The cultural heritage of Montilla and the printing press since the Modern Age: its evolution and relationship with graphic engineering boosting the SDGs

Abstract

On the 550th anniversary of the introduction of the printing press to Spain, it is planned to review this art. Through a literature review, we studied how the printing press has contributed to the dissemination and preservation of cultural and industrial heritage, which are key for knowledge dissemination. The main objective of this study was to characterize the Spanish printing press of the 17th century through the analysis of an etching by Stradanus, relating it to the founding of the first typographic workshops in the rural Andalusian territory, and studying, for the first time, the specific case of Montilla. No scientific research has been carried out so far on this specific case. It was a region of utmost importance in Andalusia at the time due to its relations with the Spanish monarchy. The development of the printing press from inception until today is also analyzed to study the evolution of this type of industry in relation to the times. The printing press was key for the dissemination of culture and knowledge in the Modern Age. It was used to produce books, documents, and etchings, which are key elements for the dissemination of knowledge and the preservation of human heritage. This research has allowed us to comprehend and analyze, for the first time, the process of establishing the printing press in the case of Montilla coinciding with the 450th anniversary of the founding of the first printing press in Spain. This manuscript contributes to the achievement of some of the objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), protecting and disseminating the heritage of the typographic industry in Montilla-Moriles.