The Manutius Network 2015

Abstract

This past year has been marked by celebrations of the fifth centenary of the death of Aldus Manutius ( c . 1451–1515). Few printers have contributed so much to the advancement of the design of the printed book and to the publishing of the Greek and Roman classics. His family press was active in Venice from 1494 to 1598, with short-lived branches in Bologna and Rome in the mid-sixteenth century. Its publications have been collected and studied down to the present day. The Manutius Network 2015 is a website devoted to the Aldine year'. The project was developed by the present writer under the auspices of the Consortium of European Research Libraries (CERL), so as to provide a comprehensive picture of the conferences, seminars, and exhibitions taking place throughout the world in honour of Aldus Manutius, his press, and his books. The aim of the project was to inform scholars and the general public, encourage collaboration between the various organisers, and to document the activity of the bibliographical community, with the hope of benefiting present and future students of Aldus and his wide-ranging legacy. The positive response from the organisers, who generously shared details of their events, far exceeded expectations. The final list of events shown below records over fifty initiatives, from the United States to Australia, held between November 2014 and June 2016.