Abstract

This paper studies the layout of poems, in particular of sonnets, considering the transition from manuscript to print. We focus on the case of Aldo Manuzio’s prints, because the publisher, thanks to Pietro Bembo’s partnership, reserved attention to many levels of the text, from spelling to punctuation, and even to mise en page. The case of Le cose volgari di messer Francesco Petrarcha, printed in 1501 on the basis of the manuscript Vaticano latino 3197 prepared by Bembo, is meaningful. Despite having access to very old manuscripts including the original, Bembo chooses a modern layout for the text, which does not collimate with the important Valdezocco printing (1472), where the stanzas were emphasized in different ways. By analyzing a series of Petrarchan manuscripts prepared before the printing of the Aldina, we show forms and functions of text layout from Petrarch to Manuzio.