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European Paper Mills

Type Object Region Europe Time c. 1270

European paper mills were workshops producing paper by hand in Iberia, Italy, and elsewhere in the late Middle Ages, their technology having been tra…

Timeline

  1. c. 1270–1300Fabriano · MarcheTowns in central Italy established paper workshops using local water sources and linen rags, adopting beating, sheet-forming, and pressing techniques transmitted from the Islamic world to produce paper suitable for writing and bookkeeping, gradually replacing some uses of parchment.
  2. c. 1310–1380Venice · VenetoPapermaking technology spread northward along the Italian peninsula, with commercial cities such as Venice and Genoa becoming hubs of the paper trade; the mobility of workshop artisans and improvements to water-powered beating equipment increased output and paper uniformity.
  3. c. 1390–1400Nuremberg · BavariaThe first paper mills appeared within the Holy Roman Empire, extending paper supply to Central European universities and municipal archive systems, providing a more economical medium for handwritten manuscripts and commercial bills before the rise of printing in the fifteenth century.

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