Basques, who were the first to trade it during the Middle Ages, it was a staple also for the citizens of Perugia, as was salmon (see the Tomo 54 on display) and also for the students of the Collegio della Sapienza, as we can see from the records of the related expenditures in the Kitchen registries.