Keywords: typography, culture, book, spirituality, Metropolitan, monastery, Bucharest, Constantin Brâncoveanu, Anthimos the Iberian
Abstract:
A very important moment for the church life of the Romanian Countries and for the Romanian culture, in general, is represented by the introduction of the printing press in the first years of the 16th century, the most revolutionary technical creation from the beginning of the modern era. With an intermittent activity, the typographic activity from the Romanian Country will meet its most prolific period from all its existence at the beginning of the 18th century, this due to the devout ruler Constantin Brancoveanu, a fierce supporter of culture, as well as due to the skilled craftsmen in typography, with a leading place being held by the hieromonk Anthim the Iberian, the future metropolitan of the Romanian Country. Apart from other great typographic centers (Snagov, Targoviste, Buzau, Ramnic), there have been four printing houses operating in Bucharest in the first years of the 18th century (1700-1716), meant to enrich the editorial thesaurus of the country. We are talking about the lordly printing house from the Ungrovlachia Metropolitan, the Metropolitan Printing House, the printing house from the All-Saints Monastery and the printing house from the Saint Savva Monastery. The existence of four typographic centres in Bucharest under the Church’s purview reveals the role that Romanian Orthodox Church took, as always, for supporting and developing the Romanian spirituality and culture. Now it was possible to print books from all areas, which would contribute to the intellectual evolution of the Romanians and others, as many books have been printed in the Greek language, this meaning that they were also intended for the foreigners abroad, especially for those under the Ottoman dominance. Moreover, now was the time when books that were necessary for the internal needs of the cult were printed, as well as doctrinal books, which have been extremely useful for supporting the Orthodoxy, that had been severely affected by the catholic and protestant propaganda.
Pages: 110-122