The first showing of an italic typeface of Francesco Griffo -- by Nicholas Fabian.
The first showing of the first italic typeface in the world, created by
Francesco Griffo

Italic
The page depicts a wood engraving from Epistole, of Saint Catherine of Siena, which Aldus published in September, 1500. Inside the open book Saint Catherine is holding, there are the first eighteen italic characters ever printed in the world. Which is, in typographical terms, a major historical landmark. (Click on the picture above for an enlarged view of the italic characters.)

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