Crossing Genres: A Newcomer in the Transnational History of Almanacs

The article describes and analyses a series of Italian almanacs, published from the 18th century and still being printed in 2019, the so-called Barbanera almanac, from the name of the purported editor. It introduces to the international public a printed product that has been largely ignored by the Italian historiography on cheap print due to Barbanera's assumed 'immobility'. In fact, the Barbanera almanac represent a treasure trove for their constant adaptations to the coeval publishing market, and they also constitute a source of information on the Italian rural society.