Presented in December 2018, an exhibition at the Correr Museum in Venice drew a parallel between the city’s dominant role in book production and distribution during the 15th century and the operations of modern e-commerce giants. The show, titled Printing R-Evolution 1450–1500, examined how the Venetian Republic had invented its own version of Amazon five hundred years before the Seattle-based company was founded, with books at the core of both enterprises.
The Venetian Book Network
The Serenissima developed an extensive network for producing and distributing books during the early decades following the printing revolution. While Amazon’s dominance stems from digital innovation, the Venetian book empire emerged directly from the revolution in typography and printing technology that transformed Europe in the mid-15th century.
Impact of the Printing Revolution
The exhibition focused on the boom in typography and its broader social consequences. The rapid expansion of book production and distribution during this period reshaped how information circulated through Venetian society and beyond, establishing systems and practices that would influence publishing for centuries.
Frequently asked questions
What was the Printing R-Evolution exhibition about?
The exhibition at the Correr Museum examined Venice’s role in book production and distribution from 1450 to 1500, exploring how the city’s printing networks functioned as an early model for mass-market distribution, with particular attention to the social impact of the printing revolution.
Why is Venice’s book trade compared to Amazon?
Both enterprises were built on book distribution as their core business, but separated by five centuries: Venice’s empire emerged from the printing revolution of the 15th century, while Amazon’s business model arose from 20th-century digital technology.