Descriptio Britanniae, Scotiea, Hyberniae, et Orchadvm
Descriptio Britanniae, Scotiae, Hyberniae, et Orchadum is a 1548 Venetian geographical description of the British Isles by the Italian historian Paolo Giovio, printed by Tramezino for a learned European readership. The pictures are small woodcut historiated initials, each a large letter framing a seated or standing figure, a hill town, or a tiled interior. A designer could draw on their compact framed letterforms, cross-hatched woodcut shading, and Renaissance dress for borders and display type.
