Aquino
R-Typography · Rui Abreu & Ricardo Santos · 2017
A display stencil typeface drawn from an 18th-century Portuguese Cistercian manuscript, with serifed letterforms built on unconnected calligraphic strokes.
About
Derived from the 1735 liturgical manuscript Collectaneum Sacri Ordinis Cisterciensis by Friar Tomás Aquino, the typeface translates his consistent, unconnected penwork into stencil-like display letterforms. The lowercase follows the manuscript's original minuscule structures directly, while the uppercase was largely redrawn for structural consistency with the lowercase logic rather than reproducing Aquino's ornate majuscules. Available in five weights from Thin to Bold, it carries an unusual historical specificity rare in display type.
Classification
Classified as display due to its stencil-like calligraphic construction derived from 18th-century liturgical manuscript lettering; the unconnected strokes and serifed letterforms place it firmly in decorative display territory rather than conventional text use.