Folia Fiction
High quality, historically accurate book props
Detail of illuminated manuscript page

What we do

Book props for your productions. Properly matching history.

Folia Fiction is the latest project by Franco Cosimo Panini Editore, an Italian publishing house with three decades of expertise in the field of de-luxe and high-fidelity facsimiles and a life-long passion for rare books and manuscripts. Today, we put our skills to work by cooperating with production houses in order to create historically accurate, screen-ready, custom hero props for cinema, theatre, and TV.

Discover
Our collaborations.

We had the pleasure of working with several professional teams from widely-successful international productions. Our most recent projects include books featured in Medici: Masters of Florence (seasons 1, 2, and 3), The Name of the Rose (2019 TV series), Inside Leonardo (Sky & Progetto Immagine), Raffaello - Il Principe delle Arti (Sky 3D), and Don Matteo (season 10 and 11).

See our books as they appeared on

The Name of the Rose

Calligrapher writing
01
Calligraphy & Pirography Watch video
Calligrapher writing
02
Sewing, Binding, Embossing & Ageing Watch video
Calligrapher writing
03
Forging the Iron Cage Watch video

Consultation services.
Book consultation

We provide detailed expert advice for your productions.

In addition to prop-making, we also operate as consultants for historical accuracy, cooperating with your property team in order to create the best set for your project. We will help you check for any errors or discontinuity in your design work, from font or paper choice to the cover and backbone design of your books, clasps, seals, lacing, and much more.

Rental services
Our collection. Yours to browse.

Our love of books knows no limit of time: that is why we are the proud owners of an extensive collection of original rare books from various time periods, manuscripts, and press-printed volumes as well as many facsimile replicas. Many works in our collection are also up for rent: check in with us to find out whether we can help you!

Contact us
Lucia Panini
A life-long passion running in our family.

I am Lucia Panini, an expert in manuscripts and printed books. Following in my father’s footsteps, I entered the world of collectors and bibliophiles at a very early age. In 1991 I opened my Rare Books Gallery, Libreria Antiquaria Lucia Panini, attending the most important international fairs and exhibitions.

I lived and worked in London, owning a small shop in elegant Old Bond Street where I used to deal with antique books and extraordinary works of Italian publishing.

In 2007 I joined Franco Cosimo Panini Editore, the family publishing house carrying my father’s name. As a member of the Board of Directors, I focused on our Biblioteca Impossibile, an “Impossible Library” of facsimile editions of the most significant illuminated manuscripts from major Libraries and Institutions worldwide. Each volume embodies a perfect union of leading-edge image processing technologies and the talents of skilled artisans, binders, calligraphers, illuminators, and jewellers.

Lucia Panini holding rare book Lucia Panini
Contact us
Get to work.
Speak your mind.
Get in touch.

Need more information? Do you have a project for us? Can you propose our next big challenge? Don't hesitate to contact us with your ideas and queries.