The Ministry of Culture has proclaimed Subiaco Italian Book Capital 2025. The town, which submitted a high-quality project, has always dealt with books, being the seat of the first Italian printing house in the Benedictine Monastery of Santa Scolastica. In 1465, Conrad Sweynheym and Arnold Pannartz introduced here the movable type printing, transforming the small village into the cradle of the printed book.
The project, aimed to rediscover the book and literary heritage of Subiaco, includes several initiatives, such as the reproduction of the first volume printed in Subiaco, the lost book “Donatus pro puerulis” from 1464, a Latin grammar for children. A facsimile of the book will be printed with the latest technologies in the characters of the other volumes in the library and with the same tools used to create them. Theatrical performances inspired by literary texts will be staged and multimedia exhibitions on the book history will take place. In addition, visitors will be able to witness the innovative restoration of the printing museum in the Borgo dei Cartai. Publications for disabled will be presented and workshop and events for schools and families, such as the spoken books, will be organized, with the aim of bringing new generations closer to the book culture.
