Sansovino, Francesco

Abstract

A prolific writer and publisher active in sixteenth century Venice, Francesco Sansovino was able to combine his humanistic education with a strong commitment to publishing and dispersing new information and a keen eye for the book market. Despite possessing a degree in civil law, which would have granted him steady employment, he chose the uncertain path of publishing and devoted most of his energies to spreading knowledge in the vernacular. He translated classical and modern authors, wrote manuals and treatises, compiled epitomes and collections of works on several subjects, sometimes copying unscrupulously from his sources, but often displayed creativity in his approach to such materials. His understanding of the contemporary book market guaranteed him enough success to open a printing press and to stay in business for over 20 years; he also contributed to the dissemination of culture, starting or boosting literary genres that became very popular in the succeeding years. His prolific and varied production has been studied from several perspectives in the last decades (for a selected bibliography, see Davis, FONTES 43:12–14, 2009), but a specific feature has been observed by multiple scholars: with every subject, Sansovino consistently focused on its practical implications. This concrete, didactic dimension is probably his most distinctive trait and becomes particularly interesting when applied to politics.