Italy
Florence
[“Stationers, perfumers, mercers and veil makers” listed as “subsidiary of one of the 21 official guilds”]
1427
Brief history
unknown
Archive
unknown status
Sources
- D. J. Treiman, Occupational Prestige (1977), pp.122-23, citing E. Staley, The Guilds of Florence (1906), pp.61-62
Milan
Guild of Printers, Publishers and Booksellers
1589-1614
Brief history
Philip II of Spain (as Duke of Lombardy) confirmed charter 1589; jurisdiction over Duchy of Lombardy; no-one not listed by Guild able to print or sell books in Milan; no-one to print an item already issued by another member; books to carry imprint; trade-signs must be unique; royal edict confirming regulations in 1614
Archive
unknown status
Sources
- George Haven Putnam, Books and Their Makers during the Middle Ages, 2 vols (New York & London: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1896-97), II.450-55
Venice
Guild of Printers and Publishers (“libreri da stampa”)
1548/49-nineteenth century
Guild of stationers (“libreri di carta bianca”)
??-??
Guild of compositors (“compositori”)
??-??
Guild of type-founders (“fonditori”)
??-??
Brief history
Instituted by decree 1548-49 by the Council of Ten but only became operative in 1567; compulsory membership; office-holders to have been a master-printer or owned bookshop for minimum of 5 years; 1571 issued decree that only members able to set up as printer or bookseller in Venice; up to 1600, less than 75 members (in 1596, 120 presses, c.150 booksellers in Venice); 1562 books to be authorised for printing only after examined by Inquisition, a public reader and a ducal secretary; after printing, checked again; 1566 all licences for printing to be registered free of charge (incompletely applied); in 1732, 300-400 members; disappeared early nineteenth century; there were also guilds for stationers (“libreri di carta bianca”), compositors (“compositori”) and type-founders (“fonditori”)
Archive
unknown status
Sources
- George Haven Putnam, Books and Their Makers during the Middle Ages, 2 vols (New York & London: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1896-97), II.364-9, 394-98
- Horatio F. Brown, The Venetian Printing Press (London: John C. Nimmo, 1891), especially pp.81-96, 174-195
- James Shaw [private information]