A Latin-American Avenue for Advanced Research into the Functioning and Prestige of the Officina Plantiniana

Abstract

Abstract The concept of what a museum is has shifted from an institution that collected and studied artefacts from the past to an institution that conserves heritage and presents it to the public. This was influenced by Unesco, which imposed these ‘new’ tasks on the managers and owners of World Heritage Sites. In 2005 the Plantin-Moretus Museum became a World Heritage Site and although there has been a shift in focus, research still is of prime importance. The most important new project that started immediately was the tracing and cataloguing of Plantin’s books in the Iberian world. The museum created an alliance with the Biblioteca Palafoxiana in Puebla, Mexico, and alliances with universities in Mexico. So far it has resulted in conferences and exhibitions in Antwerp and South America, while cataloguing the complete output of the Plantin-Moretus printing house is well on its way.