Recently, researchers from The Laboratory of Physics for Cultural Heritage (CREF) of the Museo Storico della Fisica e Centro Studi e Ricerche Enrico Fermi in Rome and the Historical Archive of the Pontifical Gregorian University have used a novel approach that enables the attribution of ancient handwriting via the combination of machine learning and spectroscopic techniques. This innovative methodology was outlined and studied in detail in an article published in Expert System with Applications.
The team of researchers investigated Clavis Prophetarum, a long-lost book by Antonio Vieira, one of the founding fathers of the Portuguese language. The book was discovered within the Historical Archives of the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. Creating a considerable research challenge, it featured some fifty years of corrections, revisions, censorship, and annotations by different authors.
The project required a thorough blend of machine learning and spectroscopic procedures, namely X-ray fluorescence and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopies, in order to identify different inks and recognize the authors’ handwriting. The result of the study revealed a great potential in the use of this unique methodology for manuscripts authentication and handwriting analysis. Giulia Festa, Lorenzo Teodonio, and Claudia Scatigno were the main scientists responsible for the breakthrough.
The Laboratory of Physics for Cultural Heritage (CREF) is a department within the Museo Storico della Fisica e Centro Studi e Ricerche Enrico Fermi , a research institution established in Rome in 1982 to preserve historical wonders and engage in pioneering research. Its primary goals are to promote knowledge in the field of cultural heritage, present relevant research results to the public, and collaborate with other institutions when pursuing projects of significant scientific value.
Antonio Vieira was a 17th-century Portuguese writer, scholar, and preacher. Widely recognized as one of the founding fathers of the Portuguese language, he wrote several masterpieces in literature and philosophy. He became a Jesuit priest in 1607 and eventually worked his way up to become a member of the Portuguese inquisition. Vieira left a major mark in the history of Portugal and other Iberian countries.
