Milton in Veneto. The Circulation of the First Illustrated Italian Translation of 'Paradise Lost'

• Published in: From Press to Readers: Studies in the Materiality of Print Culture Vol. Cultures & Temporalités; no. 2; pp. 143 - 159
• Main Author: Haquette, Jean-Louis
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: Éditions et presses universitaires de Reims 01.04.2024
• Series: Cultures & Temporalités
• Subjects: Cultural heritage and museology; Humanities and Social Sciences; Literature; Book Illustration; Text and Image; Publishing and book trade; Paradise Lost
• ISBN: 9782374962177; 2374962172

'Paradise Lost' is a good example of the circulation of texts and books in 18th century Europe, as the work progressively became a majorreference in the epic tradition. The paper focuses on the first illustrated Italian edition of the text, as part of a wider project on Milton on the continent. In the history of this translation, cultural intermediaries, such as Paolo Rolli, the translator, but also a variety of actors (English travellers, Italian dilettanti, the Veronese publisher) play a major part as well as the will to establish Milton as a literary masterpiece. The form of the book, an in-12o and a folio edition, conceived together and illustrated (which is unusual for a first launch) is as significant as the critical paratext included in the volume. They both advocate for the literary status of Paradise Lost. Although banned by the Vatican, the folio edition was present in most convent libraries in Veneto. In some of these copies traces of reading or interventions on the images give a concrete testimony of appropriation practices.