BRAGADINI°

BRAGADINI°, noble Venetian family; printers of Hebrew books from 1550 to 1710 (see Hebrew printing in venice ). In 1550 Alvise Bragadini published Maimonides' Code with annotations by meir katzenellenbogen of Padua. When the rival house of giustiniani issued maimonides ' Code in 1550, the resulting dispute, together with moses isserles ' decision in favor of Bragadini, led to a prolonged feud and denunciations to Pope Julius III, who eventually decreed the confiscation and burning of all copies of the Talmud in 1553. For ten years the printing of all Hebrew books was prohibited in Venice, and only in 1564 did Alvise Bragadini's press resume its activities. Alvise died in 1575. Hebrew printing continued under his son Giovanni from 1579 to 1614–15, and under Giovanni's son or sons and grandsons until the 18th century. Ḥ.J.D. Azulai reports a visit to the Bragadini printing works. A great selection of Hebrew literature came from this press. -BIBLIOGRAPHY: D.W. Amram, Makers of Hebrew Books in Italy (1909), 252–76, 363–75; C. Roth, Jews in Venice (1930), 256ff.; J. Bloch, Venetian Printers of Hebrew Books (1932), 17ff. and passim; H.B. Friedberg, Toledot ha-Defus ha-Ivri be-Italyah (1934), 53–55.