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Itinerary
European Travels in Typography - Itinerary
May 25 to June 12, 2009: Madrid and Denia, Spain 5/25 - 6/2/09, Mainz Germany, 6/2 - 6/6/09, Venice and Treviso, Italy, 6/6 - 6/12/09
Join instructor and printing historian, Bill Moran of Blinc Publishing for a tour of some of the finest typographic treasures the European continent has to offer. This trip was developed as an extension of his Travels in Typography class offered by the University of Minnesota and UW Stout. Each stop on our trip will provide the opportunity to research, set type and print in historically significant locations. In addition we'll examine the art, architecture and politics that fostered the growth of printing in Spain, Germany and Italy. We start in Madrid where we will assist and observe the printers of the cultural ministry of Spain. The catacombs of Conde Duque are home to exquisite collecitons of 19th century type and a host of presses. Within walking distance is Biblioteque Nacional, the premier library of the Iberian penninsula. We will take in their outstanding rare book collection and make a sojourn to the medieval city of Toledo. We'll also take in the Prado Art Museum, the Picasso museum and a host of other cultural institutions. We finish the Spanish portion of our journey in the little coastal town of Denia, a three hour train ride to the East. The fortified castle of Denia provides a unique glimpse of the Christian/Muslim wars that have shaped the identity of the Iberian peninsula since the 1st millenium BC. We'll use this castle and the city of Denia as a platform to discuss the Mediterranean's role in the migration of the alphabet over the last 4000 years.
From Spain we fly to Mainz, Germany, home of the Gutenberg Museum and birthplace of European movable type. The Gutenberg Museum features the rich timeline of printing that begins with the Chinese's invention of printing in 954 ad. Follow the evolution of printing to a full replica of Gutenberg's workshop as it existed in 1450. Daily demonstrations are given on replica presses immersing the visitor in unique crossroads of Renaissance meets publishing. 20 steps from the Gutenberg Museum is the Druckladen, the Gutenberg Museum's own printing studio. The men and women of this charming workshop will give us the opportunity to print in the shadow of the finest examples of printing in the world. When the type is too much pedal a bike, kayak the Rhine or wander the streets of Mainz to take in the old-world charm of northern Germany.
From Germany we take a train to Venice and nearby Treviso. This Northern Italian Village will serve as our base while we explore the city of Venice and nearby Cornuda. In Venice we'll see architectural typography that dates from the first millenium, visit a variety of small letterpress shops and be hosted by a variety of Libraries.
20 minutes north of Treviso is Tipoteca Italiana, the premier museum and workshop dedicated to the history of Italian Printing located in Cornuda. Our host Sandro Berra will assist us in printing on the finest collections of presses and one of the largest collection of wood type assembled in Italy.