Juan Pablos

Giovanni Paoli, also known as Juan Pablo, was a native of Lombardy remembered as the first documented printer in the Americas.

Little is known about Pablos’ early life. He was born in the region of Brescia and he probably received an education in the same school as Aldus Manutius, a famous printer and publisher. In 1536 he was sent to Mexico City by Juan Cromberger who wanted to establish a printing house there. He departed from Seville on 12 June 1539 and arrived in the October of the same year. After arrival he set up the company in the “Casa de Juan Cromberger”, whose name appeared on all early publications until 1545. Interestingly, Cromberger never visited Mexico and died in 1540. After the death of Cromberger, Pablos successfully obtained the necessary permissions to continue Cromberger's workshop as his own. In the times that followed, Pablos successfully expanded the printing business and is credited with training the next generation of Mexican printers – such as Pedro Ocharte and Antonio de Espinosa.

The first known book to be published in the Americas was the 1539 edition of the “Breve y mas compendiosa doctrina Christiana en lengua Mexicana y Castellana” by Juan de Zumárraga. Until his death, Pablos printed at least 37 books.