“Faber in amne cudit, cartam olim undique fudit.”
“The blacksmith on the river beats, once paper everywhere spread.”
- Motto of the city of Fabriano
Can a small Italian mountain town with less than 30,000 inhabitants be known throughout the world for some extraordinary events that took place there more than 500 years ago?
Cities like Rome, Venice, Florence, all had their generous share of glory in the past and, today, their size and prestige faithfully reflect their heritage. But the case of Fabriano, a city nestled in the mountains of the Marche region, is certainly different.
Often nicknamed the city of paper, this historic town was once the hub of one of the most innovative and prosperous industries of the Middle Ages: the paper industry.
In fact, Fabriano played a crucial role in shaping the European economy and the spread of knowledge, hosting the new masters of a jealously guarded Oriental craftsmanship and soon surpassing millenary traditions with a series of groundbreaking innovations.
Even today, the city’s papermaking expertise continues, sustaining its reputation through high-quality artistic and security paper.
Yet what made an otherwise quiet and ordinary city the epicentre of such a significant part of European history?
Fabriano's Origins: from Iron to Paper
The birth of Fabriano probably dates back to the 5th century AD, when the Italic population of two Roman municipia fled to the Giano Valley in the wake of the barbaric invasions following the collapse of the Western Roman empire.
Initially, the town was nothing more than two medieval castles – Castrum Veteris and Castrum Novum – built on the right bank of the Giano River. Only in the 12th century did Fabriano become an independent municipality, with a growing population and economy.
Surprisingly, Fabriano was not always linked to papermaking. Instead, it was renowned for its skilled blacksmiths, with 38 forges producing tools and weapons for trade. This is also reflected in the city’s coat of arms, which depicts a blacksmith forging metal.
The city's affinity with the art of blacksmithing runs so deep that it probably gave rise to its name, perhaps from the Latin ‘Faber in Giano’ (Blacksmith on the river Giano) or, as other studies have suggested, due to the presence of a temple of blacksmiths (Fabri Fanum), built in the days of ancient Rome.
The birth of Papermaking in Fabriano
Hence, what brought a city with a proud tradition of blacksmiths to such a different fate, involving completely unfamiliar materials and techniques? The answer, in short, is shrouded in mystery.
Some claim that a foreign refugee, a Bohemian named Herardo from Prague, spread his knowledge once he arrived in Fabriano. Yet this is a virtually unverifiable story that many consider a mere legend. What is certain is that the earliest documental evidence confirming paper production in Fabriano date back to 1276, even though some historians suggest that it might have started much earlier – possibly during the 10th or 12th century.
Regardless, Fabriano's papermakers – the mastri cartai – quickly rose to prominence, surpassing other cities in Liguria, Sicily and Campania that had started similar production, following the teachings of the Arabs who in turn stole the secrets from the Chinese empire upon entering Samarkand.
In fact, the manufacturing of paper was certainly not new – the Chinese were already producing it in the 2nd century AD, using it also for banknotes. But even though it was a well-known and certainly useful material, it was never more successful and widespread than parchment, mainly due to a few shortcomings that severely limited its use, notably its poor durability and tendency to absorb ink over time.
Thus, for centuries, parchment remained the preferred medium due to its resilience and association with sacred and official texts. Paper, while more affordable, struggled to gain acceptance – until Fabriano’s craftsmen addressed its weaknesses with groundbreaking innovations.
Indeed, it was at this point that the inventiveness of Fabriano's papermakers managed to radically change the course of history, thanks to a series of breakthroughs that turned paper into the ultimate material for documents of all kinds. In a certain sense, it could be argued that Fabriano's innovators revolutionised knowledge dissemination systems with their paper, paving the way for Europe's great leap forward on the global scene.
Thanks to the use of new materials – linen and hemp instead of cotton – and improved production methods, paper from Fabriano soon became a sought-after commodity throughout Europe, and Fabriano merchants were in high demand as far as Alexandria and Constantinople to sell their extraordinary wares.
The Uniqueness of Fabriano’s Paper
There were three main innovations that distinguished Fabriano paper from any other type. These simple but ingenious changes inaugurated two centuries of glory for the city, whose name soon became familiar to artists and rulers throughout the known world.
Mass Paper Production
The first of these great technological advances was the use of a hydraulic hammer mill, harnessing the energy source of the Giano River, already used to support the city's textile production. This new production method, capable of mechanically reducing rags into pulp, replaced the manual mortar and pestle system commonly used by the Arabs – and for good reason.
Not only did it increase efficiency and improve fibre quality, but it also enabled the mass production of paper without compromising its value and durability – it is estimated that annual production reached 2,500 quintals at the beginning of the 15th century – giving Fabriano's papermakers an invaluable competitive edge in a world still largely dependent on manual labour.
Gelatine Sizing
Another critical difference was the materials used to glue the paper, the main cause of paper's fundamental inferiority to parchment. Traditionally, Arab and Chinese papermakers glued paper with starch, making it prone to swift deterioration due to the easy proliferation of microorganisms.
Fabriano's craftsmen instead developed an animal gelatine sizing agent to fulfil the same purpose, which prevented the ink from bleeding and greatly increased the paper's durability, finally making it suitable for writing official documents. This change, although subtle, contributed greatly to the popularity that Fabriano paper rapidly gained over time.
Watermarks
The last and perhaps best-known innovation made by Fabriano papermakers was the invention of the watermark. Probably a feature developed by chance, a detail that does not diminish its importance, watermarks have never been attested elsewhere before Fabriano and, to date, there is no evidence of a similar technique in Arab or Chinese production.
In fact, Fabriano papermakers began using very simple and rudimentary watermarks to ‘sign’ their product. Over time, these became progressively more sophisticated and complex, soon becoming useful to distinguish different types of paper, sheet formats and commissioners.
Beginning as simple geometric patterns and soon evolving into intricate artistic symbols, watermarks eventually became a valuable security feature, widely used in banknotes and official documents.
An inevitable Success
By the 14th century, Fabriano’s innovative papermakers had transformed their craft into a European phenomenon. Their paper became the preferred choice for Renaissance scholars, artists, and rulers, ultimately replacing expensive and outdated parchment.
Kings and nobles quickly recognised that Fabriano's papermakers knew no equal, using their products for their security and quality, as well as the prestige they conferred. Artists and intellectuals also soon began to use Fabriano papers, including Michelangelo.
Furthermore, paper was widely used by cartographers and globemakers, such as Vincenzo Coronelli, and was instrumental in the development of some of the best globes ever produced – a topic we have explored in this article.
The Decline and Revival of Fabriano's Paper Tradition
For two centuries, Fabriano reigned as Europe’s paper capital, a powerful Italian merchant republic supplying kings, scholars, and artists. But by the late 16th century, disaster struck. A series of calamities – famine, plagues, and earthquakes – crippled the city’s economy.
Competition from foreign papermakers further eroded Fabriano’s dominance, plunging the once-thriving industry into decline.
Fabriano's history had yet to be written in its entirety, however, and it just happened to be the innovative spirit of a local papermaker that brought the city back to its former glory.
When Pietro Miliani, a papermaker who was not very wealthy but had an immense knowledge of his craft, convinced the powerful Count Antonio Vallemanni to become his business partner, a new cycle of growth began for Fabriano, which during the 18th and 19th centuries once again became the epicentre of numerous innovations in the paper industry.
Thus, thanks to the passion and vision of a papermaker inspired by the city's glorious past, Fabriano paper regained its prestige throughout the world, preserving its name and glory.
Today, Fabriano’s legacy endures, not only in its museums and historic mills but in every artist’s sketchpad, every banknote, and every book printed on the fine paper that once changed the course of European history.
Fabriano's Paper and Globe-making, Today
As we mentioned before, some of the many commissioners of paper from Fabriano were globemakers and cartographers from throughout Europe.
Globe-making was a complex and prestigious craft, highly valued by Renaissance intellectuals and rulers. Fabriano paper played a crucial role in making globes not only durable but also structurally feasible. (To learn more about globe-making, click here.)
One of the most celebrated globemakers, the Venetian friar Vincenzo Coronelli, relied on Fabriano paper to create his most renowned works.
Even today, nearly three centuries after Coronelli’s time, his legacy lives on. Contemporary artisan Leonardo Frigo, drawing inspiration from Coronelli’s Epitome Cosmografica, has revived this ancient craft, relying on the unsurpassed excellence of Fabriano’s papermakers to bring his globes to life.
If you want to know more about this extraordinary story, read Leonardo Frigo’s interview here.
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