Textmanuscripts - Les Enluminures
i + 31 folios (collation i2 + ii10 + iii10+1 + iv8), parchment (225 x 170 mm), modern foliation in pencil in Arabic numerals, five named notaries with distinct scripts, ff. 1rv written in a fine notarial cursive with chancery tendencies in brown ink, f. 2r written in a northern Italian notarial cursive in brown ink, ff. 2v-9r written in an elegant chancery minuscule in brown ink, ff. 9v-29r written in a rough notarial cursive in brown ink, ff. 29v-32v written in a chancery minuscule in black ink, vertical justification using hardpoint with varying margins, no ruling, single column text throughout, NINE ORIGINAL NOTARIAL SIGNS in brown ink, ONE SEVENTEEN LINE AND ONE TEN LINE DECORATED INITIAL in brown ink (ff. 2v and 5v), six additional four to eleven line rudimentary penwork initials, quire one mostly separated from binding, lower half of quire two separated from binding, lower half of quire three separated from binding, hinge of f. 23 visible, hand nota bene on f. 18r, marginalia on f. 30v, natural parchment hole on f. 7, hair side visible throughout, text worn but legible on f. 1r, slight wear to notarial sign on ff. 1v and 31v, mildew stains to gutter on f. 4-5, slight mildew stains to fore edges on ff. 4-5 and 30-31, slight browning to edges throughout. Bound in wood boards, faded and slightly worn red leather strap with intact lettered ('E.M.') brass clasp with pin and eyelet, channels of support visible, faded and slightly worn red leather split bands, leather strap and bands tacked to boards, partial and cut front flyleaf mostly separated from quire with hinge visible, very minor worming to spine edge of boards, modern pencil annotation on inside rear cover ('Carta in tuetto 32'), provenance information written in Roman capitals in black ink on head of rear board with a rudimentary decorated underlining bar ('DI · PIETRO · DI · GORO ·'). Dimensions 235 x 172 mm.
This manuscript contains a rich collection of the land-holdings, sales, and dowry records of the Sienese citizen Pietro Gori Michelangelo and his family. Composed by five different notaries, the documents provide extensive details on the history of the family's holdings and how these holdings fared through sales and transfers during the early sixteenth century. Family history, legal history, women's history, and notarial practices all merit further study through these entirely unpublished documents.
1. Documentary records of Pietro Gori Michelangelo and family in Siena, 1510-1521. Provenance and date by information derived from the charters.
2. USA, Private Collection.
ff. 1r-2r, [Copy of an original sale from the imbreviatura of Sienna describing between Giovanni Morini de Burgenses and Francisco Gori Michelangelo on 26 November 1493 notarized by Domenico Bautista Domenici and [?] on 18 July 1510], incipit, 'Anno domini mcccLxxxxiii indictione xii die xxvi Nouembris. Joannis olim Thomasii Maurini de Burgensibus de Senis minor annis xxv, maior annis xxiiii...ante portam domus curiae mercatorum Ciivita ubi huiusmodi contractus minorum fieri debent faciens...dedis, vendidis, et tradidis Franciscus Gori Michelangeli rigatt[?] publici recepti...Actum Senis ante portam domus Curie mercatorum Ioanne sed Petrii andreee, Matheinoli, Dominco antonii cosso de Senis et Pietro Marie de libri cartulario de Senis...Ego Dominicus olim Baptiste Dominici [?]pidarii de Senis partus Imperiali auctoritate notarius et Iudex Ordinarius....annus domini MDX Indictione xiii die xviii mensis Iulii, Regnantibus papa Iulio ii, Et Maximiliano Cesare Romanorum Rega, a Laus Deo....Ego [?] olim [?] partus Imperiali et [?] [?] notarius et Iudex ordinarius....'
ff. 2v-5v, [Legal document recording the donation of the dowry of Gabriella Gori Michelangelo to a Franciscan house [Santa Maria degli Angeli] upon the death of her husband Bastiano as agreed by her brothers Geronimo Gori Michelangelo and Pietro Gori Michelangelo, document notarized by Giovanni Pietro de Grosseto, notary and judge, on 26 January 1510], incipit, “IN nomine domini nostri iesu christi eius quem gloriose Virginis Marie amen Anno ab ipsius domini salutifera incarnatione Millesimo quingentesimo decimo Indictione decimaquarta secundum, ritum stilum, et Consuestudiem notarium Civitatis Senis, Die nomine uigesima sexta mensis Ianuarii...cum hoc sis Gabriella filia olim gori Michelangeli rigacterri destrus et uxor Sebastianni Iudiani [?] delmanrino destrus fuerit nupta dicto Bastiano eius uiro per dictum gorum eius patrem cum dote ex nouem dotis florenorum trecentorum de libris quator pro floreno...quam ipsam uidua et sine domino Bastiano eius uiro sine filiis remanere posset et que non habet alium refugium nisi domus franciscii...dictos franciscanum secundum Jeronimum et petrum eius fratres carnales post obitum dicti basianii sui uirj ad bene agendum erga ipsum reddere amgis prontos ingubernando ipsam et bene tractando titulo et causa donationis...Actum et conditum in domo petri gori Michelangeli supra scripti site iusta et prope fontem ut dicitur vernacula lingua....Coram et presentibus Christoforo Antonii demarmaldis et georgio Berti Nannis sirico omnibus deseriis testibus presentibus ad predicta habitis uocatis et rogatis...Ego Iohannes olim Christoforo Iohannis pieri de grosseto Ciuis Senis partus Imperiali auctoritate notarius et Iudex ordinarius...signum nomen quod meum Consuetum apposui laus deo.'
ff. 5v-9r, [Legal document recording the sale of a house in the Castro of Rapolani between Giovanni de Burgenses and Pietro Gori Michelangelo, and notarized by Giovanni Pietro de Grosseto, notary and judge, on 25 January 1511], incipit, 'IN nomine domini nostri iesu christi eius quem gloriossisime Matris Virginis Marie Amen Anno ab ipsius domini salutifera in Carnatione Millesimo quingentesimo vndecimo Indictione Decima quinta secundum ritum stilum, et Consuestudiem notarium Civitatis senis, Die nomine uigesimaquinta Mensis Ianuarii...prouidus vir Iohannes olim thomasii de burgensibus Civis Senis per se et suos heredes et successores...Dedis tradidis et permutaris per parte Ac pro parte vendidis [?] viro petro olim Gori Michelangeli rigacterio de Senis...quos florenos xxuiii disctus petrus in presentia mei notarii et testium infrascriptorum...Actum Senis Indomo habitate dicti Iohannis... Ego Iohannes olim Christophori Iohannis pieri de grosseto Ciuis Senis partus Imperiali auctoritate notarius et Iudex ordinarius...signum nomen quod meum Consuetum apposui laus deo.'
ff. 9v-14v, [Legal document recording the title of lands owned by Pietro Gori Michelangelo, and notarized by Bastiamo Antonio Nicholai, notary and judge, on 11 September 1514], incipit, 'In dei nomine amen Anno ab ipsius salutifera incarnatione millesimo quingentesimo decimo quarto Indictione iv secundum stilum et consuetudinem notarium...Die nomine undecimo mensis septembris...vendiderem dedirem et tradiderem petro gori michelangeli...Ego bastianus olim Antonii nicholai ...publicus imperiali auctorictate notarius et Iudex ordinarius....signum namque nostrum consuetum apposui.'
ff. 15r-18v, [Legal document recording the sale between the son of Francesco Gori Michelangelo and Pietro Gori Michelangelo, and notarized by Bastiamo Antonio Nicholai, notary and judge, on 31 August 1514], incipit, 'In dei nomine amen Anno ab ipsius salutifera incarnatione millesimo quingentesimo decimo quarto indictione iii secundum stilum et consuetudinem notarium...Die nomine xxxi mensis augusti...qualiter [?] olim francisci Gori Michelangeli...vendidis dedis tradidis et concessis petro olim Gori michelangeli...actum senis in domo habitationis mei notarii... Ego Bastianus olim Antonii nicholai ...publicus imperiali auctorictate notarius et Iudex ordinarius....signum namque nostrum consuetum apposui.'
ff. 19r-21v, [Legal document recording the sale between the son of Francesco Gori Michelangelo and Pietro Gori Michelangelo, and notarized by Bastiamo Antonio Nicholai, notary and judge, on 2 September 1514], incipit, 'In dei nomine amen Anno ab ipsius salutifera incarnatione millesimo quingentesimo decimo quarto Indictione iv secundum stilum et consuetudinem notarium...Die nomine ii mensis septembris...qualiter [?] olim francisci Gori michelangeli de senis...concessis petro Gori michelangeli...Ego Bastianus olim Antonii nicholai ...publicus imperiali auctorictate notarius et Iudex ordinarius....signum namque nostrum consuetum apposui.'
ff. 22r-29r, [Legal document recording the sale between Angelo, son of Francesco Gori Michelangelo, and Pietro Gori Michelangelo, and notarized by Bastiamo Antonio Nicholai, notary and judge, on 23 December 1514], incipit, 'In dei nomine amen Anno ab ipsius domini salutifera Incarnatione millesimo quingentesimo decimo quarto Indictione iiii secundum stilum et consuetudinem notarium...Die nomine xxiiii mensis decembris...qualiter Angelus olim francisci Gori michelangeli...vendidis dedis tradidis petro olim Gori michelangeli...actum senis in domo habitationis mei notarii... Ego Bastianus olim Antonii nicholai ...publicus Imperiali auctorictate notarius et Iudex ordinarius....signum namque nostrum consuetum apposui.'
ff. 29r-32v, [Legal document recording a sale of land between Bartolomeo Cristoforo Pietro di Sienna and Pietro Gori Michelangelo, and notarized by Tomasso Andrecorro, notary and judge, on 6 December 1521], incipit, 'IN nomine domini nostri iesu christi amen Anno ab ipsius domini salutifera in incarnatione Millesimo quengestesimo Vigesimoprimo indictione x secundum stilum et consuetudinem noatrium ciuitatis Senis die nomine vi mensis Decembris...qualiter Bartholomeus christofori pietri de senis presente et suos heredes et successores Iure dominii et plene proprietatis et possessionis Dedit Vendidit et tradidit pietro georgii Michelangeli...Quam rem supram venditam Dominus bartholomeus super vendito iam habent a Monialibus sancte marie angelorum...moniales habebant in communionem cum bastiano Julianni del marino pozzi[?] et cum domina gabriella eius uxure et hoc pro obligatione dominas moniales ...Ego Thomas Andrecorri Homine de Sinis publico et inperili auctoritate notarius et Iudex ordinarius...subscripsi signnorum meum apposui consuetum.'
This modest manuscript contains eight extensive legal records recording the sale and transfer of landholdings as dowries for Pietro Gori de Michelangelo, a local citizen and minor magnate, and his family. The documents were prepared for Pietro between 1510 and 1521. Each document goes into great detail about the land holdings of Pietro and their change of hands within and outside the family. Each notary record is unique in its content and form. The first document shows Pietro's interest in securing his right to lands by having a copy made of the original document from the notarial register in Sienna. The second document records the dowry and its role in the support of his sister Gabriella after the death of her husband. The remainder of the documents describe Pietro's consolidation of his property purchased from second parties and family members. Each document is filled with extensive information about family history. Moreover, the numerous witnesses provide a significant resource for charting the local magnates and merchants in Siena. No published information has been found about Pietro Gori Michelangelo, and in this we might have a unique document providing a rich history of his family in the early sixteenth century.
The second and third documents are of particular interest. They testify to the importance of securing a living for a widow, whose husband has passed without heirs. They describe in great detail how Gabriella, sister of Pietro Gori Michelangelo and wife of Bastiano, will have her dowry used for her maintenance in the Franciscan nunnery of Santa Maria degli Angeli (near Assisi) with the death of her husband on account of her lack of heirs and her small chance of having children in the future. The third document repeats this donation as it discusses how the property forms part of the transaction being made between Giovanni de Burgenses and Pietro Gori Michelangelo. The preparation of Gabriella's entrance into the nunnery provides an important witness to the difficulty women in the later Middle Ages encountered in order to find the necessary support to sustain their well-being in the absence of a husband. While such studies have been completed for Venice, little work has been done on women and their entrance into monastic order as widows in Siena.
There are several interesting notarial practices found in these documents. The most obvious is the use of extensive notarial signs at the end of each document. These signs were placed near the notary's comments on his qualifications and legal position. The notarial signs were transcribed as part of the imbreviatura (an abbreviated register of deeds held by the notary or his guild) to compare to any document brought to a judge during a dispute. The first document states that it was a copy made from the cartulary of Siena. Another practice seen in the documents is the use of the indictione of Siena (a fifteen-year dating system from the Roman Imperial court), which was different from most European practices in that it began the indictione on September 18 instead of September 1.
The notary documents help us understand the evolution of legal writing at the end of the Middle Ages. The documents become formulaic in their composition and their act of writing to ensure their fidelity to the legal act. Each document contains the publications, including the year, day, month, indication, venue, names of witnesses, notary signature, and the notary signet. These documents show a variety of venues, which change according to the nature of the document. The first document, for example, relates how the venue must occur before the curia of the merchants with witnesses because of the youth of the seller. Also the first document shows the importance of the notary making a copy from the imbreviatura, by having to another notary witness and sign the document to affirm the authenticity of the copy taken from a dead notaries register.
The extensive notarial formulas, the five named notaries, the use of witnesses, and the legal language make these documents essential as a source for the study of local Sienese legal practices, in addition to their evident utility for studying family history and the role of women in families.
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Schulte, Petra. 'Notarial documents,' in Transforming the Medieval World: Uses of Pragmatic Literacy in the Middle Ages, ed. Franz-Josef Arlinghaus, Turnhout, Brepols, 2006, pp. 197-237.
Understanding medieval notarial documents by Diane Tillotson
http://medievalwriting.50megs.com/word/notary.htm
Exercises in medieval diplomatics
http://theleme.enc.sorbonne.fr/document14.html
Medieval topographic studies of the Comune de Grosseto (Siena)
http://biblio.comune.grosseto.it/atlante/centro_piazzacomune_realizzazione.htm
