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While Dante deserves full credit for La Divina Commedia, it only made the top of the best-seller lists much later, thanks to the arrival Gutenberg’s 1453 printing press in Italy. And all the demand for bibles from monasteries back then? How were they supplied?
L’arte nuova (the new art as printing was called), is considered to be one of the main drivers of the Renaissance. So incredible was this new arte (meaning technique or technology) that it was also called l’arte miracolosa (miraculous art). The first printers arrived in the Umbrian city of Citta’ di Castello in 1538. This area of the Upper Tiber Valley is now known as the terra dei tipografi (land of typographers) due to the highest concentration of graphic and printing companies in the world.
The Tipografia Grifani Donati, founded in 1799, is the only printing workshop in the world still run by the same family. Gianni Ottaviani (7th generation) uses a collection of 18th century printing presses and the original methods for his lithographs and copperplate printing.
The incredible thing is that all Maestro Gianni needed to do to create this ‘living museum’ was to put an “Open” sign out front.
210 years now, and counting…
Tipografia Grifani-Donati, Corso Cavour, 4, Città di Castello, Tel. 075.8554349. Website coming soon, www.grifanidonati.it
Contributed by Jean Tori, artist (www.jeantoriartwork.com), who rents holiday houses in her medieval hamlet in Umbria (www.caiporrihomeinumbria.com
Fascinating bit of history, and all the more so since it is still very much alive. Thanks.
thank you for the info — it was very interesting — I also love your art work — maybe someday I can see it in person — we have been to the Tuscany area twice and my dream is to visit Umbria and Venice –
Not in Italy , rather here in the USA. papa worked for many years at Metropolitan Printing a company owned by a Jewish family. The type setting (Linotype) and copper plate and zinc plate systems were very familiar to me. As a boy I spent to many hours watching (and waiting) for pop to finish his job. All that has been replaced by computers.
I love Italy! Some things never change.
I wish we had know this while we lived in Perugia. I’d have enjoyed seeing this. Thanks
Two hundred and ten years. That says it all. Loved this piece.
This is a great article…especially for an old typographer like myself and my family. I still have my family hand-set type shop in storage in hopes of returning to the art when I retire from teaching art. The family firm was active 1923 to 1991. This living museum in Citta di Castello is a must see on my next visit to Italy. Thanks for your inspiration.