Plato: Opera, Latin

The route by which printed books were transferred from Italy to Germany can be retraced through the painted decoration of this copy. The book contains the works of the Greek philosopher Plato in the Latin translation by the Florentine humanist Marsilio Ficino (1433-1499).

Even before German printers began to produce editions of Plato’s works, readers on the northern side of the Alps were able to obtain publications from Italy. The books were packed into wooden barrels as unbound leaves and transported on the well-established trade routes to urban centres, where bookdealers offered them for sale at market stalls, during fairs or in inns. Depending on the wishes of individual customers, the books were enhanced with bindings or painted decoration.

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