Ludovico degli Arrighi

calligrapher

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June 18, 2026

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Ludovico degli Arrighi was an Italian calligrapher and printer active in the early 16th century. He is renowned for his manual on cancellaresca corsiva, a script that became instrumental in disseminating knowledge across Europe during the Renaissance.12

Arrighi's work, La operina, published around 1524, served as a foundational text for learning this script. It provided instructions on letter formation, spacing, and practice exercises. The cancellaresca corsiva, also known as italic, evolved from earlier papal chancery scripts. Arrighi's style featured distinctive plumelike ascenders and a lively yet disciplined appearance, making it adaptable to various pen nibs and writing speeds. His manual, along with that of Giovanantonio Tagliente, was printed from woodcuts and aimed to teach the art of writing without a teacher. Arrighi's influence extended to typeface design, as he also created designs for printers.12

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cancellaresca corsiva
…by the calligrapher and printer Ludovico degli Arrighi of Vicenza in the early decades of the 16th century, the cancellaresca corsiva can range from eye-arresting contrasts of Gothic-like thick and thin strokes to a delicate, supple monotone tracery. Arrighi’s ascending letters, rather than terminating in serifs as in earlier versions,…
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…by the calligrapher and printer Ludovico degli Arrighi of Vicenza in the early decades of the 16th century, the cancellaresca corsiva can range from eye-arresting contrasts of Gothic-like thick and thin strokes to a delicate, supple monotone tracery. Arrighi’s ascending letters, rather than terminating in serifs as in earlier versions,…
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calligraphy
The scripts of humanism (14th to 16th century)
Ludovico degli Arrighi published the first practical manual on writing cancelleresca, the hand now usually called italic. His La operina (“The Little Work”), which, although dated 1522, was probably printed in Rome about 1524, became a prototype for subsequent writing manuals. Arrighi shows how chancery…
Read More
Ludovico degli Arrighi published the first practical manual on writing cancelleresca, the hand now usually called italic. His La operina (“The Little Work”), which, although dated 1522, was probably printed in Rome about 1524, became a prototype for subsequent writing manuals. Arrighi shows how chancery…
Read More