Medici Oriental Press
The Medici Oriental Press (also Typographia Medicea) was a press established by Ferdinand de Medici in the 16th century. This press produced some of the earliest books printed in Arabic. The press was active from 1584 to 1614.[1]
The press initially benefited from the oriental manuscripts contributed by Ignatius Nemet Allah I, Patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch, then in exile in Italy.[1]
The Medici Oriental Press published Christian religious works in oriental languages, such as the Gospels which were printed in Arabic in 1591,[2] with the objective of converting Muslims.[3]
The Press also produced scientific books in the original Arabic language, possibly for European scientist to gain direct access to Arabic works.[4][5]
The Press received from the Pope a monopoly to print books in "foreign languages".[6]
Robert Granjon of Paris (who also worked for the Typographia Vaticana) was employed to cut Oriental typefaces, and from Cremona was designated as the manager of the Press.[6]
Publications[]
- Euangelium sanctum Domini Nostri Iesu Christi conscriptum a quatuor euangelistis sanctis idest, Mattheo, Marco, Luca, et Iohanne. Romae: in Typographia Medicea, (1590-)1591
- Alphabetum Arabicum. Romae: in Typographia Medicea, 1592
- Mohammed al-Idrisi: De geographia vniuersali. Hortulus cultissimus, mire orbis regiones, prouincias, insulas, vrbes, earumque dimensiones & orizonta describens. Romae: in Typographia Medicea, 1592
- Missale syriacum. Romae: in Typographia Medicea, 1592
- 'Uthman ibn 'Umar Ibn al-Hajib: Grammatica arabica dicta Kaphia autore filio Alhagiabi = Kāfiya, li-Ĭbn al-Ḥāǧib, Romae: in typographia Medicea, 1592.
- Abu 'Abd Allah Muhammed ben Muhammed ben Dawud al-Sanhagi Ibn Adjurrum: Grammatica arabica in compendium redacta, quae vocatur Giarrumia, auctore Mahmeto filio Dauidis Alsanhagij, Romae : in typographia Medicea, 1592.
- Avicenna: Libri quinque canonis medicinae. Quibus additi sunt in fine libri logicae, physicae et metaphysicae. Arabice nunc primum impressi. Romae: in typographia Medicea, 1593 = Kutub al-qānūn fī ăṭ-ṭibb, maʿa baʿḍ taʾlīfihi wa-huwa ʿilm al-manṭiq wa-ʿilm aṭ-ṭabīʿī wa-ʿilm al-kalām, li-Abū [! sic] ʿAlī Ibn Sīnā (Digitalization of the American University of Beirut: [1])
- Euklid: Euclidis elementorum geometricorum libri tredecim. Ex traditione doctissimi Nasiridini Tusini. Nunc primum Arabice impressi. Romae: in Typographia Medicea, 1594
- Missale Chaldaicum iuxta ritum Ecclesiae nationis Maronitarum. Romae: in typographia Medicea, 1594
- Gregorio Nuñez Coronel: De vera Christi ecclesia libri decem. Authore fr. Gregorio Nunnio Coronel lusitano ordinis eremitarum s. Augustini professore, et sacrae theologiae doctore. Romae: ex Typographia Medicea : apud Iacobum Lunam, 1594
- Aurelius Augustinus: I tredici libri delle Confessioni. Tradotti di latino in italiano per Giulio Mazzini. In Roma: nella Typografia medicea, appresso Giacomo Luna, 1595
- Breuis orthodoxae fidei professio, quae ex praescripto Sanctae Sedis Apostolicae ab Orientalibus ad sacrosanctae Romanae Ecclesiae vnitatem venientibus facienda proponitur. Iussu sanctissimi domini nostri Clementis VIII. Excussum Romae: in Typographia Medicea, 1595
- : Sacrosanctae Romanae Ecclesiae unitatem venientibus facienda proponitur... Romae: In Typographia Medicea, 1595
- Georgius Amira: Grammatica Syriaca, siue Chaldaica, Georgij Michaelis Amirae Edeniensis e Libano philosophi ac theologi collegij Maronitarum alumni, in septem libros diuisa. Romae: in Typographia linguarum externarum: apud Iacobum Lunam, 1596
- Liber ministri missae iuxta ritum Ecclesia nationis Maronitarum. Romae: ex typographia Linguarum externarum, apud Iacobum Lunam, 1596
- Gregorio Nuñez Coronel: De optimo reipublicae statu libri sex, in duos tomos diuisi. Quibus accessit Apologeticus liber de apostolicis traditionibus. Romae: ex Typographia Externarum Linguarum: apud Iacobum Lunam, 1597
- (Bischof von Sitia und Gerapetra): Constitutiones et decreta ecclesiae Anagninae, edita & promulgata in synodo dioecesana anno MDXCVI. Romae: ex Typographia externarum linguarum apud Jacobum Lunam, 1597
- Caeremoniale episcoporum iussu Clementis VIII pont. max. nouissime reformatum omnibus ecclesijs praecipue autem metropolitanis cathedralibus & collegiatis perutile ac necessarium. Romae: ex Typographia Linguarum Externarum, 1600 mense Octobris.
- 'Abd al-Wahhab ibn Ibrahim : Liber tasriphi, et est liber conjugationis. Compositio est Senis Alemami. Traditur in eo compendiosa notitia coniugationum verbi Arabici ... Addita est duplex versio Latina... Romae: Ex Typographia Medicaea linguarum externarum, 1610
- Sacrosancta quatuor IesuChristi D. N. Evangelia Arabice scripta, Latine reddita, figurisque ornata. Romae: Ex Typographia Medicea, 1619
References[]
- ^ a b A shared legacy: Islamic science East and West by G. Saliba p.202
- ^ Modern Arabic literature by Muḥammad Muṣṭafá Badawī,M. M. Badawi p.27
- ^ Islam in Britain, 1558-1685 by Nabil I. Matar p.143 Note 89
- ^ Islamic science and the making of the European Renaissance by George Saliba p.229
- ^ First globalization: the Eurasian exchange, 1500 to 1800 by Geoffrey C. Gunn
- ^ a b Asia in the making of Europe: Volume II, A century of wonder p.528
- History of printing
- 16th-century establishments in the Grand Duchy of Tuscany