Guillaume LeRoy

Guillaume LeRoy from Liège, Belgium was the first early modern printer to specialize in publishing in the vernacular, and in making books available to a more general reading public.

LeRoy learnt the art of printing in Venice, the center of printing in Italy where he worked for the famous Speier brothers who obtained a monopoly over printing in Venice. After some time, LeRoy moved to Lyon, one of the wealthiest French cities situated on the important commercial route to establish his own printing business. He did it in partnership with Barthelemy Buyer, a wealthy merchant who provided place for the plant and was in charge for commercial side of the business.

Guillaume LeRoy was active from 1473 until 1529. He became most famous for printing of Jean de Vignay’s translation of Jacobus de Voragine’s Legenda Aurea, the first printed book in French.