Calligraphy is the art of creating decorative symbols by hand. The written word was a major art form during the medieval period, and calligraphers filled the pages of illuminated manuscripts with styled lettering,decorative flourishes, and illustrations. These decorations indicated the spiritual and monetary value of books. During this lesson, primary school pupils will learn about the process and history of calligraphy by comparing and contrasting examples of manuscripts from Europeana’s collections, historical objects associated with the practice of calligraphy, and by creating their own piece of calligraphy using a hand-made calligraphy pen.