![Evangelium Sanctum Domini Nostri Jesu Christi in Arabic 1590 with Arabic types of Robert Grandjon Rome Typographia Medicea](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/Evangelium_Sanctum_Domini_Nostri_Jesu_Christi_in_Arabic_1590_with_Arabic_types_of_Robert_Grandjon_Rome_Typographia_Medicea.jpg)
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
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
. The press was active from 1584 to 1614.
[''A shared legacy: Islamic science East and West'' by G. Saliba p.202](_blank)
/ref>
The press initially benefited from the oriental manuscripts contributed by Ignatius Nemet Allah I, Patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch
The Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch ܦܛܪܝܪܟܐ ܕܐܢܛܝܘܟܝܐ is the bishop of Antioch, and head of the Syriac Orthodox Church ( Syriac: ܥܺܕܬܳܐ ܣܽܘ̣ܪܝܳܝܬܳܐ ܬܪܺܝܨܰܬ ܫܽܘ̣ܒ̣ܚܳܐ). He is the Head of the Hol ...
, then in exile in Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
.
The Medici Oriental Press published Christian religious works in oriental languages, such as the Gospels
Gospel originally meant the Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words an ...
which were printed in Arabic in 1591, with the objective of converting Muslims
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abraha ...
.
The Press also produced scientific books in the original Arabic language, possibly for European scientist to gain direct access to Arabic works.''First globalization: the Eurasian exchange, 1500 to 1800'' by Geoffrey C. Gunn
/ref>
The Press received from the Pope a monopoly
A monopoly (from Greek language, Greek el, μόνος, mónos, single, alone, label=none and el, πωλεῖν, pōleîn, to sell, label=none), as described by Irving Fisher, is a market with the "absence of competition", creating a situati ...
to print books in "foreign languages".[''Asia in the making of Europe: Volume II, A century of wonder'' p.528](_blank)
/ref>
Robert Granjon
Robert Granjon (1513-November 16, 1589/March 1590) was a French type designer and printer. He worked in Paris, Lyon, Frankfurt, Antwerp, and Rome for various printers. He is best known for having introduced the typeface Civilité and for his ita ...
of Paris (who also worked for the ''Typographia Vaticana'') was employed to cut Oriental typefaces, and Giovan Battista Raimondi from Cremona
Cremona (, also ; ; lmo, label= Cremunés, Cremùna; egl, Carmona) is a city and ''comune'' in northern Italy, situated in Lombardy, on the left bank of the Po river in the middle of the ''Pianura Padana'' ( Po Valley). It is the capital of th ...
was designated as the manager of the Press.
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
Ibn Ājurrūm ( ar, إبن أَجُرُوم; Berber: Ageṛṛom or Agerrum) and his full name: Abū ʿAbd Allāh Muḥammad ibn Muḥammad ibn Dāwūd al-Ṣanhādjī ( ar, أبو عبد اللہ محمد بن داوود الصنهاجي). (1273 ...
: ''Grammatica arabica in compendium redacta, quae vocatur Giarrumia, auctore Mahmeto filio Dauidis Alsanhagij'', Romae : in typographia Medicea, 1592.
*Avicenna
Ibn Sina ( fa, ابن سینا; 980 – June 1037 CE), commonly known in the West as Avicenna (), was a Persian polymath who is regarded as one of the most significant physicians, astronomers, philosophers, and writers of the Islamic G ...
: ''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 sicʿAlī Ibn Sīnā (Digitalization of the American University of Beirut
*Euklid
Euclid (; grc-gre, Εὐκλείδης; BC) was an ancient Greek mathematician active as a geometer and logician. Considered the "father of geometry", he is chiefly known for the '' Elements'' treatise, which established the foundations of g ...
: ''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
*Giovanni Battista Eliano
Giovanni Battista Eliano (; died 1580) was a Jesuit priest and scholar of Oriental languages.
Life
Giovanni Battista Eliano, sometimes called Giovanni Battista Romano, was a convert to Roman Catholicism from Judaism, and flourished in the se ...
: ''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
*Gaspare Viviano Gaspare (also ''Gaspero'', ''Gasperino'' and ''Gasparro'') is an Italian male given name, the literal translation of the English name Casper and Jasper (French Gaspard, Scandinavian Kasper and Jesper).
The name is rare in contemporary times, but ...
(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 al-Zanjani: ''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
{{Reflist
History of printing
16th-century establishments in the Grand Duchy of Tuscany