From Vincenza de Petrillo

A Franciscan father named Girolamo Moretti (1879-1963) is the founder of graphology in Italy. Since 1970s the cradle of Graphology in Italy has been the Moretti Graphological Institute, Urbino, run by Franciscan Fathers.

Graphology  was recognized by the Ministry of Education in 1996:  the governmental Office for University, Scientific and Technological Research acknowledged graphology studies in universities within the faculties of sociology, psychology, law, and other professional courses.

University diploma programs were opened in 1997 as three-year courses in the Faculty of Education at L.U.M.S.A. University, Rome (Libera Università Maria Ss. Assunta)  and at “Carlo Bo” University, Urbino

Unfortunately, as a result of the new policy of The Ministry of Education,  in 2005 all the university three-year courses throughout the country were abolished.   Consequently, Urbino University and LUMSA University had to comply with the decision of the Ministry.   

However, for some years, after 2005,  there have been one-year Master programs in  Forensic Graphology, educational and family graphology and in graphological counselling in the above mentioned universities.

On December 19th, 2018, an agreement has been signed by and among Urbino University, the Moretti Graphological Institute and A.G.I -Associazione Grafologica Italiana to set up a graphology three-year high level formation course at DESP (Economy, Society, Politics Department). The course should start at the beginning of the next university year, 2019-2020.

In Italy there is quite a strong cooperation between graphologists, psychologists and human resources managers. There are common congresses and publications.

On recruiting, some firms ask job candidates to agree to have their handwriting analyzed.

In Italy the field where graphology is most commonly and extensively applied is within court trials for the assessments of questioned documents.

March 2019