The conveyance may rightly be considered the notarial transaction par excellence, considering all the actions the law imposes on the notary following settlement (to cite the more important ones: filing, cadastral registration, transcription, notification of the competent authorities specified by law etc.).
It is the notary who writes the contract after having established the intentions of the parties and after having obtained all useful information and carried out all the necessary searches for a successful conclusion of the conveyance.
It is the notary, too, who reads the contract to the parties who may not all be present at the same time: indeed, it is possible for the parties to be present at different times; the notary (who must in any case always be present) will assess the need, the suitability and the legal admissibility of such options.
If the parties so request or the notary considers it appropriate if not even necessary (this is the case of an illiterate or unsighted party), two witnesses who are not related to the parties and have no interest in the conveyance may be present at the reading of the deed.
The signatures of the parties and of any witnesses, as well as that of the notary, represent the final seal, the most emblematic and rightly most important moment of the conveyance (especially from an emotional point of view).
The notarial law requires a full signature with given name and surname (in other words, a full, clear and legible signature): so it is not simply a quirk of the notary to request this.
If one party is unable to sign, besides the need then for all parties and witnesses to be present at the same time, it is sufficient for the party to declare the reason for that inability.