{"id":6152,"date":"2016-07-10T00:59:33","date_gmt":"2016-07-10T00:59:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/?p=6152"},"modified":"2019-08-12T20:00:00","modified_gmt":"2019-08-12T20:00:00","slug":"italian-notarial-roll-of-1305-from-cesena","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/italian-notarial-roll-of-1305-from-cesena\/","title":{"rendered":"Italian Notarial Roll of 1305 from Cesena"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Italian<\/a>

Italian notarial roll of 1305, face unrolled<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Italian<\/a>

Italian notarial roll of 1305, dorse unrolled<\/p><\/div>\n

Scrollwork<\/h2>\n

Notarial Document Roll of 1305
\nin Latin
\nwith Docketing in Italian<\/h3>\n

Budny Handlist 20<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Mildred Budny continues our blog on Manuscript Studies<\/a> with the publication of a Latin document recording one transaction (a sale of land) on a single sheet of vellum in roll form, issued by the notary Johannes in 1305 at C(a)esena in Emilio-Romano in Italy, and provided with a docketing inscription in Italian on the dorse.\u00a0 This document joins the cases from Preston<\/a> in Suffolk, from Grenoble<\/a>, and from somewhere presumably in France<\/a> already brought to light in our series.
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

For a change in this blog, here we place a few bibliographical references at the end.\u00a0 They provide the fuller citations for sources mentioned along the way in concise form \u2014 as with ‘Roschach<\/strong> (1867)’\u00a0\u2014 as well as a few suggestions for further reading.<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Data<\/h2>\n
\"Italian<\/a>

Italian notarial roll of 1305 unrolled<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Italian<\/a>

Italian notarial roll, dorse unrolled<\/p><\/div>\n

Document as a Whole
\nCirca 477 \u00d7 147 mm
\n< written area circa 464 \u00d7 142 mm
\nincluding the notarial inscription
\nor circa 464 \u00d7 422 mm without it >
\n<\/strong>
\n Single column of 64 lines overall<\/strong>
\n (4-line notarial subscription included)<\/strong>
\n written in light brown ink
\nin cursive documentary script (cursiva currens<\/em>)<\/strong>
\n with notarial sign<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Italian<\/a>

1305 Italian notarial roll, face unrolled<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"1305<\/a>

1305 Italian notarial roll, dorse unrolled<\/p><\/div>\n

On the front or ‘face’ of the roll, the text of the Latin document extends for 60 long lines, plus the notarial sign and signature in 4 shorter lines offset to the right.<\/p>\n

The back or ‘dorse’ carries 2 docketing inscriptions, at opposite ends. Each spans 2 lines. The medieval Italian inscription appears in brown ink.\u00a0 Added later, the numeric inscription appears in darker, thicker ink, noting the date in post-medieval form.<\/p>\n

Front & Back<\/h3>\n

The document turns the whitish flesh side of the animal skin to its face and the yellowed hair side to its dorse.\u00a0 The hair side retains the distinct patterning of the follicles.<\/p>\n

\"Top<\/a>The inconsistently trimmed edges of the document produce a more-or-less straight edge for the left-hand side of the text, a sloping top, and uneven other edges, which taper outward to an extended tip at the bottom outer corner of the face.\u00a0 The downward slope of the bottom edge includes a ridge formation which corresponds to the contour of the skin as it took its shape upon the body of the animal.\u00a0 In keeping with the taper of the scroll, the lines of text expand in width from the top line downward.<\/p>\n

On the dorse, 2 short inscriptions of 2 lines each in ink at both the top and bottom, and by different hands, provide descriptions or labels for the contents of the document.\u00a0 Each entry stands close to the edge, with the top of its text turned to that edge.\u00a0 One provides a description of the contents; the other indicates the date of the document.<\/p>\n

Thus these inscriptions stand upright in opposite directions, as their entry occurred when viewing the document respectively from the long (‘vertical’) end or the short (‘horizontal’) end.\u00a0 Or by rolling the document from one end or the other, whereby the inscription (whichever) could face outward conveniently on the rolled unit.<\/p>\n

Roll On<\/h3>\n

Given the orientations of these inscriptions, one storage arrangement rolled the document inward from the top of the text, allowing the broader bottom of the roll to enclose the unit, whereas another rolled it inward from the bottom, requiring the narrower top to wrap around the fuller width of the inner scrollwork.\u00a0 The chewed edge along the ends of lines 1\u20133 of the text reveals the actions of rodent(s) apparently while the roll lay with the narrower end outward, bringing the inscribed date into view.<\/p>\n

The orientations of the inscriptions demonstrate different approaches to motions in opening and closing the rolled document.\u00a0 The relative dates of these inscriptions encourage the reflection that the position of the earlier inscription represents a prior, perhaps original, intention for closure.<\/p>\n

The Notary’s Location<\/h3>\n
\"Map<\/a>

Location of Cesena via Google Maps<\/p><\/div>\n

\"'Colline_di_Cesena'<\/a>

‘Hills of Cesena’ surrounding the town. Photo by Uomodis08 via Wikimedia Commons.<\/p><\/div>\n

The document was issued by a notary\u00a0of one of the Imperial cities, according to its notary’s declaration of credentials ( . . . Imperiali aula notarii<\/em>, that is, \u2018of the imperial notarial hall\u2019). It declares itself to be an official record effected at Casana:\u00a0 Actum Casane’ in ciuitate publice<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The location:\u00a0 Cesena<\/a> (English version) or Cesena<\/a> (Italian version) in the Emelia-Romagna region<\/a> in north-east Italy.<\/p>\n

Cesena stands alongside the Roman Via Emilia<\/i><\/a> (completed in 187 BCE) connecting the towns of Rimini and Piacenza.\u00a0 The place was one of the strongholds built along this trunk road at every 20 kilometers \u2013 that is, the distance which a Roman soldier could walk in one day.<\/p>\n

The Text<\/h3>\n

With a standard formula, the text begins In Nomine Domine Amen<\/em> (“In the Name of God, Amen”). Next it declares its purpose: Ex hac publico Instrumento sit omnibus manifestum<\/em> (“From within this public Deed may be it known to all”).\u00a0 Then it reports the transaction, in detail, followed by a detailed record of the place and date, the names of witnesses, and the notary’s sign and attestation.<\/p>\n

Partly outlined and partly filled with the same brown ink as the next letters, the opening initial I<\/em> stands 7 lines high, inset within the column of text and extending partway into the upper and inner margins.\u00a0 Its elongated shape resembles a debased version of an upright bird-like creature, shown in profile facing left, with a folded wing, arched neck, circular eye, and upward curled beak. This schematic creature seems a remote cousin of the stork-like bird standing upright, with folded wing and nibbling beak, at the top left of a more ornately and expertly decorated document of 3 December 1201 from Bari<\/a> in Apulia; the document is reproduced as plate 29 in large format in Petrucci<\/strong> (1958), from Le pergamene del Duomo di Bari<\/em><\/a>, I (1897), page 137, plate VIII.<\/p>\n

\"Top<\/a><\/p>\n

The document solemnly records a single transaction.\u00a0 It concerns the sale of land by one Cengna candam Bos’ de Ca’ Pisciulis de Casina<\/em> to a Manncuti candam Ugolinis de Casina<\/em>.\u00a0 The Latin quondam<\/em><\/a> (appearing on this document as condam<\/em> in the case of these individuals or candam<\/em> in the case of the notary) might mean “formerly”, “at one time”, “sometime”, “deceased”, or the like, depending upon context. Here it may stand either for a place of origin or for a “son of the late N”, with the word filius<\/em> (“son”) to be understood. Whether by affiliation or blood-relation, Cegna<\/em> pertained to one Bos’<\/em> from the Ca’ de Pisciulis<\/em>, while Manncuti<\/em> pertained to a (H<\/em>)Ugo of Casina<\/em>. If these specific individuals might be found in other records with clearer particulars concerning the relationships and locations, we could be in a better position to decide who is who, which is where, and what is signified in each case within the document.<\/p>\n

Another time, we may address the contents of its text, its people, and its spaces.\u00a0 Among them, for example, are named the witnesses<\/p>\n