Early Notarial Register on Paper — Asti, Italy. (1327–1330).
Asti: 14th century. Manuscript in Latin on paper. Written in a clear, consistent cursive notarial hand in dark brown ink. The unruled pages are densely written, typically with 30 or more lines per page, and have minimal margins. Letterforms are compact but well-formed, with frequent abbreviations. Regular strikethroughs appear across completed or annulled entries. Occasional blank pages and reserved spaces are present, likely intended for additional entries. The paper shows visible chain and laid lines; a watermark is evident on several leaves. In contemporary limp vellum. Four gatherings composed of 14, 12, 12, and 12 folios. The front cover is inscribed in ink with the notary’s name, Dominicus de Calendina, written twice, the date in Latin (1327), and the years of use in Roman numerals (MCCCXXVII–MCCCXXX), along with other faded annotations in a cursive hand. The rear cover bears faint pen marks. The binding is soiled and creased, with wear from handling; the front cover corners are damaged, edges chipped, and the rear cover shows losses to the lower edge. The vellum is shrunken and distorted from age and use. The text block shows moderate water staining along the lower edge, with chipping to corners and edges, particularly at the front and rear. The paper is discolored where watered but remains entirely legible. Ink is stable, with no significant fading or bleeding. Minimal text loss affects only the final leaves. Occasional soiling and signs of handling are present, consistent with age and use.
A complete notarial register on early Fabriano paper, this 1327–1330 manuscript from Asti offers rare and early evidence of paper's adoption in Italian legal documentation at a time when parchment remained the dominant medium. The manuscript was compiled by the notary Dominicus de Calendina, and its completeness, dating, and material composition make it a significant witness to a major shift in medieval recordkeeping.
The manuscript is composed of laid paper, with visible watermark, chain, and laid lines throughout. It is complete, covering entries from 1327 February to 1330 November, and was written entirely by Dominicus de Calendina. Each yearly section opens with an introductory formula, affirming Calendina's role as a notary and invoking divine blessing upon the work, followed by his notarial sign: a bold cross within a square frame with decorative loops, surmounted by a symbolic flourish, with the letters m. d. (likely Magister Dominicus) written beside the cross (possibly alluding to Asti’s Ghibelline cross). It consists of 100 leaves, written in a clear and uniform cursive hand with minimal margins; occasional blank leaves are present, likely reserved for additional entries. The manuscript was assembled from four gatherings composed of 14, 12, 12, and 12 folios respectively; each gathering was folded once and sewn at the fold, then bound in limp vellum. The original binding is preserved, with the dates and notary's name inked on the front panel in a typical 14th-century titling style, now faded but legible.
The paper bears a consistent watermark throughout the manuscript, featuring a jug (anfora fasciata), catalogued by Zonghi as AR028A and dated to 1329 (related to Briquet no. 12467; variants of group 12464–12467). This watermark originates from Fabriano, a major center of medieval papermaking in Europe. Papermaking in Fabriano was first documented in 1264, with the formation of a papermakers’ guild by 1326. The town played a central role in refining papermaking techniques, pioneering the use of watermarks (recorded from the 1280s), and producing durable, high-quality paper that became acceptable for legal and administrative use.
At the time this manuscript was written, parchment remained the predominant medium for legal and official documents across Europe. Paper, while gaining popularity, was still relatively rare and novel. In Arcevia, a town near Fabriano, for example, out of over 800 notarial documents from the late 13th century, only ten were on paper. By the 14th century, that number had increased ninefold, illustrating a broader trend in Italian civic documentation. Nevertheless, paper was still infrequently used (Albro 2016). The survival of a complete early 14th-century paper manuscript is rare, as many such registers have perished due to the fragility of early paper or were replaced by parchment copies. This register stands out for both its completeness and material rarity, offering valuable insight into the transition from parchment to paper in legal recordkeeping.
In the early 14th century, the city of Asti was a thriving commercial and financial center in the Piedmont region, strategically located along key trade routes connecting northern Italy with France and the Mediterranean. Its economic strength was built on banking, textile production, and the wine trade, and it maintained political autonomy as a free commune for much of the 13th and 14th centuries. The prominence of wealthy merchant families and an active notarial class reflects Asti’s importance as a hub of regional commerce and legal activity.
The notarial register (also referred to in the text as a protocollo or capitularium) records transactions, contracts, and agreements drafted by Dominicus de Calendina. Entries are dated by year, month, and day, with locations specified in detail. These often reference sites in Asti such as the house of the Macaluffo (Machaluffi) — in domo Machalufforum — likely a prominent Jewish merchant family associated with the Ghibelline party (Kusman 2013); the house of Cazo de Solario, likely a member of the powerful Solaro banking family, principal supporters of the Guelf faction in Asti; or family streets, for example in platis Antegnanorum. Transactions also occurred at churches (porticu ecclesiae) and in marketplaces, particularly in mercato di Santo, including locations such as the apothecary (in mercato di Santo ante apothecam).
The register documents a range of legal acts: loans, property transfers, debt settlements, dowry agreements, and commercial contracts. Individuals are identified by familial or geographical origin. Recurring names provide insight into the individuals shaping Asti’s legal and economic life. Dominicus de Calendina appears as both scribe and witness, occasionally with Petrus Laurus, another notary. Clients such as Rossino Pelleta, Laurentino de Antegnano (involved in multiple financial dealings), Cazo de Solario, a frequent lender, and Bineto (Dinotus?) Garetus, regularly engaged in credit agreements, illustrate the active economic network in Asti.
Among notable transactions are loan agreements, including one involving 500 gold florins by Manuel Bovetus with specified repayment terms, as well as property exchanges, legal disputes, financial contracts, and inheritance settlements. Strikethroughs appear frequently, possibly indicating fulfilled or annulled transactions. The individuals and families mentioned in this register can, in some cases, be further traced in the volumes of Atti della Società Ligure di Storia Patria, Atti della Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei and Codex Astensis.
The register may be compared with the Cartulary of Giovanni Scriba, preserved in Genoa and considered the oldest surviving notarial register in Western Europe. That manuscript, composed earlier, includes the first known use of paper in Italy; its paper, however, was imported from the East. No further specimens of paper are documented in Italy until 1276, the year of the first recorded mention of the Fabriano paper mills. Dominicus de Calendina’s register stands out for its completeness, early 14th-century date, and use of Italian-made Fabriano paper, marking an early milestone in the history of European papermaking and reflecting one of the most significant technological innovations of the Middle Ages.
This manuscript not only documents Asti’s economic and legal environment in the early 14th century but also reflects the role of notaries as independent legal authorities, the city’s multicultural economic network — including Jewish merchants — and the standardized legal frameworks of the period. It highlights the influence of specific families and individuals in shaping Asti’s economy. As a monument to one of the most significant technological shifts of the Middle Ages, this register is a valuable source for the study of medieval legal practice, economic history, and the evolution of writing materials. Complete early 14th-century paper manuscripts of this type are exceptionally rare and seldom encountered in the market.
References: Albro, S. R. (2016). Fabriano: City of medieval and Renaissance papermaking. New Castle, DE: Oak Knoll Press; Washington, DC: Library of Congress.; Kusman, D. (2013). Usuriers publics et banquiers du Prince: Le rôle économique des financiers piémontais dans les villes du duché de Brabant (XIIIe-XIVe siècle). Turnhout: Brepols.; Hunter, D. (1947). Papermaking: The history and technique of an ancient craft. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
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Price: €30,000.00