What the Spanish Paleography Tool is About
The purpose of this web tool is to instruct users in how to decipher the handwriting styles prevalent in 16th and 17th century Spanish handwritten documents. The tool draws from archival documents of the Spanish colony of La Española (today’s Dominican Republic). Since the same dominant handwriting styles of the time were followed throughout the Spanish world, practicing the reading of these basic styles on early Dominican manuscript documents can familiarize users with the handwriting from all Spanish language countries during the period.
Essentially, users of this Tool will be guided into this learning through the viewing of digital images of archival handwritten documents side-by-side with typed transcriptions of the words contained in those manuscripts. Through an active visual comparison of handwritten word and typed transcribed word, the user can gradually learn to identify and decipher each letter and word of the handwritten text. With practice, users can reach a level of visual recognizing and familiarity with the handwriting so that all words on any given manuscript folio or page are comprehended.
Learning to read early-modern handwritings is similar to learning to decipher any contemporary handwriting by repeatedly analyzing the handwriting and identifying the particular way each letter is written, until all letters are fully identified and the handwriting as such is fully intelligible. In the case of early modern Spanish manuscripts, there are roughly four different handwriting styles that were used by different people, each tracing the letters of the Spanish alphabet somewhat differently.