The Barbanera almanac and lunar calendar are an Italian institution. First published in 1762 and now in its 258th year, the calendar was a kind of ‘gospel’ for the rural classes in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, guiding daily life. It remains to this day a trusted object in Italian homes, with a current print run of 400,000 copies. Its publishing success draws not only from its authority and longevity but also from the useful and practical home- and garden-focused information it offers readers. The moon phases are observed throughout and complemented by the saint associated with each day, religious holidays, proverbs, advice and agricultural guidance such as when to sow tomatoes, prove bread and eat strawberries that align with living in harmony with the rhythm of the seasons. Barbanera was a scholar, astronomer and philosopher at a time when astronomy and astrology retained ties. The almanac (first added in 1768) and calendar continue to reference the historical links between astronomy – the scientific study of celestial objects, space and the physical universe – with astrology, a pseudoscience that interprets the position of stars and planets to determine the potential influence on human behaviour. In its time, Barbanera’s work entered the collective imagination.
The calendar offers something for every member of the household and is intended to cross not only regional boundaries, but generational ones. Barbanera’s legacy was commemorated in a 2012 postage stamp, and in 2015 the Barbanera Almanac Collection 1762-1962 was included on UNESCO’s ‘Memory of the World’ register, recognising the documentary heritage of the calendar, almanac and publishing institution.
See ‘Living by numbers‘ for the full list of case studies.