Amalfi Paper Journal

Paper Amalfi journals

If you are looking for a gift for a special occasion or someone dear to you, this article is mandatory! Have you ever heard of the wonderful and refined Amalfi paper? This is the right opportunity to get to know something new. Today, I will show you one of the most special products from Manufactus, and one that we are most fond of: the Amalfi paper journals. 

Amalfi Paper Journals: The Reasons Behind their Peerless BeautyBefore showing you some examples of what you will find in our store, let’s take a few steps back, and start from the beginning: what is Amalfi paper and why it makes our leather journals so special!

Amalfi Paper: Some Historical Notes

The first appearance of Amalfi paper dates back to the 13th century, even if, according to some sources, the first paper mills were already working during the decades before.

It was initially used for notarial documents, until emperor Frederick I forbade its use in 1220, regarding the Amalfi paper much less durable than traditional parchment paper.

Despite the ban on use, the paper mills in Amalfi continued to operate, so much so that it is still possible to find 15th-century archive documents made of Amalfi paper.

The year 1954 was a tragic one for these type of specialised paper mills: in fact, a strong flood caused the destruction of all but three factories. The same fate befell the families of paper makers: the only ones which continued to operate in the field were those of Francesco Imperato, who still produces Amalfi paper in Palermo; the Milano family, to whom we owe the transformation of their paper mill into a Museum (The Amalfi Paper Museum); the Amatruda family, which is the best known and most famous to date, and that still carries on the production of handmade Amalfi paper.

Nowadays, the Amalfi paper is mostly employed for wedding and other ceremonies’ announcements.

Amalfi Paper Production Process

Amalfi paper is produced using white linen, cotton, and hemp rags, instead of wood cellulose. For this reason, Amalfi paper is also known as Charta Bambagina.

In ancient production, the fabrics were reduced to a pulp by means of nailed hammers which were activated by large hydraulically propelled mills: today, on the other hand, more technological and sophisticated machines are employed, which make it possible to achieve a greater refinement in the end product.

The resulting paste is then dissolved in water, filtered, and eventually transformed into sheets by use of special frames. 

Handmade Amalfi paper notebooks: Manufactus products

Taking into account the great elegance and refinement of the Amalfi paper, Manufactus could not fail to devote an entire series of notebooks to this prestigious product of Italian craftsmanship.

In our store you can find handmade leather notebooks with Amalfi paper sheets, like the following ones:

If you are not interested in a notebook (but why wouldn’t you?), but you simply need some Amalfi paper to fill your notebooks, you can still buy it as a stand-alone product. How to do so? Take a look right below!

Handmade Journals in Rome

Craftsmanship is among those area of expertise that contributed to making Italy great: this country, in fact, always held a deep connection with creative manual skills, art, and beauty. “Making things by hand” takes us back to ancient times, to those people that have taught us so many things, which nowadays are slowly being forgotten, due to technology’s ever-increasing advancements. Luckily enough, however, there are still those who do not give up on creating excellent products in the old ways: this is the case for Manufactus, an Italian company specialising in the creation of handmade journals. The head office is based in Rome, but we have many branches in different parts of Italy!

Handmade Journals: their origin

The term ‘notebook’ (in Italian, ‘taccuino’) derives from the Arabic taquîm, which can be translated as “ordered arrangement”. During the 14th and 15th centuries, notebooks were handmade, by combining the bound sheets together. Handmade journals were so fundamental to organise information that the technique to produce them was even taught to children in school.

The oldest known pocket diary dates back to 1804, when explorers Lewis and Clark used one of them in a journey. After a while, in 1860, the notebook appeared in France and Germany: it’s during this period that some decorations, inspired by ancient China and Japan traditions, began to be applied on them.

Many patents were created in the 1900s, especially in England. And in Italy? Surely, some of you know about the legendary Moleskine! Notably, the widespread use of notebooks in our country can be traced back to the establishment of that company, founded in 1997 in Milan. 

What a journal is for and how it can be customised

A journal can be used for various purposes: to jot down notes, as a simple writing support, as a sketchbook or a drawing book, for a literary or artistic collection, and an as exercise book for school.

The binding and cover can be customised with prints and images, depending on the type of materials employed (leather, paper, and so on). 

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Handmade journal crafted in Rome: Manufactus by Luca Natalizia

As regards customising handmade journals, we cannot fail to mention Manufactus, a historic brand, based in Rome, that managed to let ancient Italian craftsmanship, that is employed in the production of particular and refined objects, be known on a global scale.

Manufactus notebooks are characterised by the constant pursuit of a style recalling fashion and tastes typical of the past centuries, but with a modern touch. The materials used are leather and hide, which are skilfully treated, in order to respect their inherent and aesthetic features.

If you want to learn more about the handmade notebooks crafted in Rome by Manufactus, you can visit our website, or visit us at the following stores.

Being able to appreciate first-hand the beauty of these products is priceless, thus we highly recommend you visit our stores soon! If you reside abroad or just too far away, feel free to visit our online shop and purchase our products completely safely.