Printing House of Crnojevići
The Crnojević printing house (Štamparija Crnojevića) or Cetinje printing house (Cetinjska štamparija), was the first Serbian printing house in Southeastern Europe; the facility operated between 1493 and 1496 in Cetinje, Zeta (modern Montenegro). It was founded by Đurađ Crnojević, the ruler of Zeta between 1490 and 1496. The printing press was operated by Serbian Orthodox monks at the supervision of Hieromonk Makarije.
Also recorded as Crnojevića štamparija
Printing House of Crnojevići
Google Arts Culture — psalter/VQFbLHeA1xoNdw · Public domain
- Name
- Crnojević printing house
- Founded
- Printing House of Crnojevići was established or created in 1493.
- Founder
- Georg Crnojević
- Headquarters
- Printing House of Crnojevići has its headquarters at Cetinje.
- Dissolved
- Printing House of Crnojevići was dissolved or ceased in 1496.
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
VALÉORINE documentary reading
Documentary summary
The Crnojević printing house (Štamparija Crnojevića) or Cetinje printing house (Cetinjska štamparija), was the first Serbian printing house in Southeastern Europe; the facility operated between 1493 and 1496 in Cetinje, Zeta (modern Montenegro). It was founded by Đurađ Crnojević, the ruler of Zeta between 1490 and 1496. The printing press was operated by Serbian Orthodox monks at the supervision of Hieromonk Makarije.
Admitted source layer · organised and presented by VALÉORINE
Note VALÉORINE
No house-authored Note is published until its assertions and sources pass the VALÉORINE evidence contract. The documentary article remains available in full while that enrichment is being consolidated.
Documentary enrichment in progress · no unsupported statement published
Reference Check
Propose documentary evidence for Printing House of Crnojevići. A contribution is never written directly as fact: identity, source, rights and evidence gates still decide.
Sign in to contribute
Documentary evidence
Evidence Panel
not yet certified
- Identity
- unresolved
- Independent source families
- 0
- Admitted assertions
- 0
- Open conflicts
- 0
Authority files
wikidata · Q3511005
In this article
Overview
Overview
Five Orthodox liturgical books were printed in this printshop: Oktoih Prvoglasnik, Oktoih Petoglasnik, Psaltir, Trebnik (Molitvenik) and Cvetni Triod. • Octoechos of the First Tone (Oktoih prvoglasnik) is the first book printed in the Serbian Cyrillic among Serbs. It was finished on 4 January 1494. There are 108 copies of this book existing. It contains 270 leaves sized 29 x 21,6 cm. It is characterized by high quality and clean two-coloured printing, red and black, with nicely shaped letters. It is decorated with headpieces and initials printed from woodcuts in the spirit of the Renaissance with traces of old manuscript traditions. • Octoechos of the Fifth Tone (Oktoih petoglasnik) represents the first illustrated Serbian incunabulum. It is preserved in fragments, the longest one containing 37 leaves. It has six woodcut illustrations, made by an artist who managed to put rather complex compositions with many characters on a relatively small space. • Psalter with Additions (Psaltir s posledovanjem) was printed in 1495. It is not only of liturgical and conventional but also historical and literary significance. It is decorated with three headpieces and 27 initials repeated for 221 time. There are 36 complete and partial copies preserved. The National Library of Montenegro "Đurđe Crnojević" published 650 facsimiles of the psalter in 1986.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Crnojević printing house • Status — defunct (1496) • Founder — Đurađ Crnojević • Country — Zeta • Headquarters — Cetinje • Keypeople — hieromonk Makarije • Publications — srbulje • Genre — Slavonic typography
Catalogued output
Publications and programmes
The following works and productions are recorded by name or by count.
Legacy
In his 1514 letter to Ragusan senate, Ragusan nobleman Luka Primojević emphasized that he had intention to print books using the same letters used by Serbian priests in their churches, the same letters used in the Crnojević printing house which books were well respected and praised. Although his intention to establish a printing house in Dubrovnik and to print Cyrillic books failed, his written statements left significant testimony about high reputation of books printed in the Crnojević printing house.
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
authority record
Unverified
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Publishers and printers
5,459 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Prince of Songkla UniversityOrganisation
- Princeton Architectural PressOrganisation
- Princeton UniversityOrganisation
- Princeton University PressOrganisation
- Prise de paroleOrganisation
- Prism ComicsOrganisation
- Prism Leisure Corporation PlcOrganisation
- Privateer PressOrganisation
Best supported in this field
For owners
Own an object connected with Printing House of Crnojevići?
A specialist will read what you send and tell you what the house can establish, what it cannot, and whether the object is suited to sale. There is no charge and no obligation. The object stays with you throughout; nothing is shipped to us unless it is arranged in writing beforehand.