Blog
Bringing Back the Love of Romance Language Paleography
- September 10, 2025
- Posted by: Melody Daisson
- Category: Uncategorized
Bringing Back the Love of Romance Language Paleography
SLIG Virtual 2026 – 10 Weeks, Thursdays 10:00 am-2:00 pm Mountain Time
You’ve mastered the basics of reading historical French, Spanish, Italian, or Portuguese handwriting, but challenging documents still leave you puzzled. Do you struggle with complex abbreviations, regional script variations, or specialized document types? The Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy’s virtual spring course “Bringing Back the Love of Romance Language Paleography” is designed to take your paleography skills beyond the fundamentals and help you tackle the most difficult Romance language documents.
A Comprehensive 10-Week Journey Through Advanced Paleography: 19 February- 30 April
This high-intermediate level course offers an immersive exploration of advanced paleographical techniques for French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and other Romance languages. Each Thursday from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm Mountain Time, you’ll dive deep into the complex challenges of reading historical documents that have stumped other researchers.
What Makes Romance Language Paleography Special?
Romance language paleography presents unique challenges that differ significantly from reading English documents. This specialized field involves:
- Complex abbreviation systems – Medieval and early modern scribes used extensive abbreviations specific to each language and region
- Regional script variations – Local writing traditions that evolved differently across Spanish provinces, French regions, Italian states, and Portuguese territories
- Document-specific conventions – Notarial records, ecclesiastical documents, and legal texts each had specialized writing practices
- Historical language evolution – Understanding how Romance languages changed over time affects document interpretation
Expert Instructors Guide Your Research
The course features an impressive lineup of paleography experts:
- Debbie Guertler, AG – Leading sessions on foundational paleography techniques and advanced abbreviation systems
- Lauren Wake, AG – Covering regional script variations and document-specific conventions across Romance language territories
- Peggy Ryskamp, CG – Teaching specialized analysis of wills and legal documents
- Suzanne Russo Adams, AG, MA – Providing in-depth expertise on Italian and French paleography
Additional specialists will cover topics from medieval Latin influences to regional scribal practices, ensuring you get expert knowledge on every aspect of Romance language paleography.
Weekly Deep Dives Into Advanced Paleography
Each week focuses on specific aspects of Romance language document reading:
Week 1, February 19: Foundation for reading records – formatting, methodology, and confidence-building resources
Week 2, February 26: Birth and baptism records analysis and hands-on practice
Week 3, March 12: Marriage records examination and practical application (No class March 5 due to RootsTech)
Week 4, March 19: Marriage investigations and dispensations – theory and practice
Week 5, March 26: Death and burial records decipherment and practice sessions
Week 6, April 2: Will analysis – specialized legal document paleography
Week 7, April 9: Spanish and Portuguese Inquisition records exploration
Week 8, April 16: Genealogical Latin foundations and Catalan practice activities
Week 9, April 23: In-depth sessions with subject matter experts covering Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and French specializations
Week 10, April 30: Capstone document review and course final assessment
Interactive Learning Experience
This isn’t just a lecture series. The course includes hands-on practice with challenging historical documents, guided analysis sessions, and collaborative problem-solving where you’ll tackle documents that have previously seemed impossible to read. By the end of the course, you’ll have developed systematic approaches to decode even the most difficult Romance language handwriting and specialized advanced techniques to unlock family stories hidden in complex historical records.
Don’t let complex handwriting remain beyond your reach. Join us for this high intermediate exploration of Romance language paleography and master the skills needed to read even the most challenging historical documents.