Five Centuries Later

The volume publishes the proceedings of the international conference held at the Ambrosiana Library in Milan in 2015. The essays provide an informed presentation of the new research centered on the figure of the great humanist and publisher Aldus Manutius. The fourteen interdisciplinary contributions by European and American authors offer a rich overview of the research trends of Aldine studies developed by scholars in recent decades. They include, but are not limited to, economy, social studies, paleography, art history, linguistic studies, history of collecting and the book trade. Many scholars consider the human and professional life of Aldus Manutius as an extraordinary adventure centered on the ‘book’ as an object capable of opening new cultural and intellectual paths. In a season of celebrations dedicated to rediscovering the figure of the great humanist-publisher, the Ambrosiana conference of 2015 marked a significant moment of discussion and historical analysis. This volume presents the fourteen interdisciplinary contributions presented at the international colloquium Five Centuries Later. Aldus Manutius: Culture, Typography and Philology, organized by the CRELEB of the Catholic University of Milan in collaboration with the Ambrosiana Library and the Grolier Club of New York. From diverse analytical perspectives, the contributions illustrate the latest trends in Aldine studies, from typographic history to antiquarian collecting, as well as economic history, book trade, art history, linguistic studies, paleography, and library history. The result is important testimony of the evolution and development of the studies related to the great publisher, which ideally creates a bridge between traditional and new research.