Govi Rare Books LLC

Our main fields of interest are manuscripts, incunabula and 16th-century books. A thorough understanding of classical languages (particularly Latin) and of the main languages of Western culture (Italian, English, French, Spanish and German) allows us to deal with a wide range of books and to access the scientific publications printed in these languages. Fabrizio has also deepened his knowledge in the field of antiquarian books, attending courses at the École de l'Institut d'Histoire du Livre of Lyon, concerning textual and physical bibliography and printing types, and at Merton College in Oxford on the study of paper. Fabrizio has been for several years committee member and treasurer of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of Italy (ALAI) and, from 2010 to 2015, its president. From 2016 to 2019 he has served as committee member and vice-president of the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB). The main aim of our activity is to propose rare and never trivial works in all fields of human knowledge from the beginning of writing to the present day; works that do not necessarily represent milestones in the history of humanity, but that simply express the genuine and original fruit of human ingenuity. In an era in which the digital has taken over the paper, we believe it is of great importance for the research and for the preservation to posterity of our history to have access to the primary sources, that is to say to the texts in their original editions. The physical aspect of the manuscripts and printed editions that have transmitted to us the texts in their original, is not a secondary detail, but represents a fundamental element for the understanding of the texts themselves and for the history of their reception and influence. For this reason, in addition to attaching great importance to the choice of the edition of the works we offer for sale, it is our constant concern to present those editions in the best and most genuine copies that can be found on the market. It is also essential for us to carry out a thorough search of the provenance of the volumes on offer. To this end, we actively cooperate not only with the authorities responsible for carrying out the necessary checks and issuing the mandatory licenses, but also with the cultural institutions in which many of our books, at the end of all our research, find a definitive and prestigious home. The aim of our research lies not only in finding forgotten works that are brought back to the attention of scholars and collectors, but also in the active participation in the chain of the ancient and rare book, which in addition to antiquarian booksellers sees as fundamental operators libraries, auction houses and collectors.