Notarile. Testamenti
Item
Country
IT
Name of institution (English)
State Archives of Venice
Name of institution (official language of the state)
Language of name of institution
ita
Contact information: postal address
Campo dei Frari, San Polo 3002, 30125 Venice
Contact information: phone number
0039 0415222281
Contact information: web address
Contact information: email
as-ve@archivi.beniculturali.it
Reference number
Notarile. Testamenti
Type of reference number
Archival reference number
Title (English)
Notarial records. Wills
Title (official language of the state)
Notarile. Testamenti
Language of title
ita
Creator / accumulator
Notai
Date note
1275/1808
Language(s)
ita
Extent
128.25 linear metres (1,953 folders and 82 files)
Type of material
Textual Material
Scope and content
The Notarile Testamenti fonds contains wills produced by the notaries of Venice. Among them, some are related to Sephardic Jews settled in Venice. It is the case of the will of Daniel Rodriga, dated from March 23, 1603 (B. 347, not. G.A. Catti, testament num 59; Leoni 2006, 253-261); or the will of Raphael Belilios, alias Filipo Terço, dated from 1653. Among the several dispositions of his will, Belilios determined that his two daughters should receive some silverware that he had brought from Lisbon to Venice when he left Portugal. (Pietro Bracchi, 180.1115). Some wills contain specific clauses determining who and in which conditions could someone become a legitimate heir. For instance, Abraham Camis, alias Lopo da Fonseca, determined in his will, written in 1640, that his son would only be a valid heir if he did not marry one of his cousins. (Giovanni Piccini, 756.21). It was not unusual to restrict the access to inheritances through the imposition of certain conditions. Thus, Henrique Nunes, alias Abraham Benveniste, alias the Righetto, also stated in his will, on September 19, 1549, that his three sons Henrique, Afonso and Rodrigo could only receive their part after marrying spouses previously approved by their mother (Vettor Giordano, 529; published in Zorattini, 1984, V; another will of Henrique Nunes, from June 27, 1555, in the same folder, no. 390). Carla Boccato (1976) identified and listed 66 testaments of Jewish residents in the ghetto of Venice in the records of notary Pietro Bracchi Seniore (1627-1685), including several Jews from Spain and Portugal.
Archival history
In the early days, regardless of the fact that each notary held a personal archive, the most important notarial deeds were stored in the Basilica of S. Marco. In the 14th century, regulations over notaries were increased. It is known that prior to 1316, it was already mandatory to deliver to the lower chancellery in the Doge's Palace certain notarial deeds of special importance written by the notaries of the city of Venice. This obligation was extended by the Maggior Consiglio (Major Council) to all notaries of the Republic on March 3, 1364. Furthermore, on August 18, 1453, the Senate ordered the heirs of the deceased notaries to transfer all notarial records to the Cancelliere inferiore, aiming to abolish the practice of passing them on from one notary to the other, especially when the safety of the records was not guaranteed. In 1772, the existing Notarial Archive was divided. The testaments were moved to an adjoining room of the Doge's Chancellary, while the other notarial deeds were transferred to a room of the Collegio della Milizia da Mar. After the fall of the Republic of Venice in 1797, this documentation was subjected to some negligence, while being transferred to different institutions. This fonds was finally moved to the State Archive of Venice in 1884. The documentation prior to the 15th century, including scrolls, is very scarce, presumably as a consequence of the fires of 1577 in Venice, which also affected the Doge's Palace.
Administrative / Biographical history
The existence of notaries and the development of a system of written text that acknowledged property and other rights, the ability to transact goods and lands, the possibility of writing testaments, etc. is one of the most important means to understand the construction of power and the development of new forms of sociability in European history, including in Jewish communities. In Venice, archival property and notarial deeds became increasingly regulated since the 14th century. For instance, in 1316, the Consiglio Maggior (Major Council) ordered every notary in Venice to deliver to the Cancellaria inferiore all minutes and protocols. In 1453, this obligation was extended to the "notai imperial" (imperial notaries). Later, it was determined that all notarial deeds could remain in the notaries’ personal archives when their activity was not compromised, with the exception of testaments. It was a sign of the increase in power held by the Doge of Venice, who became the final holder of the judicial function and guarantor of respect for the rights of individuals and, in particular, of the execution of testamentary wills. In 1514, the number of notaries for the city of Venice was fixed in 66. Shortly after, a college of notaries was created under the supervision of the “Cancellier grande” (great chancellor) and the “Cancellieri inferior” (lower chancellors). After the unification, new Italian legislation in 1875-79 declared that the notaries were "funzionari pubblici" (civil servants) subject to the control of the Camera notarile (notary chamber) and of the Corte d’appello (Court of Appeals).
Sources:
Access points: locations
Access points: persons, families
Access points: subject terms
Access points: document types
System of arrangement
This fonds is divided into three series:
1) Notarile. Testamenti, whose records are generally arranged in alphabetical-chronological order by notary's name (the alphabetical order is repeated three times: A-Z 1-1282; A-Z 1283-1463; A-Z 1464-1466).
2) Notarile. Testamenti chiusi, containing non-public wills, one part arranged by notary's name and another by surname, nationality or profession of the testator. This series is still not completely organised. At present, it is composed of three different groups. The first group contains closed wills with numbers from 1 to 778 (in 355 containers) sorted by notary name. The second group includes wills stored in wooden boxes and numbered from 1 to 631 (boxes 1-600 containing wills sorted alphabetically by surname of the testator; box 601 with wills of patriarchs and bishops; boxes 602-625 comprising wills sorted by geographical origin; and boxes 626-631 classified as RI). Finally, the third group is a set of 86 unnumbered wooden boxes with unidentified material, except boxes I to VIII, with "Protesti, scritture secrete" (Protests, secret writings) from 1591 to 1830.
3) Notarile. Testamenti. Indici, which is divided into four other subseries, with different indexes for different periods and with different organisation systems
1) Notarile. Testamenti, whose records are generally arranged in alphabetical-chronological order by notary's name (the alphabetical order is repeated three times: A-Z 1-1282; A-Z 1283-1463; A-Z 1464-1466).
2) Notarile. Testamenti chiusi, containing non-public wills, one part arranged by notary's name and another by surname, nationality or profession of the testator. This series is still not completely organised. At present, it is composed of three different groups. The first group contains closed wills with numbers from 1 to 778 (in 355 containers) sorted by notary name. The second group includes wills stored in wooden boxes and numbered from 1 to 631 (boxes 1-600 containing wills sorted alphabetically by surname of the testator; box 601 with wills of patriarchs and bishops; boxes 602-625 comprising wills sorted by geographical origin; and boxes 626-631 classified as RI). Finally, the third group is a set of 86 unnumbered wooden boxes with unidentified material, except boxes I to VIII, with "Protesti, scritture secrete" (Protests, secret writings) from 1591 to 1830.
3) Notarile. Testamenti. Indici, which is divided into four other subseries, with different indexes for different periods and with different organisation systems
Finding aids
Links to finding aids
Author of the description
Kevin Soares, 2022
Bibliography
Published primary sources
Linked resources
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