The set of principles, rules, methods and practices constituting the art and science of interpretation, through reading, writing legacy of immediately prior to the beginning of our era centuries, and the following until the eighteenth century, is what comes with knowing the name of paleography. T his book examines in detail the history of forms of writing from Roman times to the Renaissance, emphasizing its origin, development and special features in the Spanish territory. With it, a fundamental tool for learning their interpretation are provided. The work begins with an explanation of the main elements that can lead to confusion when deciphering an ancient text such as the shorthand of words, the large variety of ancillary signs of writing and even cryptography or encrypted scripts. Next, the origins and development of the Latin script in Rome itself (writing capital letters, media, materials, epigraphy, italics), the Latin script in Roman Spain and development towards the medieval writings are explained. It later continues the evolution in Spanish soil with the birth of national and Hispano-Visigothic scriptures and their passage into writing carolina, up to the Gothic script and finally to the humanities. Accompanied by about a hundred sheets and pictures to illustrate the different types of writing and their characteristics, and a constant presence of transcribed texts, this book is an essential tool for knowledge and understanding of more than a thousand years of use writing, particularly in the Hispanic world, essential, in turn, to the knowledge of our history.