Fourteenth century epigraphs in vernacular in the neighbourhoods of Venice

In this article three medieval epigraphs written in old Venetian vernacular are edited: the first is a faithful modem copy of a gothic inscription celebrating the building (1338) of the church of St. John in Portogruaro (near Venice); the second relates to a testamentary donation to the church of Moniego di Noale, between Venice and Treviso (1365); the third is written on a metal plate on the silver pala of the cathedral of St. Euphemia in Grado (at the northern edge of the Ducatus of Venice), and informs about the person who had commissioned that work (1374). The three inscriptions are good examples of the epigraphic scripta of the mainland near Venice during the second half of the 14th century. It shows that in the City-State at that time the use of the vernacular language for public civil epigraphy was widespread and more frequent than in any other Comune of northern Italy.