[MALTA - SICILY] BOCCONE, Paolo (1633-1704). Museum of wild plants Sicily, Malta, Corsica, Italy, Piedmont, and Germany [...] with the Appendix. Venice: Zuccato, 1697. First vulgar edition of this rare and important work by Paolo Boccone, among the pioneers of the systematic study of European flora and central figure of pre-Linne botany. As a result of the extensive naturalistic explorations conducted by the author in Sicily, Malta and most of Europe, the Museum describes and illustrates numerous rare plants, with particular attention to the Mediterranean flora and its possible medicinal and practical uses. The work has a special interest in the history of Maltese botany: together with the previous Icons of 1674, it is in fact one of the first print sources dedicated to the flora of the archipelago, at a time when the botanical testimonies relating to Malta were still extremely scarce. The rich iconographic apparatus is part of Boccone's broader project to entrust visual representation with the knowledge and circulation of the species collected during his travels. Beautiful the allegorical anti-porta with Santa Rosalia and Palermo in the background, followed by the portrait of the author. 4th (226 × 165 mm). Antiporta incisa, portrait of the author and 127 tables numbered 1-127, of the 130 previewed (light marginal to the frontispiece and the first 3 cards; tear to the paper n8 without loss of text, missing the tables 128-130). Twentieth century bonding in half parchment. (1)