- Author: Saverio Manetti
- Date: 1770
- Medium: Hand-colored copperplate engraving
- Condition: Very Good
- Image Size (Inches): 11 x 14 (Size of image displayed does not include additional original margin)
- Image Size (Centimeters): 27.9 x 35.6
- Product ID: 262018
Francesco Saverio Manetti also spelt Xaviero or Xaverio Manetti (Latinized as Franciscus Xaverius Manetti civis Florentinus) (12 November 1723 – 12 November 1785) was an Italian physician, botanist and ornithologist. Among his works is the treatise on birds, Ornithologia methodice digesta or Storia naturale degli uccelli (1776).
He was supervisor of the Orto Botanico di Firenze in Florence from 1749 to 1782 succeeding Giovanni Targioni Tozzetti and Secretary of the Accademia dei Georgofili. With remarkable organizational effort, he secured the publication of Storia naturale degli uccelli, Natural History of the birds, a monumental work in five volumes illustrated with 600 hand-coloured engravings based on watercolor paintings. The book was commissioned by Maria Luisa, Grand duchess of Tuscany and the first volume was dedicated to Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo. The third volume was dedicated to Ferdinando di Brobone and the fourth to Giorgio Nassau Clavering. The engravings were made by Tuscan abbot and engraver Lorenzo Lorenzi and Violante Vanni who had studied under British engraver Robert Strange. Engraving was an unusual profession for women in Florence during the period.