The close relationship between blindness and the development of special mnemonic, language and musical skills has been recognized since ancient Greece, but it is especially during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries that the blind performer emerges as a constant presence in Italy. In that period, every Italian city likely had at least one blind man entertaining a broad audience with songs and words on the most crowded streets and squares. With the rise of the printing press, their performances were often combined with the sale or offering of small ephemeral publications, sometimes their own works. This essay demonstrates the significant role of blind performers in early modern Italy as musicians, singers and, particularly, as authors.