The Silence of Print. The Book and the City Facing the Storm

On the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the Battle of Pavia, the University Library of Pavia presents the exhibition The Silence of Print. The Book and the City Facing the Storm, curated by Maria Cristina Regali, with the collaboration of Luigi Casali (historical consultant), Pier Luigi Mulas (historical-artistic consultant), and the participation of artist Daniele Ilariucci and the Museum of Printing of Lodi.

What consequences did the Battle of Pavia—a conflict that changed the course of Italy and Europe—have on printing activity?

This is the question at the heart of the exhibition The Silence of Print. Featuring a selection of 41 volumes, the exhibition documents the publishing activity in Pavia before, during, and after the conflict—an event that marked a turning point in the city’s history. It opens with carefully crafted editions from the first two decades of the 1500s, when Pavia experienced a flourishing period of book production, just before plunging into the deep crisis caused by the war. Many of the displayed books are illustrated, including some unique examples in Italy.

The plague epidemic, the French siege of 1522, and the more severe and prolonged siege that began in October 1524 and ended on February 24, 1525 with the Battle itself, gradually brought printing activity to a halt. In that year, the only work printed in Pavia was Francesco Taegio’s Narratio—the centerpiece of the exhibition—which recounts the dramatic events of those days. Its wide circulation is remarkable: already in 1525, it was published in Germany, Switzerland, and Cremona; later reprinted twice in Pavia in 1655, and again in Nuremberg in 1736.

While Pavia’s presses fell silent, European printing houses, stirred by the emotional impact of the event, produced reports, notices, and broadsheets rich in illustrations of the people and places involved in the conflict. These were the first forms of popular journalism, with celebratory and propagandistic aims, which continued even in peacetime. The exhibition includes reproductions of such publications printed in Germany and Spain.

Only in 1539 did Pavia’s presses resume activity, producing several high-quality editions—some of which are displayed in the exhibition cases. However, the city’s book production never regained its former vigor.

The exhibition concludes with the magnificent volumes printed in the press of the Charterhouse of Pavia (Certosa di Pavia).

The exhibition is part of the events marking the 500th anniversary of the Battle of Pavia, organized by the Municipality of Pavia, the Chamber of Commerce of Cremona – Mantua – Pavia, the Monte di Lombardia Foundation, and the University of Pavia.
Main sponsor: Intesa Sanpaolo, in collaboration with PaviaSviluppo (Special Agency of the Chamber of Commerce of Cremona – Mantua – Pavia).