La scrittura delle carte bresciane del secolo XII

Abstract

Generally considered as the period in which a lot of factors (both within and outside the notarial practice) made the gap between books and documents handwriting become narrower, and the influence of the former increased on the latter, 12th century was characterized also in Brescia by a shared adaptation of notaries' script to the ancient and prestigious model of littera antiqua. The new 'diplomatic minuscule', documented since the very first years of the century by excellent (though isolated) cases (like the graphic experiences of iudex Ebezo and Rodulfus), became a widespread legacy among Brescia notaries in the mid-1150's. The papers aims at analyzing these graphical processes till to the resumption of a more cursive writing and the introduction of 'secondary' ligatures, that frankly foreshadow the most typical 13th century documentary script.