The first illustrated printed book from Italy and a real bestseller: the meditations of a Spanish cardinal and abbot
Meditationes

Meditationes
Juan de Torquemada (1388–1468) was a Spanish cardinal and abbot of the Monastery of Subiaco
The text at hand is not his most famous, but is the most sought-after by bibliophiles
It was published on December 31st, 1467 in Rome by the German printer Ulrich Han (ca. 1425 – ca. 1478)
Meditationes
Short Description
This codex represents both a historical landmark in the history of book printing as well as a fascinating synthesis of the arts. It is the first book to be printed in Italy, the work of a German who was part of the first generation of printers to spread across Europe and thus export Gutenberg’s invention. Spaces were left open for woodcuts and custom initials to be added according to the patron’s wishes, making it a transitional work.
Meditationes
A true milestone of the Italian Renaissance: the first illustrated printed book from Italy. Carlos Romero de Lecea has pointed out of this was "not the most well-known nor the most important work (of its author), but the most sought after by bibliophiles of all times", referring to this first edition, which was a genuine 15th century best-seller. Its author was no less than Juan de Torquemada (1388–1468) a Spanish cardinal and abbot of the Monastery of Subiaco. His Meditations were published on December 31st, 1467 by the German printer Ulrich Han (ca. 1425 – ca. 1478) in Rome. The printing press of Johannes Gutenberg (ca. 1400–68) had only recently been brought to Italy by Arnold Pannartz (d. ca. 1476) and Konrad Sweynheim (d. 1477), specifically to Subiaco Abbey, which was administered by Juan de Torquemada, the patron of this printed work. The printer, Ulrich Han, used a form of hybrid script that blended Gothic and Roman letters and like many incunabula (pre–1501 printed books) left blank spaces open for an illuminator to add customized historiated initials. These appear alongside 31 colored woodcuts, which reproduce the now-lost paintings of the Church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva.
Codicology
- Style
- Genre
1 available facsimile edition(s) of „Meditationes“
Meditationes
- Publisher
- Vicent Garcia Editores – Valencia, 1998
- More Information
- Reproduction of the entire original document as detailed as possible (scope, format, colors). The binding may not correspond to the original or current document binding.
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