The Plantin-Moretus Museum is one of Antwerp’s most unique museums.
I first heard about this museum while taking a free walking tour in Antwerp. The guide showed us the building and said that if we had to pick just one museum to visit in Antwerp, it should be this one.
The museum building is where the Plantin family used to live and also where the family business, Plantin Press, was run.
Plantin was a 16th-century printer, who established a publishing house, that turned out to be one of the most prominent in Europe at that time.
If you’re interested in historic houses, or in the history of print, typography, and graphic design, read my review to discover what to expect when you visit the Plantin-Moretus Museum in Antwerp.
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Why visit the Plantin-Moretus Museum
This museum is a chance to learn about the history of print and typography.
It has some of the world’s oldest printing presses and an archive of printed materials spanning several centuries.
It’s also a chance to appreciate how easy our life is today when it comes to spreading information, once you realise how complicated printing used to be.
The Plantin-Moretus Museum was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The architecture of the building is impressive.
It’s a great museum for anyone interested in the history of the print and publishing industry. For me, the main appeal was the exhibition about typography.
When you arrive, you’ll get an audio guide (included in the ticket price).
It’s very easy to use. Scan the numbered signs in each room and listen to the commentary.
Alongside the audio guide, you can also pick up a loan copy of a written guide that covers everything in depth.
You can also use the museum app, but I didn’t try it.
The visit to the Plantin-Moretus Museum takes about two hours. It’s ideal for a rainy day, of which there are many in Antwerp.
What to see in the Plantin-Moretus Museum
Ground floor
The first three rooms on the ground floor as you enter are pretty dark. These were originally the family home. You’ll see family portraits by Rubens, tapestries, and lavish furniture
The audio guide will give you a bit of background about the family and its history.
A white arrow on the floor leads you outside into an inner courtyard with a beautiful garden. That was a refreshing surprise.
From there follow another arrow to continue the museum tour.
You’ll see the rooms where the family used to run their printing and publishing business and sample books with different types of fonts and materials.
Go back into the inner courtyard again to enter the next room. This is the interactive room with a live demonstration by a printer who showed us the process of printing using the old machinery.
I watched it twice. It was very interesting and the printer was happy to give explanations in English.
Next is the correctors’ room where texts were proofread in many different languages.
In the guest room (where friends of the family would stay) I saw a familiar face on the wall. It turned out to be a bust of Seneca, the stoic spiritual father of the company, a symbol of dealing with difficulty wisely.
In the typeface room, you’ll see trays storing the typeface. Plantin had 90 different fonts in various languages.
Next is the printing room, a large room with typecases and printing presses. The audio guide explains the process, which we also saw in the interactive room. There’s also a film with close-up footage of the process.
First floor
Go back to where you started the tour and climb the stairs to the first floor.
The audio guide welcomes you to the 16th century when printed texts were the Internet of the time.
There’s a nice animated film showing how people communicated over the centuries, from the invention of print in 1450 to the current day.
You’ll pass through the family library and then reach the type-casting room. That’s where I learnt that Plantin would buy fonts from the best designers of the time for his company’s exclusive use. The Garamond font was created in the 16th century and is still used today.
Go down the stairs again where the tour continues with various themed rooms. There are exhibitions about how book printing contributed to science and medicine, travel books with some beautiful atlases, manuscripts from the family’s collection, prints for special occasions, and religious texts.
Plan your visit to the Plantin-Moretus Museum
The Plantin-Moretus Museum website has all the practical information on how and when to visit the museum, as well as details on special activities and temporary exhibitions.
1 Comment
I’m into typography and print history, thanks for sharing all the tips. Definitely putting this on my must-visit list when I’m in Antwerp. Cheers!