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King Roger Bans the Use of Paper (1145)


At Martorana in Palermo, Italy, a mural depicting the divine coronation of Roger II. (View Larger)

King Roger II of Sicily banned the use of paper for official documents, believing it to be less permanent than parchment. (Tsien Tsuen-Hsuin 5). Europeans were initially distrustful of paper, which was introduced to Europe from the Arab world during the period of the Crusades.