Facsimiles are, by definition, an exact copy of a manuscript or parchment made by photographic reproduction or other techniques.
The Facsimile of a manuscript or document is a product that faithfully follows every small detail of the original product, including all imperfections caused by use and time.
These copies of antique books and documents are not limited to reproducing the text of the originals, but are intended to emulate their sensitive properties, such as the size of the pages, the grammage of the sheets, the colours of the decorations, the materials of the binding and the precious elements, etc.
What characterises a Facsimile book?
A Facsimile is intended to be indistinguishable from the original book as it currently stands. Facsimiles of this kind also differ from fakes, as their copy status is disclosed.
Other features of the Facsimile are:
- The reproduction must be commented on. The Facsimile is always accompanied by a commentary volume, which contains historical-artistic studies of the reproduced work and can sometimes collect the full translation of the text
- The reproduction must be a limited edition, i.e. with usually fewer than one thousand copies printed
- The reproduction must be guaranteed, i.e. it must be accompanied by a certificate of guarantee stating both the completeness and conformity of the reproduction with the original and the copy number
