Plantin-Moretus Museum

Overview

The Plantin-Moretus Museum is the only museum on the UNESCO World Heritage List and the world's oldest surviving printing workshop. Housed in a Renaissance patrician mansion, it preserves the world's two oldest printing presses and a library of 30,000 pre-modern volumes.

Highlights

• Oldest Printing Presses: Two 16th-century presses still in their original workshop setting.
• Biblia Polyglotta: The multilingual Bible commissioned by Philip II, Plantin's magnum opus.
• Rubens Room: Portraits painted by Rubens, who was a close friend of the Moretus family.

History

Christophe Plantin established his printing house in 1555. His son-in-law Jan Moretus continued the dynasty. The business operated continuously until 1876, when the city of Antwerp purchased the entire complex. UNESCO inscribed it in 2005.

Visitor Tips

• Closed Mondays.
• Don't miss the typesetting room and the 16th-century bookshop.
• Duration: 1–1.5 hours.