A cycle of events has been announced in Pisa from 19 to 27 May on the occasion of the 'Days for the Enhancement of the Ecclesiastical Cultural Heritage', promoted by the Central Office for Ecclesiastical Cultural Heritage and Religious Buildings of the Italian Bishops' Conference. The most important city institutions are involved, the State Archives, the Diocesan Historical Archives, the University of Pisa, with the patronage of the Municipality of Pisa.
On 20 May, the oldest and most precious documents preserved in the Diocesan Historical Archive and the State Archive will be unveiled. The exhibitions in the two locations will be preceded by a seminar (Thursday 19 May at 3.00 p.m., auditorium of the Opera del Duomo) devoted to 'The complex relations between ecclesiastical and civil institutions in mediaeval Pisa through documents' in which the speakers - lecturers, researchers and collaborators of the University of Pisa, who have worked for a long time in the two archives - will illustrate the results of their research carried out using this documentary material.
As for the exhibition at the Diocesan Historical Archive (20 - 21 May, guided tours at 10 a.m. - 11.30 a.m. - 3 p.m. and 4.30 p.m.). The main and most conspicuous fund is represented by the 'Archiepiscopal Diplomat', consisting of 2844 parchments produced or acquired by the Bishopric in the performance of its spiritual and temporal activities, starting from the 8th century (among them the oldest original parchment in Italy dating back to January 720) up to the 19th century. The most consistent part of the collection is naturally that relating to the Middle Ages, and in particular the 14th century: most of the documents, which have reached us in their originals, relate to purchases and sales (the largest number), arbitration verdicts and awards, deeds relating to promises, pacts, agreements, oaths and commitments, leases and levels, donations, legacies and exchanges; there are also a few dozen briefs and papal letters. Particularly copious and interesting is also the Capitular Diplomatic Fund, with its 1857 parchments from the year 930 to 1785. This is followed by the fonds of several convents and monasteries in the diocese. The census of the diplomatic fonds was carried out in 2002, on the occasion of the transfer of the archive to its current location in the former Limonaia of the Archiepiscopal Palace and published since 2018 on the BeWeb portal of the CEI, within the database of the Pisa Diocesan Archive.
As far as the Pisa State Archive is concerned (20 - 27 May, guided tours at 11.00 a.m.), the Diplomatic fond collects documentary evidence on membranous support ranging from the 8th to the 19th century, counting about 21,000 parchments. One of the main partitions of the Diplomatic collection is undoubtedly that of the Public Acts of the Municipality of Pisa: 234 parchments (11th-16th centuries) comprising, among other things, imperial and papal diplomas, relating to concessions of privileges to the Municipality and the Pisan Church, franchises, treaties, as well as a series of Arab diplomas and some Greek diplomas attesting to Pisa's many important relations with the East. Other documents concern the relations of the Pisan republic with other municipalities in Tuscany, with the rulers of Naples, and with the Duke of Milan.
The exhibition will display a number of parchments from the 10th to 12th century - particularly relevant in terms of form and content - that shed light on the history of the various Pisan ecclesiastical and civil institutions and their mutual relations.
For the Diocesan Historical Archives, of particular note is parchment no. 1 of the Capitular Diplomatic Fund, from the year 930, concerning the donation of land to the Chapter by the Bishop; or no. 216 of the Archiepiscopal Diplomatic Fund, dated 21 November 1110, with which the Archbishop, the Opera di Santa Maria and the Consuls undertake commitments concerning the castle of Ripafratta. Also on display - in addition to precious and rare wax seals, some of which are still enclosed in their protective containers - will be other documents that are precious for their antiquity, content and formal aspects, such as the oldest parchment preserved in Italy, mentioned above; an imitation copy from the first half of the 12th century of the land donation made by Matilda of Canossa to the Bishop and Canons of the Cathedral on 27 August 1077; the Condaghe di Barisone II, judge of Torres sovereign of LOGUDORO who, in 1190, had the list of donations made in favour of the Hospital of San Leonardo di Bosove, linked to that of San Leonardo di Stagno in Pisa, compiled; a small membranous manuscript notebook from the Capitular Fund; a 13th-century Exultet and two parchments from the 10th and 12th centuries that represent the earliest records of the present archiepiscopal palace.
A cycle of events has been announced in Pisa from 19 to 27 May on the occasion of the 'Days for the Enhancement of the Ecclesiastical Cultural Heritage', promoted by the Central Office for Ecclesiastical Cultural Heritage and Religious Buildings of the Italian Bishops' Conference. The most important city institutions are involved, the State Archives, the Diocesan Historical Archives, the University of Pisa, with the patronage of the Municipality of Pisa.
On 20 May, the oldest and most precious documents preserved in the Diocesan Historical Archive and the State Archive will be unveiled. The exhibitions in the two locations will be preceded by a seminar (Thursday 19 May at 3.00 p.m., auditorium of the Opera del Duomo) devoted to 'The complex relations between ecclesiastical and civil institutions in mediaeval Pisa through documents' in which the speakers - lecturers, researchers and collaborators of the University of Pisa, who have worked for a long time in the two archives - will illustrate the results of their research carried out using this documentary material.
As for the exhibition at the Diocesan Historical Archive (20 - 21 May, guided tours at 10 a.m. - 11.30 a.m. - 3 p.m. and 4.30 p.m.). The main and most conspicuous fund is represented by the 'Archiepiscopal Diplomat', consisting of 2844 parchments produced or acquired by the Bishopric in the performance of its spiritual and temporal activities, starting from the 8th century (among them the oldest original parchment in Italy dating back to January 720) up to the 19th century. The most consistent part of the collection is naturally that relating to the Middle Ages, and in particular the 14th century: most of the documents, which have reached us in their originals, relate to purchases and sales (the largest number), arbitration verdicts and awards, deeds relating to promises, pacts, agreements, oaths and commitments, leases and levels, donations, legacies and exchanges; there are also a few dozen briefs and papal letters. Particularly copious and interesting is also the Capitular Diplomatic Fund, with its 1857 parchments from the year 930 to 1785. This is followed by the fonds of several convents and monasteries in the diocese. The census of the diplomatic fonds was carried out in 2002, on the occasion of the transfer of the archive to its current location in the former Limonaia of the Archiepiscopal Palace and published since 2018 on the BeWeb portal of the CEI, within the database of the Pisa Diocesan Archive.
As far as the Pisa State Archive is concerned (20 - 27 May, guided tours at 11.00 a.m.), the Diplomatic fond collects documentary evidence on membranous support ranging from the 8th to the 19th century, counting about 21,000 parchments. One of the main partitions of the Diplomatic collection is undoubtedly that of the Public Acts of the Municipality of Pisa: 234 parchments (11th-16th centuries) comprising, among other things, imperial and papal diplomas, relating to concessions of privileges to the Municipality and the Pisan Church, franchises, treaties, as well as a series of Arab diplomas and some Greek diplomas attesting to Pisa's many important relations with the East. Other documents concern the relations of the Pisan republic with other municipalities in Tuscany, with the rulers of Naples, and with the Duke of Milan.
The exhibition will display a number of parchments from the 10th to 12th century - particularly relevant in terms of form and content - that shed light on the history of the various Pisan ecclesiastical and civil institutions and their mutual relations.
For the Diocesan Historical Archives, of particular note is parchment no. 1 of the Capitular Diplomatic Fund, from the year 930, concerning the donation of land to the Chapter by the Bishop; or no. 216 of the Archiepiscopal Diplomatic Fund, dated 21 November 1110, with which the Archbishop, the Opera di Santa Maria and the Consuls undertake commitments concerning the castle of Ripafratta. Also on display - in addition to precious and rare wax seals, some of which are still enclosed in their protective containers - will be other documents that are precious for their antiquity, content and formal aspects, such as the oldest parchment preserved in Italy, mentioned above; an imitation copy from the first half of the 12th century of the land donation made by Matilda of Canossa to the Bishop and Canons of the Cathedral on 27 August 1077; the Condaghe di Barisone II, judge of Torres sovereign of LOGUDORO who, in 1190, had the list of donations made in favour of the Hospital of San Leonardo di Bosove, linked to that of San Leonardo di Stagno in Pisa, compiled; a small membranous manuscript notebook from the Capitular Fund; a 13th-century Exultet and two parchments from the 10th and 12th centuries that represent the earliest records of the present archiepiscopal palace.
With regard to the documents on display at the Pisa State Archives, certainly the most significant in the context of the initiative is the Lodo delle torri, a parchment from the Roncioni Diplomatic Fund, with which Bishop Daiberto, supported by Pietro Visconti, Rolando, Steplario, Guinezone, Marimario and Alberto, powerful lords, settled the issues that had arisen among the citizens concerning the height of their towers. From the Diplomatic Fund of the Opera della Primaziale, a document dated 16 August 1212 was selected in which Bishop Lotario - taking advantage of the moment of emptiness in the city's government - claimed jurisdiction over the Operaio del Duomo, which an arbitration ruling of 1207 had assigned to the municipality. Let us not forget the important papal privileges in favour of the Pisan Studio, such as the bull with which Pope Clement VI granted the Pisans the establishment of a General Studio with the faculties of canon law, civil law and medicine.
During the seminar (Thursday 19 May, 3.00 p.m., auditorium of the Opera del Duomo), art photographer Nicola Gronchi will present the project for the digitalisation of the parchments of the Archbishop's Diplomatic Fund, made necessary to safeguard and preserve over time a priceless documentary heritage, avoiding the frequent consultation of the originals and thus the inevitable wear and tear of the support and writing caused by their manipulation. The intervention, which will be carried out in several stages and completed over several years, aims to complete the entire collection, starting with the parchments from the year 1201. The work planned for the current year - financed by the Pisa Foundation - envisages the digitisation of 1,050 parchments (from 1201 to 1335), at the end of which it will be possible to consult them through a dedicated workstation inside the archiepiscopal archives. It will also respond to the ever-increasing demand for remote consultation of documents, a need made even more pressing in this period due to the limitations imposed by the health emergency still in progress; it will also make it possible to respond - through an internal service - to ordinary requests from users for photocopying of documentary material.
Programme
On Thursday 19 May (3.00 p.m., Auditorium of the Opera del Duomo), the seminar entitled 'The complex relations between ecclesiastical and civil institutions in medieval Pisa, through the documents preserved in the Diocesan and State Archives' will be held. Speakers: Msgr. Giovanni Paolo Benotto, archbishop of Pisa, Jaleh Baharabadi, director of the Pisa State Archives, Elisa Carrara, archivist in charge of the study room of the Pisa Diocesan Historical Archives, Maria Cristina Rossi, Maria Luisa Ceccarelli Lemut, Alberto Cotza, Mauro Ronzani, Andrea Puglia, Nicola Gronchi. Moderator: Gabriella Garzella.
The guided tours with the exhibition of documents will take place - for groups of a maximum of 10 people - in the two institutes according to the following schedule:
Diocesan Historical Archive of Pisa: Friday 20, at 10 a.m. - 11.30 a.m. - 3 p.m. and 4.30 p.m. Saturday 21, at the same times.
Pisa State Archives: from Friday 20 to Friday 27, at 11 a.m.
Information and reservations: archivio@pisa.chiesacattolica.it as-pi@beniculturali.it mariacristina.rossi@unipi.it