Communication · c. 1276

Water-powered paper mill

Water-driven hammers pulp rags at Fabriano, scaling paper for European demand.

Paper reached Europe through Islamic Spain in the 11th and 12th centuries, and by 1276 the mills of Fabriano in Italy used water-powered stamping hammers, gelatin sizing and watermarks. Cheap European paper was the essential supply for the printing press 160 years later.

See it in the living tree Wikipedia

Arcs above join it to what it stood on, arcs below to what it led to. The bar places this stretch on the tree's whole timeline.

What it built on 2

Paper 105
Watermill 300 BCE

What it led to 2

Movable-type printing press 1440
Continuous paper machine 1803

Related measurements

The dashed line marks when it first worked.

Manuscript production per century, Italy Latest: 1.42M manuscripts (1400) Source: Our World in Data

Books consumed per person, Western Europe Latest: 0.12 books per person per year (1775) Source: Our World in Data