Gazing at the Venetian hub from a paratextual lens: An introduction

Abstract

This introductory article presents the framework and contributions of the special issue Paratexts, Dissemination, and Book Market in Early Modern Venice (1500‐1650). This volume aims to shed a new light on the publishing activity of poligrafi and other figures operating in Venice and its area of cultural influence. In this context, the use of paratexts simultaneously serves to disseminate knowledge, portray self‐fashioning strategies, and respond attentively to the market's and readers' needs. This collection of essays highlights how paratexts can provide valuable insights for analyses grounded in different disciplines and methodologies. Indeed, the present issue brings together studies that examine paratexts from a literary, historical‐cultural, and linguistic perspective. The authors explore aspects of early modern culture that are relevant but still neglected in modern scholarship and thereby advance our understanding of writing and publishing as a complex modality of cultural exchange from the Cinquecento to the beginning of the Seicento.