Bartolomeo Sanvito

Bartolomeo Sanvito was a prominent Italian scribe and calligrapher active in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. He was known for his mastery of both humanistic book hands and cursive scripts, particularly the antica corsiva (italic) and roman styles. Sanvito's work is celebrated for its unparalleled beauty, often featuring color-stained vellum pages and meticulously crafted pen-made inscriptional Roman capital letters in vibrant hues. He primarily copied works by classical authors such as Horace, Virgil, and Cicero, but also produced religious texts. Sanvito's contributions were significant in perfecting these scripts and producing manuscripts of exceptional quality during the Renaissance.1