Book excerpt: The knowledge of papermaking spread slowly over Italy from the start of the thirteenth century. Scholarly interest in the history of Italian paper manufacture has concentrated especially on the earliest period. Research into paper from the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries has lagged somewhat behind. Watermarks are extremely important for investigating the origins of paper. This book offers high quality x-rays and descriptions of ca. three hundred Italian watermarks. A selection of paper produced in different areas of Italy is presented with an identification.