Mercanzia
Item
Country
IT
Name of institution (English)
State Archives of Florence
Name of institution (official language of the state)
Language of name of institution
ita
Contact information: postal address
Viale Giovine Italia 6, 50122 Firenze, Tuscany
Contact information: phone number
0039 055263201
Contact information: web address
Contact information: email
asfi@archiviodistato.firenze.it
Reference number
Mercanzia
Type of reference number
Archival reference number
Title (English)
Commodities
Title (official language of the state)
Mercanzia
Language of title
ita
Creator / accumulator
Ufficiali della mercanzia
Date(s)
1306/1770
Language(s)
ita
Extent
14,168 storage units
Type of material
Textual Material
Scope and content
The Mercanzia fonds comprises documentation produced and kept by the Uffizio della Mercanzia court. The wide range of competencies carried out by this body is reflected in the diverse typology and subjects of its contents, including legal records, papers related to the ordinary management of the office and documentation concerning commercial matters. This latter group of records is particularly rixh in information regarding Jewish merchants operating in Tuscany. For instance, files 10841 to 10859 comprise copies of "accomandite" (partnerships) registered in the Mercanzia from 1632 to 1777, some of them involving Sephardic merchants. For instance: Moses Franco Albuquerque and Moses Alatone in 1670 (10847, fols. 56v-57), Lopes Pereira and Raphael Ergas in 1734 (10856, fols. 34-35), Isaac Henriques Lopes and Abraham Melo in 1739 (10856, fols. 132v-133v and 10857, fol. 52), Isaac Pardo Roques and Manuel Finzi in 1757 (10858, fol. 198 and 10859, fol. 15), Jacob Franco d’Almeida, his wife, and the Leone brothers in 1765 (10859, fols. 82v-83), Jacob Franco de Miranda and Moses Belmonte in 1771 (10858, fol. 140), Isaac Pegna and Daniel Finzi in 1775 (10858, fol. 181v), Samuel de Paz and Francesco Berlan (10859, fol. 175v).
Archival history
The documentation produced and received by the Mercanzia remained in its facilities until the court's extinction in 1770. Initially, the Uffizio della Mercanzia had no fixed facilities, but, in 1359, a new palace built in Piazza della Signoria became its headquarter. In the 1570s, the Mercanzia and its archive were transferred to some rooms of the Uffizi, where the main Florentine magistracies were concentrated.
After the extinction of the Mercanzia, its archive was assigned to the newly established Camera di commercio. Altough the Camera was located in the Arte della Seta palace, the Mercanzia archive remained on the first floor of the Uffizi.
In the late 1780s, the archive was rearranged. The current organisation of the Mercanzia fonds seems to date back to this intervention, except for some minor changes made later. After the suppression of the Camera di commercio in 1782, the custody over its archive was transferred to the Magistrato dei pupilli. In 1793, the Magistrato's jurisdiction were assigned to the Dipartimento esecutivo, created in that year. However, only the former Camera di commercio's documentation after 1770 was transferred to the Dipartimento, while prior records, including the Mercanzia fonds, remained in the Uffizi.
During the French domination, the Mercanzia's records, as well as other judicial archives, were not merged with other fonds then incorporated in the Bureau d'archives générales (later Conservation générale des archives de Toscane). After the Napoleonic period, the judicial archives were gradually gathered into three locations: San Pier Scheraggio, Teatro mediceo and some rooms of the Uffizi. In 1838, after the creation of the Presidenza della Corte regia d'appello di Firenze (Presidency of the Royal Court of Appeal of Florence), they were transferred to the competence of this new body until their last transfer to the Archivio Centrale di Stato, founded in 1852. The civil judicial records were incorporated into the archive in the following year.
Then, they were subject to a new organisation and inventory. Under the direction of Francesco Bonaini, each fonds was divided into two groups by separating the records produced in the Republican era from those dating back to the Medici period. Only the archives of the Arti and the Mercanzia retained their institutional integrity and were not affected by this chronological separation. For this reason, the Mercanzia fonds was not impacted by the reorganisation undertaken in the 1870s-1880s, under the direction of Cesare Guasti.
After the extinction of the Mercanzia, its archive was assigned to the newly established Camera di commercio. Altough the Camera was located in the Arte della Seta palace, the Mercanzia archive remained on the first floor of the Uffizi.
In the late 1780s, the archive was rearranged. The current organisation of the Mercanzia fonds seems to date back to this intervention, except for some minor changes made later. After the suppression of the Camera di commercio in 1782, the custody over its archive was transferred to the Magistrato dei pupilli. In 1793, the Magistrato's jurisdiction were assigned to the Dipartimento esecutivo, created in that year. However, only the former Camera di commercio's documentation after 1770 was transferred to the Dipartimento, while prior records, including the Mercanzia fonds, remained in the Uffizi.
During the French domination, the Mercanzia's records, as well as other judicial archives, were not merged with other fonds then incorporated in the Bureau d'archives générales (later Conservation générale des archives de Toscane). After the Napoleonic period, the judicial archives were gradually gathered into three locations: San Pier Scheraggio, Teatro mediceo and some rooms of the Uffizi. In 1838, after the creation of the Presidenza della Corte regia d'appello di Firenze (Presidency of the Royal Court of Appeal of Florence), they were transferred to the competence of this new body until their last transfer to the Archivio Centrale di Stato, founded in 1852. The civil judicial records were incorporated into the archive in the following year.
Then, they were subject to a new organisation and inventory. Under the direction of Francesco Bonaini, each fonds was divided into two groups by separating the records produced in the Republican era from those dating back to the Medici period. Only the archives of the Arti and the Mercanzia retained their institutional integrity and were not affected by this chronological separation. For this reason, the Mercanzia fonds was not impacted by the reorganisation undertaken in the 1870s-1880s, under the direction of Cesare Guasti.
Administrative / Biographical history
The Uffizio della Mercancia was created in 1308 from an association agreement between the five "Arti maggiori" (major guilds): Calimala, Por Santa Maria, Lana, Cambio, Medici e Speziali. In the following year, it was recognised as a judicial court, with responsibility for cases relating to Florentine trade. The court was composed of a foreign officer (the Ufficiale della Mercanzia), elected by the "consoli" (consuls) of the five foundational guilds, and a "Consiglio" (Council) of five members, all citizens of Florence, elected by the same guilds. From 1372, the other guilds of Florence also obtained the right to appoint two members of the Consiglio. The number of Consiglio's members varied several times over the history of this body.
The judicial function was originally exclusive competence of the Ufficiale della Mercanzia, which, in some instances, should consult the Consiglio and act in accordance with its opinion. Besides this consultive function, the Consiglio had deliberative power. During the 14th century, the Consiglio strengthened its influence over the judge.
Mercanzia was born with the main function of resolving cases of reprisal between citizens and foreigners. Over time, the spectrum of its competencies and prerogatives was expanded and more clearly delineated. In the political sphere, the court became the representative institution of the five Arti maggiore. In the judicial and economic fields, it acquired responsibilities on cases relating to bankruptcies and disputes between trade firms or partners, company owners and their employees, and merchants and notaries or judges. Mercanzia also had the faculty of validating the judgments of the guilds' courts and executing such sentences, supervising commercial routes and the transportation of commodities, as well as controlling the activity of Florentine consuls established in foreign cities. When the Ufficiali dei pupilli were created in 1393, with the duties of protecting minors and incapable people without a guardian, Mercanzia was assigned to judge the cases that this new magistrate was unable to conclude within a year.
During the 15th century, Mercanzia continued to acquire new areas of jurisdiction. Since 1408, it became responsible for registering companies and the obligations of each shareholder. After the extinction of the Capitano del Popolo in 1477, Mercanzia inherited some of its competencies.
At the turn of the 15th to the 16th century, Mercanzia lost part of its jurisdiction. In 1502, many of the civil justice cases hitherto assigned to the court became the responsibility of the new Consiglio di giustizia. Then, Mercanzia's competencies were limited to reprisals, commercial disputes and bankruptcy cases.
During the Principato period, the Uffizio della Mercancia concentrated its activity on the jurisdiction of the commercial sphere and tended to lose its original political strength. After the reform in 1577, the court's jurisdiction was practically limited to disputes between merchants for commercial reasons and those between guilds. Still, it continued to act as a court of appeal for sentences issued by the courts of the guilds.
At the end of the 17th century, Mercanzia was composed of six "consiglieri" in office for four months, and a judge who, since 1690, was no longer necessarily a foreigner. The judge was chosen by the Grand Duke among the Auditori della Consulta.
The advent of the Lorenese dynasty in 1737 did not involve changes in Mercanzia's functions until Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo suppressed it in 1770. Its competencies were then assigned to the new Camera di commercio (Chamber of Trade).
The judicial function was originally exclusive competence of the Ufficiale della Mercanzia, which, in some instances, should consult the Consiglio and act in accordance with its opinion. Besides this consultive function, the Consiglio had deliberative power. During the 14th century, the Consiglio strengthened its influence over the judge.
Mercanzia was born with the main function of resolving cases of reprisal between citizens and foreigners. Over time, the spectrum of its competencies and prerogatives was expanded and more clearly delineated. In the political sphere, the court became the representative institution of the five Arti maggiore. In the judicial and economic fields, it acquired responsibilities on cases relating to bankruptcies and disputes between trade firms or partners, company owners and their employees, and merchants and notaries or judges. Mercanzia also had the faculty of validating the judgments of the guilds' courts and executing such sentences, supervising commercial routes and the transportation of commodities, as well as controlling the activity of Florentine consuls established in foreign cities. When the Ufficiali dei pupilli were created in 1393, with the duties of protecting minors and incapable people without a guardian, Mercanzia was assigned to judge the cases that this new magistrate was unable to conclude within a year.
During the 15th century, Mercanzia continued to acquire new areas of jurisdiction. Since 1408, it became responsible for registering companies and the obligations of each shareholder. After the extinction of the Capitano del Popolo in 1477, Mercanzia inherited some of its competencies.
At the turn of the 15th to the 16th century, Mercanzia lost part of its jurisdiction. In 1502, many of the civil justice cases hitherto assigned to the court became the responsibility of the new Consiglio di giustizia. Then, Mercanzia's competencies were limited to reprisals, commercial disputes and bankruptcy cases.
During the Principato period, the Uffizio della Mercancia concentrated its activity on the jurisdiction of the commercial sphere and tended to lose its original political strength. After the reform in 1577, the court's jurisdiction was practically limited to disputes between merchants for commercial reasons and those between guilds. Still, it continued to act as a court of appeal for sentences issued by the courts of the guilds.
At the end of the 17th century, Mercanzia was composed of six "consiglieri" in office for four months, and a judge who, since 1690, was no longer necessarily a foreigner. The judge was chosen by the Grand Duke among the Auditori della Consulta.
The advent of the Lorenese dynasty in 1737 did not involve changes in Mercanzia's functions until Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo suppressed it in 1770. Its competencies were then assigned to the new Camera di commercio (Chamber of Trade).
Access points: locations
Access points: persons, families
Access points: subject terms
Access points: document types
System of arrangement
The fonds is divided into series, whose records are arranged in chronological order. Records are numbered sequentially in the whole fonds, from 1 to 14169.
Finding aids
Unpublished finding aids available in the archive:
"Cosimo III Magn. Etr. Duce Feliciter dominante. Archivio della Mercanzia ordinato l'anno 1717, inventario sommario". 1717 (inventario 1913, 687).
"Indice generale dell'Archivio del Tribunale di Mercanzia compilato l'anno 1779, inventario sommario". 1779 (inventario 1913, 686).
"Inventario dell'Archivio del Tribunale di Mercanzia, inventario sommario". 1854-1855 (sala di studio, N/35).
Links to finding aids
Author of the description
Carla Vieira, 2021
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