Details

Subjects:

Bettini, Giovanbattista.
Bettini, Luigi.
Carnesecchi, Amerigo.
Medici, Carlo de'.
Textile industry -- Italy -- Early works to 1800.
Woolen and worsted manufacture -- Italy -- History.
Debt cancellation -- Italy -- Early works to 1800.
Debt cancellation.
Woolen and worsted manufacture.
History.
Textile industry.
Italy.

Form/Genre:

Manuscripts, Italian.
Manuscripts, Renaissance.

Language:

In Italian.

Biography/History:

One of the seven major guilds of Florence. Secular corporation that controlled the arts and trades related to wool, and the business of merchants who dealt in woolen cloth. Had strong political power in the comune, through a social network that complemented and in part compensated for family ties, and defended members in case of disputes of any kinds (either within the guild, between members or between members and their employees, or with Florentine institutions).

Summary:

Three letters, written to the grand-duke of Tuscany, Cosimo I, in the second half of the 16th century, from officers of the Arte della Lana. The first two letters, written in 1552, concern a dispute over an unpaid debt by Giovanbattista Bettini, a marruffino, or wool worker, who left Florence to tend to the affairs of his late brother without paying his outstanding balance with the guild. The guild tried to resolve the case internally by contacting Luigi Bettini and Amerigo Carnesecchi, respectively brother and close friend of Giovanbattista, but without success. The case was also brought to the Podestà and, at the date of writing, it was still pending. At the same time, Giovanbattista's family appealed to have the case dropped altogether. The third letter is a petition written by Nicolo and Fabrizio de' Medici, members of the Arte della Lana, concerning a mill that belonged to their deceased aunt Camilla that was being abandoned . The mill had been used as a guarantee for a loan in the past and still had pending debt attached to it. The two Medici brothers saw potential for economic gain derived from the mill and, for that reason, filed a petition with the grand-duke to have the lien against the property canceled or reduced. They also suggested the renovation of the property, so that it could be donated to the Arte. The two brothers also informed the grand-duke that the Arte could help cover some of the costs associated with the renovation process of the mill if the debts associated with it were cancelled.

Penn Provenance:

Sold by Bernard M. Rosenthal, 1961.

Cited in:

Described in Zacour, Norman P. and Hirsch, Rudolf. Catalogue of Manuscripts in the Libraries of the University of Pennsylvania to 1800 (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1965), p. 194 (Ms. Lea 231).

Contributor:

Cosimo I, Grand-Duke of Tuscany, 1519-1574, addressee.
Medici, Fabrizio de'.
Medici, Nicolo de'.
Miscellaneous Manuscripts Collection (University of Pennsylvania)

OCLC:

333961393