Beneventan

This course on Beneventan calligraphy will appeal to those having already done some of the more straightforward styles of calligraphy, such as the simple gothic hand, the foundational or Carolingian hands. This is an alphabet with some unusual letterforms, so those who like to try something different will love it!

Together, we will

• Master the technical aspects of Beneventan calligraphy (letter-height, pen-angle …)
• Write all 26 letters and more than a dozen ligatured letters, Beneventan-style
• Benefit from the meditative and relaxing aspects of calligraphy
• Create a two-coloured sampler with the Beneventan letters
• Address an envelope using Beneventan calligraphy

Beneventan (benny – ven – tan) calligraphy was developed in the the Monte Cassino abbey, southeast of Rome. It’s not one of the most renown styles of calligraphy, but it’s very unique and lovely to write. There are numerous letterforms that you won’t find in any other script. In a nutshell, I’d say that’s the most appealing aspect of this style of calligraphy – the fact that it’s quite unusual, very appealing to the eye but …  to be honest, sometimes downright difficult to decipher !