IMPRIMATUR!
The practice of printing was first introduced to the Western world in the 1400s by Johannes Gutenberg (c.1393-1406) in what is now modern-day Germany.
Credit for content research goes to Prof. Frans Ciappara for his insightful work, ‘Society and the Inquisition in Malta, 1743-1798’.
Printing had been invented by the Chinese 500 years earlier. Gutenberg’s contribution lies in the invention of the printing press. He created the world’s first printed Bible, revolutionizing the spread of information through the printing press in Europe.
Introduction of printing in Malta
Fast forward to Malta in 1642. Enter Pompeo de Fiore, a likely Sicilian merchant, who brought the first printing press to the island’s shores. Although he was exempted from military duty for his efforts, he had to secure permission from Grand Master Jean Paul de Lascaris Castellar, which was granted in June 1642, on one condition: every printed piece needed to be vetted and approved by the Inquisitor, issued with the solemn ‘Imprimatur’. Imprimatur, derived from Latin, means “let it be printed” and originates from the word “imprimere,” which means to “imprint” or “impress.” In the 1600s, it was commonly found in the front of books, along with the name of an official approving the book’s printing.
But in 1656, printing abruptly halted due to a feud over censorship rights. It wasn’t until Grand Master Emmanuel/Manuel Pinto da Fonseca’s (1681-1773) tenure that the deadlock on precedence between the Order, the Bishop, and the Inquisitor over the right of censorship was broken in 1746. The Imprimatur would now contain the signatures of the Bishop, the Inquisitor, and the Grand Master, who were all to sign on the same line.
Printing re-introduced in Malta
In 1756, a new chapter dawned with the arrival of Don Nicolo Capaci, commissioned by Grand Master Pinto to revitalise the Order’s printing press. This press was set up in the Grand Master’s Palace close to the courtyard where the statue of Nettuno is currently found. In June, the printing press was unveiled to the public, who turned out in their droves to view this innovation for Malta.
Even though most of the material published seemed innocuous, scrutiny loomed over each publication, ensuring it didn’t challenge ecclesiastical authority. Rare disputes arose, as in the case of “Propugnaculum Hyerosolimitanum”, which had already been published in Spain in 1662 by the Spanish lawyer Ferdinando de Escano. When it was to be issued again in Malta, the Bishop’s censor gave his approval without any difficulty, not so the Inquisition’s book censor, who encountered opinions inconsistent with Rome’s sentiments.
In Malta, the Holy Office relied on informers or the willingness of those who read prohibited books to accuse themselves. Edicts that the Inquisitors sent to the parish priests reminded the populace of this duty; these were explained in Maltese and then affixed to the main door of the church. Yet, compared to other cities such as Florence and Naples, disputes on the imprimatur were rare in Malta. Most printed material was harmless, and most of the population remained illiterate. Furthermore, only two bookshops dotted the landscape during the mid-eighteenth century! Nevertheless, one should mention the episode of 5 May 1609, where Inquisitor and Apostolic Delegate Evangelista Carbonese (1608-1614) ordered the burning of 53 books in the Main Square of Vittoriosa ‘in the presence of a multitude of people’.
To this day the Gutenberg printing press is considered one of the most significant inventions in history which eventually led to the information revolution.
The Gutenberg printing press is considered one of the most significant inventions which led to the the information revolution.
On 5 May 1609, Inquisitor Evangelista Carbonese ordered the public prosecutor of the Holy Office to burn 53 books in the Main Square of Vittoriosa “in the presence of a multitude of people”