GIORNALE DEI LETTERATI. — This is the first Italian literary periodical, whose publication began in Rome in 1668 on the initiative of the Abbot Francesco Nazzari, professor of philosophy at the Sapienza. It was printed by Nicol'Angelo Tinassi.
Following the model of the Journal des savants of Paris, it was above all scientific in character and entirely lacking in political news. Italian and foreign works were summarized and reviewed by specialist contributors; there were articles on astronomy, art, ecclesiastical subjects, medicine, and the physical and mechanical sciences, with plates and illustrations. There were also numerous extracts from Italian and foreign journals. The first issue is dated 28 January 1668 and the last 30 December 1679. The journal generally appeared at the end of the month in 16 pages; it enjoyed great success and was immediately imitated in Italy: thus the Abbot Benedetto Bacchini published a G. dei l. in Parma from 1680 to 1690, which subsequently continued in Modena (1692–95).
For the years 1676 to 1679, we have two G. dei l. in Rome, since in 1676 Nazzari changed printing houses: in fact, at the end of the issue, beginning with no. 3 (1676), we read: « In Rome, by Mascardi ». His collaborator Giustino Ciampini, after forming a new society of scholars, established a second G. dei l., which continued in the same manner, at Tinassi’s printing house, until 1681 under the direction of its founder and then, for a further two years, under that of Francesco Maria Vittori. It did not, however, appear regularly. As for its content, this journal is very similar to Nazzari’s; the philosophical and literary material, especially that from abroad, is nevertheless increased: perhaps for this reason, it found greater favor with the public.