The Letters of the Rovereti Family. A Paleographic Study (16th–18th Centuries)

Abstract

This essay offers a palaeographic analysis of the Rovereti family papers, held at the Biblioteca comunale di Trento. By examining five letters drafted between 1586 and 1765 by members of successive generations, the study charts the evolution of handwriting practices among the Trentine gentry during the Early Modern era. A diachronic comparison reveals a significant shift in the relationship to calligraphic models. The results corroborate the hypothesis of a progressive 'disintegration of the model system': it appears that by the 17th and 18th centuries, writing was no longer learned via contemporary copybooks, but rather through the imitation of family records or dated pedagogical texts.