Scriptorium - Definition and Overview

A Scriptorium was a room or building, usually within a Christian monastery where, during medieval times, manuscripts were written. Before the introduction of moveable type for printing, anything written had to be written down by hand since time immemorial. Scriptoria were organized during the Middle Ages to meet the demand and need in Western societies for written works.

See also: Codex, Johann Gutenberg

External links

• New York Carver: Scriptorium (http://www.newyorkcarver.com/scriptoria3.htm#Scriptorium)
• Etchings of scriptoria and an example of a manuscript (http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/exhibitions/permanent/gutenberg/html/2.html)