Giardineto novo di punti tagliati et gropposi per exercitio & ornamento delle donne (Venice 1554), page 21 (verso) 1554

This is page 21 from Matteo Pagano's "Giardineto novo," printed in Venice, 1554. Look closely at the patterns. The designs are replete with geometric shapes, including stylized floral motifs within square grids. Such patterns were not merely decorative; they reflected a deep-seated cultural interest in order and harmony, reminiscent of earlier Islamic art, in which geometric forms are central to spiritual expression. Centuries before Pagano, similar patterns appeared in medieval textiles, each iteration adapting and transforming across geography and time. We can trace its roots back even further, observing how certain core geometric principles recur, transformed by cultural and individual expression. The motifs that have been passed down through history carry with them a sense of deep cultural memory.