Detail map of Roma, Lazio, Italy,Città del Vaticano, Vatican City Overview map of Roma, Lazio, Italy,Città del Vaticano, Vatican City

A: Roma, Lazio, Italy, B: Città del Vaticano, Vatican City

Pope Innocent VIII Begins Prepublication Censorship

11/17/1487
First page of Pope Innocent VIII

First page of Pope Innocent VIII's Bull against printers of books. From the copy in Universitätsbibliothek Freiburg.

In response to the rapid spread of print technology, in November 1487 Pope Innocent VIII issued the first Papal Bull concerned with printing: Bulla S.D.N. Innocentii "Inter multiplices nostrae sollicitudinis curas" contra impressores librorum reprobatorum.

The bull was printed in Rome by Eucharius Silber, and issued after November 17, 1487. From this date the Holy Inquisition instituted prepublication censorship.

ISTC no. ii00110000 cites only two surviving copies, one in Germany and one in the United States. In November 2013 a digital facsimile was available from Universitätsbibliothek Freiburg at this link.

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