Plantin–Moretus Museum
Museum of printing history in Antwerp, UNESCO site since 2005.
The Plantin–Moretus Museum, located on Antwerp’s Vrijdagmarkt, tells the story of printing in the city and the central role of the Plantin-Moretus family, a dynasty of printers founded by Christophe Plantin and Jan Moretus in the late 1500s. The building itself served as both the family home and the site of their press, the Officina Plantina, for four centuries. In 2005, it was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Christophe Plantin, along with his wife Jeanne Rivière and their daughter Margaretha, moved from France to Antwerp around 1550. He first worked in lace trading before turning to printing. The business did well, and in 1576 the family moved into a building called De Gulden Passer (The Golden Compass), where they also set up their printing press. Plantin sourced his type from leading founders in Paris. His press became a major force in humanist printing, most famously producing the eight-volume, multi-language Plantin Polyglot Bible, which included Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, and Syriac texts. Plantin is now thought to have had ties to heretical groups known as the Familists, which may have forced him into temporary exile in France.
After Plantin’s death, the business passed to his son-in-law Jan Moretus. While other printing houses discarded their old type collections as tastes changed, the Plantin–Moretus company “piously preserved the collection of its founder.” Over the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, four women ran the press: Martina Plantin, Anna Goos, Anna Maria de Neuf, and Maria Theresia Borrekens.
In 1876, Edward Moretus sold the company to the city of Antwerp. A year later, the public could visit the living quarters and the printing presses. The collection has been a rich resource for researchers, including historians H. D. L. Vervliet, Mike Parker, and Harry Carter. Carter’s son Matthew later noted that this research showed “the finest collection of printing types made in typography’s golden age was in perfect condition (some muddle aside)” alongside Plantin’s accounts and inventories, which name the cutters of his types. The museum was nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2002 and inscribed on the list in 2005.
The museum holds an exceptional range of typographical material. It houses the two oldest surviving printing presses in the world, complete sets of dies and matrices, an extensive library, richly decorated interiors, and th
- field
- Printing history and typography
- location
- Antwerp, Belgium
- founded_by
- Christophe Plantin and Jan Moretus
- established_as_museum
- 1877 (public opening)
- unesco_world_heritage_site
- 2005
- known_for
- Preserving the oldest surviving printing presses and complete sets of dies and matrices
Lore & Background
Christophe Plantin, his wife Jeanne Rivière, and their first daughter Margaretha moved from France to Antwerp around 1550. Plantin initially engaged in lace trading and the printing business. Due to the success of printing, the family moved in 1576 into the building called De Gulden Passer (The Golden Compass), where they set up their press. The print type was sourced from leading type founders in Paris. Plantin's eight-volume, multi-language Plantin Polyglot Bible was one of the most complex productions of the period. Plantin is now suspected of being at least connected to heretical groups known as the Familists, which may have led him to spend time in exile in France.
Reader's Guide
The Plantin–Moretus Museum holds exceptional typographical material, including the two oldest surviving printing presses in the world, complete sets of dies and matrices, an extensive library, and the entire archives of the Plantin business. These archives were inscribed on UNESCO's Memory of the World Programme Register in 2001. The collection has been used extensively for research by historians such as H. D. L. Vervliet, Mike Parker, and Harry Carter. After Plantin's death, the company was owned by his son-in-law Jan Moretus. While most printing concerns disposed of older type collections, the Plantin–Moretus company 'piously preserved the collection of its founder.' Four women ran the family-owned printing house over the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries: Martina Plantin, Anna Goos, Anna Maria de Neuf, and Maria Theresia Borrekens. In 1876 Edward Moretus sold the company to the city of Antwerp, and one year later the public could visit the living areas and printing presses. The museum reopened in September 2016 after a thorough renovation, with a new building opening onto Holy Ghost Street.
Did You Know?
- The museum houses the two oldest surviving printing presses in the world.
- The Plantin–Moretus company was run by four women over the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries.
- The museum's archives were inscribed on UNESCO's Memory of the World Programme Register in 2001.
- Christophe Plantin is suspected of being connected to heretical groups known as the Familists.
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