Renaissance publishers, market risks and empirical methods of assessment: A revised interpretation of Bernardo di Bernardo Giunti's 1600–1643 catalogue

Bernardo (c. 1550–c. 1627), son of Bernardo Giunti (1517–1551), was a minor figure in a publishing dynasty that had established a dominant position not only in the Italian book market but also in Catholic Europe throughout the sixteenth century. Florentine in origin, the Giunti were able to climb the ranks of the European publishing business by setting up a well-thought-out distribution network. With branches in France and Spain, the barycentre of the firm was Venice, whereas Florence remained its ideal homeland, in spite of the unsettled fortune that the Florentine branch experienced through the years. This chapter focuses on the life of Bernardo di Bernardo Giunti and on the work believed to be his greatest legacy: a thick and dense manuscript bibliographic catalogue. Its ambiguities will be investigated to see how early modern bookdealers handled the intricacies of an increasingly competitive market.