Censura, commercio e privilegi librari a Roma : Il caso di Alessandro Prestino (1596)

Abstract

Following the political and spiritual intent of the Council of Trent, the Catholic Church implemented a systematic programme of liturgical reform as part of a broader doctrinal and pastoral development. This liturgical reform depended heavily on the printing press, the book market and the legal framework that supported this industry, in particular the printing privilege – a normative instrument that granted a limited monopoly on the commercialisation of a given book. Among the authorities empowered to grant such privileges was the Pope, whose ecclesiastical prerogatives allowed him to issue privileges with transnational reach, enforceable by sanctions such as excommunication. Papal universal privileges were of immense value to publishers, especially when applied to luxury goods such as reformed liturgical texts, as they could secure substantial profits for selected beneficiaries while excluding others from the lucrative liturgical book market. This led to bitter conflicts between private individuals, some of whom sought the support of state authorities and diplomats to negotiate with the Holy See. A striking example is the thirty-year privilege granted by Pope Clement VIII for the Pontificale Romanum, published in 1595 by Leonardo Parasole & Co. The present monograph explores how this privilege became the centre of political intrigue, commercial tensions and diplomatic disputes, eventually leading to a criminal case that caused significant scandal in Rome and beyond.