The Capitalis monumentalis is a Roman monumental writing from antiquity. It is also by primary writing material as lapidary (from Latin lapis "stone") and is a pure majuscule, focusing initially in the design of inscriptions has developed.
The proportions of the letters Capitalis monumentalis assume a square. The letters A, O, Q, and V correspond to exactly one square, and the rest are derived in a certain proportion of it. The proportions correspond to those of the capitalis quadrata with the difference that the letters lines Capitalis a different ductus own.
In the paleography and epigraphy both terms are distinguished only by their writing material: Capitalis quadrata (also Capitalis elegans) is in books - early on papyrus or parchment - used Capitalis monumentalis or Scriptura monumentalis on stone, metal, etc. The second variant of the Capitalis carries correspondingly different name: canonical capitalism (Capitalis rustica) in books, Scriptura actuaria in inscriptions.
The Capitalis monumentalis has only uppercase letters and no spaces between words or hyphenation.