File:Goudy - Lombardic Gothic versal.svg

English: Lombardic Gothic versal. Manuscript versal forms [so called because used to denote the beginnings of verses, paragraphs, etc.} were huilt up Roman letters which in the tenth and twelfth centuries departed from the more severe Roman form by the addition of ornamental features, or by curving and fattening the strokes, developing or degenerating into the Lombardic, not that it was invented by the Lombards, or even confined to northern Italy, but because it was first developed there. These capitals are used mainly as initials and in many cases are not written but painted in, which accoimts somewhat for the fatter strokes.