I'm 50 pages into a historical exploration of 15th century Italy called The Bookseller of Florence by Ross King. It is about a bookseller, In Florence. You probably guessed that already, but Vespasiano da Bisticci, was described as "the king of the world's booksellers" in a time of transition between copied manuscripts and printed volumes.
King is always meticulous in his research and provides the full scope of the stories he wants to tell. He explains that the Dark Ages preceding the 15th century weren't as gloomy when it came to culture as they have been made out to be. And he has already reminded us of the importance of the Christian church in sustaining culture and intellectual pursuit in the chaotic period after the fall of the Roman Empire.
Monasteries and convents were committed to sustaining not only written books of scripture but some of the most important classical texts of antiquity. Many treatises thought lost, in some cases for centuries, were found in the libraries of these monastic communities and their scribes, men and women, worked diligently to reproduce and share them.
Along with this, Christianity was key in the transition from the papyrus scrolls used for documents to more compact volumes with pages, often vellum (animal hides), before the widespread use of paper. The name for our collection of holy writings, the bible, comes from biblion, which is book.
It's good to read that the church was a contributor to enlightenment and knowledge, something I've certainly explored in the legacy of the Celtic tradition. I appreciate what I've read so far, and I'll keep you posted!
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