[Copies of documents relating to water rights in Milan]

Name:

Milan (Duchy). Officium statutorum; Blanche, of Savoy, consort of Galeazzo II Visconti, signore di Milano; Giangaleazzo Visconti, Duke of Milan, 1351-1402; Filippo Maria Visconti, Duke of Milan, 1392-1447

Timespan:

14th century; 15th century

Date:

1444

Description:

Copies of 9 documents relating to the illicit use of water and diversion of waterways in the territory of Milan, presumably to compile evidence of the legal status of these assets. The first 8, copies of documents originally written in 1382 to 1386, are from the correspondence of Blanche of Savoy, widow of Galeazzo II Visconti, and their son Giangaleazzo Visconti, Duke of Milan, first requesting that the Vicarius of Milan forbid the diversion of water and sue those having diverted water from the Rugia Sancti Columbani (San Colombano) and its tributary the Modio, and then recounting the proceedings of the ensuing lawsuits. The seventh and eighth documents have copies of notarial signets (f. 37v, 39r). The last document (f. 39v-43r) is a decree of Duke Filippo Maria Visconti dated 18 April 1444 prohibiting diversion of rivers and canals without permission. It begins with a note explaining that it was found at the Officium statutorum (f. 39v). The copies appear all to have been written at roughly the same time. Contemporary annotations, as well as annotations in 16th- and 17th-century hands, appear in the margins.

Language:

Latin

Provenance:

Sold at auction at Christie's, 29 Nov. 1999, lot 8, to Lawrence J. Schoenberg.; Gift of Lawrence J. Schoenberg and Barbara Brizdle, 2011.; Schoenberg, Lawrence J., former owner.

Relation:

The Lawrence J. Schoenberg and Barbara Brizdle Manuscript Initiative Fund Home Page: http://hdl.library.upenn.edu/1017.12/366278; Digital facsimile for download (OPenn): https://openn.library.upenn.edu/Data/0001/html/ljs342.html; Video orientation: https://hdl.library.upenn.edu/1017.12/100000260; Collation model: https://repository.upenn.edu/handle/20.500.14332/61581

Subject:

Water rights -- Italy -- History; Water rights; History

Resource Type:

Text

Form/Genre:

manuscripts (documents); codices (bound manuscripts); legal documents; notarial documents; decrees; annotations; Manuscripts, Latin; Manuscripts, Renaissance

Physical Description:

43 leaves : parchment; 186 x 138 (125 x 84) mm bound to 189 x 153 mm (including strap)

Geographic Subject:

Milan (Italy) -- History -- 14th century; Milan (Italy) -- History -- 15th century; Italy

Rights:

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/

Notes:

Ms. codex.; Title supplied by cataloger.; Collation: Parchment, i + 43 + i; 1-2²⁰ 3⁴ (-4); 1-43; contemporary or near-contemporary foliation in ink, upper right recto. Link to collation model at end of record.; Layout: Written in 27 long lines; vertical bounding lines ruled in lead, horizontal lines in text block ruled in faint ink on some leaves.; Script: Written in cursive humanistic script.; Decoration: Some manicules in margins.; Binding: Contemporary leather wallet binding with restored strap but lacking buckle; inside of flap marked Carta 123 (or 193).; Origin: Written in Milan, after 1444.; Lawrence J. Schoenberg & Barbara Brizdle Manuscript Initiative.; Latin.

Physical Location:

Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, Manuscripts, LJS 342

Collection:

Lawrence J. Schoenberg Collection (University of Pennsylvania)