Felice Le Monnier

Early years

Born in France to Jean Le Monnier and Jeanne Michaud. In his letter book,, Felice Le Monnier described his background briefly:

I was born in Verdun, in the month of December 1806. My father, Jean, then garrisoned in Verdun, had married there a young lady, Jeanne Michaud, daughter of a watchmaker. These details will be enough for you, I hope: I would not be able to give you any others."

he started his military career, whose rigid discipline, however, was ill-suited to his free and inharmonious character. He fled from the Enrico IV school in Paris, and then was expelled.

His father, to punishment him and to train him in a profession, entrusted him to a family friend who headed a print shop in Paris. He was trained as a typist and then became a printer.

He left Paris after taking part in the 1830 strikes against the reactionary laws of Charles X and arrived in Florence as a stopover on his way to Greece, where he planned to establish a new publishing company with a friend. The sudden death of the partner with whom he had planned the venture and his fortunate hiring by the printer Pietro Borghi prompted him to stay in Florence, giving him the opportunity to launch first a major printing business and later a publishing house.