Gromellino impara a scrivere corsivo: un quaderno di esercizi bergamasco di inizio Quattrocento. Prime riflessioni

The Angelo Mai library in Bergamo preserves a precious and uncommon medieval document: an exercise book from the first half of the fifteenth century. It is thought to have belonged to a young exponent of an important merchant family, Gromellino Grumelli. The manuscript contains several writing exercises in cancelleresca which are proof of an advanced education, probably under the supervision of a “teacher”. An examination of the copied texts suggests that the teaching occurred in a domestic context. This briefing will present the preliminary results of our research, which, albeit currently just sketched out, promises to deliver valuable insights from many different perspectives: the training and development of cursive scripts, the cultural context in which Gromellino was educated, and the role of writing in the studied society.