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Discover 6 essential French resources to master paleography and simplify reading archival documents in your genealogical research.
©️Archives d'Indre-et-Loire
Paleography, the art of deciphering ancient handwriting, is an essential skill for any genealogist wishing to explore historical archives. Given the diversity of writing styles and the evolution of language over the centuries, it is crucial to have the right resources to correctly interpret these documents.
Here is a selection of five resources to assist you in this endeavor.
The French National Archives offer courses on-site in Paris to learn how to read ancient scripts (14th-18th centuries). These courses are offered by the Society of Friends of the Archives of France and are open to all. Several levels are available - beginner and advanced. You can register for these courses for 2025-2026 starting in September 2025.
These Paleography Notebooks offer a selection of texts of increasing difficulty, historical references, reading tips, and transcriptions. These notebooks aim to train you in deciphering handwritten documents while guiding you in learning the shape of letters, abbreviations, spelling, and vocabulary of yesteryear. Consult the Decipher Documents sheet to begin your learning.
The resource page of the Ménestrel website - medievalists on the net - gathers useful resources for paleography. You will find links to resources for abbreviations in Latin, French, or Greek, resources on medieval paleography (in several languages), and modern paleography.
Baptiste Etienne and Jean-François Viel offer courses via their online teaching platform for paleography. A rapid and free learning cycle is available. You will find 7 thematic videos to grasp the basic concepts of modern paleography.
The Loire-Atlantique Departmental Archives offer several sheets, videos, conferences, and courses to help you progress in deciphering and reading ancient documents. The vademecum Reading Ancient Documents is an essential resource for beginners.
The Seine-et-Marne Archives offer paleography courses. They also provide researchers with a list of useful books for learning paleography.
Deciphering ancient archives may seem daunting, but with these resources and a little practice, you will gain confidence and ease. Each document you manage to read will bring you closer to your ancestors and the fascinating stories they left behind.
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