Geometric construction of uppercase Roman letters

michele casanova

I am looking for treatises from the 15th and 16th centuries that provide instructions for geometrically constructing the capital letters of the alphabet. I have found these sources.

• Online manuscripts (15th century):
  1. Alphabetum Romanum (article)
  2. Laskaris, Iōannēs: Johannis Lascaris Rhyndaceni ad Petrum Medicis ars litteraria sive de literis graecis, latinis, hebraicis
  3. Alphabet : forms and proportions of Roman capital letters [This manuscript seems particularly interesting]
• Printed books:
  1. Damianus Moyllus, Alfabeto, Parma, 1483. (facsimile)
  2. Luca Pacioli, De divina proportione, Paganinus de Paganinis, Venezia, 1509 (article)
  3. Sigismondo Fanti, Theorica et pratica de modo scribendi fabricandiqve omnes litterarvm species, Venezia, 1514
  4. Francesco Torniello, Opera del modo de fare le littere maiuscole antique, Milano, 1517.
  5. Albrecht Dürer, Underweysung der Messung, 1525.
  6. Giovanni Battista Verini, Elementorum litterarum, 1526.
  7. Geoffroy Tory, Champ fleury, 1529.
  8. Ferdinando Ruano, Sette alphabeti di varie lettere, 1554.
  9. Vespasiano Amphiareo, Opera di frate Vespasiano Amphiareo da Ferrara dell'ordine minore conventvale, nella qvale s'insegna a scrivere varie sorti di lettere, 1564 (1572 copy) [There are no indications on how to construct the letters but it seems to refer to a square for the construction]

Do you have any suggestions on where to find more information?

Andreas Stötzner

Enjoy reading the works you already have and keep in mind that the very concept of “geometrical construction of Roman letters” is a misconception.

michele casanova

Andreas Stötzner said:

Enjoy reading the works you already have and keep in mind that the very concept of “geometrical construction of Roman letters” is a misconception.

I know that it does not reflect reality and it is an idealizing reinterpretation widespread in the Renaissance, but I am only interested in comparing these reinterpretations