Lettere di Botanica e altri scritti. 2025. XIV,187 p. 8vo. Paper bd. - In Itlalian.

This volume brings together the Elementary Letters on Botany (1771-1774), the nine contemporary letters sent to Monsieur de La Tourrette, and the Dictionary of Botany, written during the same period. Rousseau reveals a lesser-known side of his thinking: that of the naturalist. The letters, written in a narrative and discursive style, guide the reader in understanding the characteristics of plants according to the Linnaean system and invite direct observation, transforming the study of botany into an aesthetic and almost emotional experience. The dictionary completes the work, providing clear tools for navigating the fundamental terms and concepts of the discipline.
The intimate and confidential tone of the letters aims to awaken curiosity and wonder, showing how botanical knowledge, far from being merely factual, can become an exercise for the eye and the soul. A significant contribution to the history of 18th-century botany and to the understanding of the particular naturalistic dimension of Rousseau's thought.