Tradition of Typography and Publishing

The typography and publishing sector represents the most important area of activity and productivity in Città di Castello. The history of the art of printing in Città di Castello goes back to 1538 with a few traveling typographers, Antonio Mazzocchi of Cremona and the brothers Gucci of Cortona, who printed the old Statutes of the Community ("Liber Statutorum") . In the corse of the centuries new types of typography appeared. In 1799 Grifani Dolnati opened it is still in existence today and has become a working museum. Scipione Lapi Typography and Publishing enterprise was founded in 1872 and soon after began assuming importance on a national level. They were famous for reprinting "Rerum Italicarum Scriptores" until 1915 when the print shop due to financial difficulties was sold to Societa Editrice Dante Alighieri. To this day the typography and publishing sector represents a productive line on a national level. Città di Castello hosts an annual antique book show with a vast selection of collectable engravings. Enhanced by a variety exhibitions on typography and publishing.


In the photo: Machine shop of the Lapi publishing house in Old Bufalini Palace (1895). Archives Tacchini Photography