The Bookseller of Florence: Ross King

The Renaissance in Florence conjures images of beautiful frescoes and elegant buildings - the dazzling handiwork of the city`s artists and architects. But equally important were geniuses of another kind: Florence`s manuscript hunters, scribes, scholars and booksellers. At a time where all books were made by hand, these people helped imagine a new and enlightened world.

At the heart of this activity was a remarkable bookseller: Vespasiano da Bisticci. His books were works of art in their own right, copied by talented scribes and illuminated by the finest miniaturists. With a client list that included popes and royalty, Vespasiano became the `king of the world`s booksellers`. But by 1480 a new invention had appeared: the printed book, and Europe`s most prolific merchant of knowledge faced a formidable new challenge.