Giambattista Bodoni

Giambattista Bodoni – born 26. 2. 1740 in Saluzzo, Piedmont, Italy, died 30. 11. 1813 in Parma, Italy – engraver, type designer, typographer, printer, publisher.

• 1758–66: Typesetter in the Vatican’s Propaganda Fide printing works.
• 1766: The Duke of Parma invites Bodoni to set up an run a printing works.
• 1768: Begins working in the Stamperia Reale.
• 1770: Opens his own type foundry.
• 1771: Publishes his first typographical contribution "Fregi e Majuscole".
• 1782: Charles III of Spain names Bodoni his court typographer.
• 1788: the book "Manuale Tipografico" is published, containing 100 roman, 50 italic and 28 Greek minuscule fonts.
• 1790: The Duke of Parma gives Bodoni permission to open his own printing works, Tipi Bodoni. The first books to be published are volumes of Greek, Roman and Italian classics.
• 1806: "L’Oratio Dominica in CLV linguas versa" is produced, set in 215 typefaces.
• 1818: Bodoni’s widow completes and publishes her late husband’s mighty "Manuale Tipografico" in two volumes, a witness to Bodoni’s entire creative working life. It contains roman, Greek, gothic, Asian and Russian fonts, and lines, borders, symbols, numbers and musical notation.
• 1963: The Bodoni Museum is opened in Parma.