Genesi e articolazioni della “maiuscola liturgica”

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This paper studies the formation of the Liturgical majuscule not only in books, but also as documented in mosaics as well as in silver and ivory objects and in icons from the 6th century A.D. It appears from this study that the forementioned handwriting—used in manuscripts from the 9th to the 11th century—is shaped by the inclusion of decorative elements used in “exposed scripts” (texts shown in public spaces) within the basic structure of the Upright Ogival majuscule. The Liturgical majuscule is not considered a canonized or normative script, but a kind of graphic bias with different articulations, and none of its characteristics can be used for the exact dating of its witnesses.

In September 2008, the seventh edition of the International Colloquium of Greek Palaeography (Madrid-Salamanca, 15-20 September 2008) celebrated the 300th anniversary of the Palaeographia Graeca, the pioneer work of the Benedictine Bernard de Montfaucon that established the fundamentals of the discipline. Papers by renowned specialists in the field contributed to the methodology of study and to our knowledge of Greek manuscripts, and opened new perspectives for the study of the Greek manuscripts preserved mostly in European libraries, taking into account new methodological approaches, the possibilities of online resources and the results of ongoing research projects.

The Proceedings published here include contributions by specialists from over ten different countries, dealing with palaeographical issues such as ancient capital and lower-case lettering, writing and books in the Macedonian, Comnenian and Palaeologan periods, and Greek scribes and ateliers in the Renaissance (especially in manuscripts from the Iberian Peninsula). Many contributors also take a codicological approach and consider the material aspects of the codex, as well as other new research techniques. Finally, some papers deal with the book as object and how this relates to its content, as well as with the history of texts.

The International Colloquia of Greek Palaeography are organized by the International Committee of Greek Palaeography, presided by Prof. Dieter Harlfinger. The seventh edition payed tribute to the memory of the late Jean Irigoin, who died in 2006.