Question

A goldsmith from Mainz, Germany, ________ was given a five-year monopoly on printing in Venice. He printed the first typographic book with page numbers, the 1470 edition of De civitate dei, and designed an innovative and handsome Roman type that cast off some of the Gothic qualities found in earlier fonts.

Answer 1

Answer: Johann of Speyer.

Explanation:

Johann of Speyer was a German who migrated to Italy with his family and brother. He lived in Venice. After he arrived in Italy, he was given the privilege of being the only man who prints by the government of the day.

Johann was also known for printing De Civitate Dei, written by Saint Augustine of Hippo. In the course of printing this work, in the year 1470, he died. The work was then continued by his brother, Wendelin of Speyer, who eventually finished the task.