Arnaldo Guillermo de Brocar

Spanish printer

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June 22, 2026

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Arnaldo Guillermo de Brocar was a significant figure in early Spanish printing. He was the first great Spanish printer, known for his work on the magnificent Complutensian Polyglot Bible. This ambitious project, sponsored by Cardinal Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros, aimed to revive the study of scriptures by presenting the text in multiple languages. The Bible was printed in Hebrew, Chaldee, Syriac, Greek, and Latin. De Brocar's press was established in Alcalá de Henares, and the six volumes of the Complutensian Polyglot Bible were printed between 1514 and 1517, with the full publication in 1521 or 1522. His work exemplifies the rapid spread and impact of printing in Europe during the 15th and 16th centuries.1

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history of publishing
Other continental printers
…Syriac, Greek, and Latin, by Arnaldo Guillermo de Brocar, the first great Spanish printer. Editorial work was begun in 1502, the six volumes were printed in 1514–17, and the book finally was issued in 1521 or 1522. In Lisbon, the first printed book was a Pentateuch (the first five books…
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…Syriac, Greek, and Latin, by Arnaldo Guillermo de Brocar, the first great Spanish printer. Editorial work was begun in 1502, the six volumes were printed in 1514–17, and the book finally was issued in 1521 or 1522. In Lisbon, the first printed book was a Pentateuch (the first five books…
Read More