Abstract

"Petrarchino" is a technical noun used by critics, philologists, and historians of the Italian language and literature to indicate all editions printed in small format of Petrach's "Can- zoniere", starting from the most famous of all: the one published in Venice in 1501 edited by Pietro Bembo and printed by Aldus Manutius. The author reconstructs the history and popularity of the term from the early sixteenth century to the present day, arguing that it should be used to indicate a version of the "Canzoniere" not only in print but also in manuscript, and even a hybrid object as the one represented by Andrea del Sarto in his famous portrait of the "Dama con petrarchino". The painting portrays a book that reproduces a manuscript in the material characteristics as well as in the format, and a printed text on the page (ultimately identified as the 1522 Giunti edition).