Caratteristiche cancelleresche nei papiri di Avito (Par. lat. 8913+8914)

The article analyzes the Avitus’ papyri (Par. lat. 8913+8914) from a particular point of view, that one of the palaeographical chancery features. After a terminological explanation, a discussion about the typologies of the chancery features follows, with an exemplifying illustration of the historical changes of Latin chancery writings from the third to the sicth century AD. A palaeographical comparison between Avitus’ fragments and two coeval public documents comes after: P.Ital. 55 and P.Ital. 4-5. The presence of similar chancery features suggests that the Avitus’ fragments, first evidence of the Merovingian script, were written from the same official clerks that produced public documents in the archiepiscopal chancery of Vienne. Therefore the Merovingian script, in its first phase, never exited chancery entourages.