Scriptorium

Scriptorium

"The scriptorium was a room found in monasteries in which scribes produced written works. Scriptoria were often located in places with an abundance of natural light so that scribes would be able to see what they were writing without risking the use of candles, which could easily set the many stacks of paper on fire. Works produced inside the scriptorium included religious texts, such as the Christian Bible or the Book of Hours, some for the use of scholars at the establishments, and others commissioned as gifts for wealthy patrons. Work inside the scriptorium was often divided into numerous jobs. Some scribes copied the texts word for word, while others specialized in fine calligraphy, illuminating the margins, or proofreading for mistakes. Some scriptoria kept portfolios of their products to advertise their work to potential buyers. Producing books took a lot of effort, not just from the scribes but for the people organizing each project. Monasteries had to provide the materials, such as large quantities of parchment, for the scribes to sort and use. Between the fall of the Roman Empire and the Renaissance, scriptoria were just about the only places in Europe that produced books."