Evento Wellmade
silvio-antiga-2-profile

Crocetta del Montello

BIO

Born in the province of Treviso in 1945, Silvio Antiga, a lover of the art of typography from childhood, started working in a small shop, later joining one of the most important printing companies of the time.
In 1968, he established his own print shop in his father’s home near Cornuda. A few years later, while his activity was growing both in terms of staff and turnover, traditional tools were replaced by modern technology. Grafiche Antiga SpA is now employing over 200 people and is a leading company in its field.

In the 1980s, when lead characters and zinc engraving plates were being replaced by modern optical and digital devices, Anzaghi started collecting the historical tools before they were disposed of, in recognition of their value and as a homage to the art which had become his life’s profession.
In 1995, he established Tipoteca Italiana Foundation, to preserve and acknowledge the historical legacy of Italian typography and its masters. In 2002, the Museo del Carattere e della Tipografia was built, featuring several hundred machines alongside thousands of lists of lead or wooden characters as well as a precious library, hosting 5000 publications and sample items.