Francesco 1450 1496 1501 1518 1929 2005

Francesco Griffo (1450-1518) Griffo was only discovered in Though originally designed Be that as it may, his high- Griffo also known as Francesco da 1883, perhaps because of the in 1500 or earlier, the first ranking status in the history of Bologna, was a fifteenth- different names has made him notable use of italic was in an is now very widely century Venetian punchcutter. hard to track in history. What is really known is his edition of Virgil (the “Aldine acknowledged. But research on his life and his work An abrupt end, in 1899 a Griffo cut Roman, Greek, most significant work in the publication of Cardinal Virgil”), created in 1501 by The we continues. Monotype recently released a new digital document in the Bologna Hebrew and eventually cut Bembo’s De Aetna of 1496 which ripled throughout . He designed use today was brought to version, called Bembo Book, in 2005. Archivio di Santo come to for designing time. Such successful influence of De Aetnas Roman his type on models of an life by in light in where it states a music types, early italics and type lead to what now informal, handwritten letter 1929 for The Monotype violent altercation between one of his most significant is known as Bembo. used in the papal chanceries of Corporation. He modified Griffo and his son-in-law works in De Aetna of 1496 the time, and he cut his new the capital G and instead of ended with the latter's as the most influential Roman face in lowercase letters only. the italic Aldus Manutius death when he was struck type in the history of . He combined his italics with originally had in mind, he in the head with a steel a suitable roman capital to used that from a sample bar. No documentation complete his sets. book written in 1524 by states what sentence Griffo Giovanni Tagliente. Italic received but it was common capitals came from the at the time to receive death forms. a penalty for murder.

Even though De Aetna’s roman The Roman type of De Aetna Around 1502 Griffo parts company In 1516 Griffo opens his own An Alternative to Bembo type With regards to Francesco da typeface had been preceded by a of 1946 lead its way to the with Aldus Manutius after a copyright printing workshop in Bologna. He is Griffo Classico, based on the Bologna “the last word has not celebrated roman first printed in famous Claude dispute regarding the italics Griffo cut cuts his third italic alphabet for his roman and italic types cut by yet been said.” — Giovanni in 1470 by the Frenchman Nicolas discovery, who soon afterwards but Manutius Published. first publication Francesco Griffo at the end of the Mardersteig Jenson for his his Eusebius, the new copied the Roman type. 15th century. Griffo Classico was proportions and design details of the De designed in 1993 by Franko Luin. Aetna roman became the model for the g following centuries. r i f f o {

Æ Œ & ( . Griffo has never A B C D a b c d Beautiful , , : ; “ ” ) Bembo is based on early Humanist forms and it’s where it borrowed its received adequate characteristics from. Bembo is considered an old style typeface. It is E F G H e f g h a classic book type that was used as one of the typeface inspirations for ?![-*fffi- none other than, . Stylish “recognition for flfflƒƠƯĕ his enormous I J K L i j k l æœ ÀÅÉÎ Serene contribution to M N O P m n o p àåéî .” Bembo Smooth —J. Blumenthal The Art of the Printed Book 1455-1955” R S T q r s t U V W X u v w x Clean Y Z y z & Classic