Five hundred and fifty years ago, in 1465, Italy's first printing press was set up at the Benedictine monastery of San Benedetto at Subiaco (Lazio). The event will be celebrated throughout the year at the sister religious house of Santa Scolastica where the library contains a fascinating collection of ancient books, illuminated manuscripts and parchments.
The art of printing was introduced into Italy by two pupils of Gutenberg, the inventor of the printing press, on the invitation of Cardinal Giovanni Torquemada. The first books to issue from Santa Scolastica was an Ars Grammatica, followed by Cicero's De Oratore, both printed in the elegant lettering known as the “Subiaco font”.
The commemorations will centre round the recently created “Borgo dei Cartai” (Village of the Paper-makers) inside the former Carlani Mill, where courses on the art of hand-made paper making will be held. Subiaco was an important centre of paper manufacturing for several centuries, ever since the Cartiera di Subiaco was founded by Pope Sixtus V in 1587 to produce not only paper, but also bank notes for the Holy See.
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Info: www.ilborgodeicartai.it
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