Manuscript production in Europe by century and region 500-1499

Before the invention of the Gutenberg printing press in Germany in the mid-15^th century, almost all manuscripts in Europe were hand written. In the Middle Ages, the majority of manuscripts were written on parchment, made of animal skins (especially calf, sheep, and goat), and were usually collected in the form of books (also called codex), which had largely replaced scrolls by the early Middle Ages. Paper was then introduced from China to Europe via the Islamic world in the 14^th century, and had mostly replaced parchment by the time of the Printing Revolution. Papyrus, the paper format popularized in Ancient Egypt, was known in Europe and used around the Mediterranean region until the Middle Ages, however it was very susceptible to the humidity of Northern regions and, even in dryer regions of the Middle East, it rarely survived beyond one or two centuries.

Estimates regarding the number of manuscripts produced in Europe during the Middle Ages are largely speculative and it is believed that a considerable share of the total manuscripts produced were not preserved. Based on the given figures, Italy and France were the regions where the largest number of manuscripts were produced during the Middle Ages - this is indicative of the strong influence of the Catholic Church on literary production during this time, as it is believed that the Christian Bible was the most produced and studied work of the Middle Ages.