Why read The Bookseller of Florence?

Book cover of The Bookseller of Florence: The Story of the Manuscripts That Illuminated the Renaissance

Book description

The Renaissance in Florence conjures images of beautiful frescoes and elegant buildings—the dazzling handiwork of the city’s skilled artists and architects. But equally important for the centuries to follow were geniuses of a different sort: Florence’s manuscript hunters, scribes, scholars, and booksellers, who blew the dust off a thousand years…

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Why read it?

1 author picked The Bookseller of Florence as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Francesca Fiorani

Author

After you read about the chase of lost ancient manuscripts, you’ll want to know the story of this Florentine man of humble origins but great intellect who played a crucial role in disseminating these newly discovered texts in Europe and beyond. Along the way you’ll learn how books were made before the invention of the printing press, including a myriad of fascinating details about the production of parchment and paper, the manufacturing of inks and bindings, the creation of figures and illuminations, and the use of movable types.

You’ll step into the life of a famous Florentine bookshop, where humanists,…

From Francesca's list on the art and culture of Renaissance Florence.