This is a collection of additional documents—beyond sales, leasing, insurance, and manumission contracts—relating to enslaved men and women enacted in the late medieval and early modern Mediterranean.
The vice-governor of Genoa named Ludovic de Valle, along with the council of elders, deliberated on a petition concerning the execution of an enslaved woman accused of sorcery. She was scheduled to be burned in Vastato (a region just north-west of the old Genoese walls, in the vicinity of Chiesa di Nostra Signora del Carmine e Sant'Agnese). Some local nobles, including Galeotto, Bartolomeo, and Baldassare Lomellini objected to the execution, arguing that would bring dishonor to their district and diminish the condition of their properties, and that it contravened custom which required executions to occur outside the city. The also argued that the Body of Christ was customarily carried through the district during processions and that the place should remain undefiled by executions. The governor and elders considered the position and ruled that no executions of justice should be carried out in the region.
The formerly enslaved Tatar woman named Lucia, who had been manumitted by a certain Urbano Marchesano earlier the same day, agrees to work as a servant for Urbano for an unspecified period of time. The contract mentions that the enslaved Lucia had been purchased by Urbano from the heirs of the deceased Paolo de Valegia before her manumission. The combination of sale and manumission thus represents a form of redemption by Urbano.
The slaveholder named Giovanni de Tabia manumits an enslaved Vlach woman named Anna, who is approximately 25 years of age, under the condition that she serves in the household of Tommaso Sperone for a term of six years. Tommaso recompenses Giovanni the sum of 40 ducats of Chios for the manumission.
The slaveholder named Battista de Tabia manumits an enslaved Ruthenian woman named Anna, who is approximately 25 years of age, under the condition that she serves in the household of Gherardo Paterio for a term of six years. Gherardo recompenses Giovanni the sum of 60 ducats of Chios for the manumission. Battista is represented by his brother Giovanni de Tabia in the manumission.
The slaveholder named Benedetto de Spigno mandates an enslaved Ruthenian child named Lucia, who is approximately 16 or 17 years of age, provided that she completes the six year term of service to Giovanni de Sancto Georgio enacted earlier the same day.
A certain Tedisio Lercari testifies on behalf of Caterina de Bargalio that he had encountered an enslaved woman named Maria, from the Canary Islands, on the island of Gomera. Tedisio had gone to Gomera on the vessel of Napoleone Cicala about four years earlier and had briefly been taken captive by the lord of Gomera named Diego Errera. He encountered the enslaved Maria working as a household servant for Deigo and his daughter, also named Maria, and testified that the enslaved Maria had kindly provided him with water while he was imprisoned there. Tedisio also testified that he knew that the enslaved Maria was subsequently brought to Spain, where she was sold to Antonio de Bargalio, the deceased husband of Caterina.
The slaveholder and merchant named Rainero Rainerii, who is a citizen of Florence currently living in Pisa, manumits an enslaved woman from the Crimean region named Maddalena. The formerly enslaved Maddalena agrees to serve Rainero for a term of five years and reside with him, for which she will receive the sum of 6 gold florins, paid annually.
The slaveholder named Accellino Cicala manumits an enslaved Tatar woman named Margarita, who is approximately 38 to 40 years of age, with the condition that the enslaved Maria serves him for the next three years. Accellino retains the right of patronage.
The slaveholder named Pellegro Casanova procures a wool merchant named Luchino de Guercio to recover an enslaved Tatar man named Raffaele, who is approximately 18 years of age and who had escaped his captivity.
The formerly enslaved Tatar woman from Solkhat named Pietrina agrees to serve in the household of Lodisio Fieschi for a term of 3 years and 8 days without salary. The agreement notes that this is to pay a debt to Lodisio incurred in Caffa (likely related to her manumission). The contract also mentions two other enslaved women: an enslaved Tatar woman named Maddalena, who is also held by Lodisio, and who serves as an interpreter for the transaction, and the enslaved daughter of Pietrina who accompanies her and is also held by Lodisio.
The slaveholder named Antonio Gibello manumits an enslaved Hungarian woman named Marta, who is approximately 25 years of age, under the condition that Marta serves Antonio for the remainder of his life. If Antonio should die before his son Giovanni reaches 22 years of age, then Marta must also serve him until he reaches the age of 22. Marta is absent during the manumission and is represented by the enacting notary Giovanni Balluco. Antonio renounces the right of patronage.
The merchant named Niccolò Piccaluga, from the town of Sampierdarena, promises to pay the slaveholder named Andrea de Monelia the sum 25 Genoese ducats to secure the liberation of a formerly enslaved Greek woman named Elena, from Negroponte. Elena had been declared free by while in the city of Chios by Girolamo de Camulio, the bishop of Chios, after agreeing to the ransom of 25 ducats. To secure the payment Elena agrees to work as a servant in the household of Niccolò for a term of five years.
The slaveholder named Paride Fieschi obtains permission from the Officium sindicatorum to sell an enslaved woman named Elena, whom he had purchased from a draper named Giacomo de Amandola, outside the republic of Genoa. The sale by Giacomo to Paride had stipulated that she could not be sold outside the republic of Genoa. Paride testified that he had tried to sell Elena several times in Genoa and Savona but was unable because of her bad reputation caused by her bad behaviour. He claimed that Elena led a dishonourable life and, because of her behaviour, it was necessary to have her imprisoned. He claimed that the behaviour was deliberate and stemmed from her awareness that he could not sell her outside of Genoa. The Officium sindicatorum granted Paride permission to sell Elena anywhere outside of Genoa except for Ibiza, and that Paride is allowed to receive up to 121½ Genoese lire for her sale.
The slaveholder named Giacomo Guastavino manumits an enslaved Russian woman named Maria, who is approximately 32 years of age. She agrees to serve in the household of Benedetto Guastavino, the brother of Giacomo, for a term of nine years as a condition of manumission. The contract notes that Maria is currently under lease to the silk merchant Gregorio de Zurlis with three years remaining on the term. Gregorio agrees to cede his rights for the remaining three years of the lease and return Maria for the manumission. Giacomo retains the right of patronage.
The slaveholder and notary named Bartolomeo de Canicia leases out an enslaved Ruthenian woman named Margarita, who is approximately 25 years of age, to the merchant named Leonardo Garibaldo, for a term of 15 years and a total payment of 150 Genoese lire. Leonardo promises to remove Margarita from Genoa and keep her outside the city for the entire duration of the lease. The contract was extracted.
The testament of Pietra Giustiniani which names Carenza Maruffo as an heir and which also mandates the manumission of an enslaved Abkhazan woman named Marta.
The slaveholder named Niccolò Piccaluga manumits an enslaved Greek woman named Anna, with the condition that the enslaved Anna serve a certain Antonio de Natino for a term of fifteen years.
The merchant from Finale Ligure named Giovanni Crivellario testifies that he was present in the eastern Mediterranean seven years previously in the company of Niccolò Danielis, and that Niccolò has purchased several enslaved women from an Ottoman merchant, including an enslaved Bulgarian girl named Melica who is currently held by Teramo Ittaliano. Giovanni does not recall the name of the seller or the price paid by Niccolò.
The slaveholder named Leonello Lomellini manumits an enslaved Tatar man named Francesco under the condition that Francesco serve Leonello for a term of 12 years.
The slaveholder named Giorgio Spinola, who was once an enslaved person himself, ratifies the manumission of an enslaved Circassian slave woman named Lucia and cancels her obligation of third party service. The contract notes that Lucia has been manumitted in an earlier contract enacted on 6 May 1478 with the condition that she serve the family of Simone Negrone for six years and with her salary paid to Giorgio. But since the formerly enslaved Lucia wanted to marry a certain Teramo de Ferrari, the status of enslavement, which would continue until the term of service was complete, represented an obstacle to the marriage. As such, the manumission was granted immediately and Giorgio was compensated by Simone for 32 Genoese lire for the loss of income for the six years of service. It is assumed that Lucia would continue to serve in the household of Simone as a free person and as such that Giorgio would not be entitled to her salary. The next contract in the filza describes her marriage.
This is a marriage and dowry contract in which the formerly enslaved Circassian woman named Lucia, who is approximately 22 years of age, enters into marriage with a certain Teramo de Ferrari. The marriage is made with the consent of the slaveholder named Giorgio Spinola, who was a formerly enslaved person himself, and who had recently manumitted the enslaved Lucia. The marriage ceremony took place in the home of Simone Negrone and in the presence of Simone, Teodora Boiardo, and Mariola Spinola. Simone, in whose home Lucia had worked as a household servant, also provides a dowry of 100 Genoese lire.
The testament of Giovanni Panevino enacted in Caffa. He names Tommaso Carrega and Leonardo de Monelia as his excecutors. Giovanni lists numerous beneficiaries, primarily persons to whom he owes monetary debts. His daughter Bianca Panevino is the sole heir of his estate. Of particular interest are several mentions of enslaved persons. First, there is an enslaved woman that had been sold by Giovanni to the merchant named Cristoforo Fieschi for 1750 asperes. Second, there is mention of an enslaved man that Giovanni had purchased from the nobleman named Martino de Marini for 200 asperes of Sevastopol. Third, there is mention of three enslaved men that Giovanni had sold to the nobleman named Battista Squarciafico for 4650 asperes.
Giovanni Ihorlus q. Lodisio acknowledges having received on loan from Manfredo Maruffo 5 sums, which partially covered the purchase price of a male Russian slave named ---, who is about 17 years of age, and undertakes to return 35 Genoese lire once he arrives in Genoa.
A certain Adamo, whose surname is not indicated in the copy of the transcript, promises to pay the statuatory penalty of 25 Genoese lire to the slaveholder named Antonio Vivaldi for having impregnated an enslaved woman whose title he held. Adamo also agrees to pay an additional 5 Genose lire to cover the expenses of childbirth.
An inventory of the assets of the deceased notary and burgensis of Caffa named Niccolò Bosone, that were sold at auction, and made at the request of his testamentary trustees Antonio Lunelli di Carasco, Stefano Cicala, Cristoforo de Fumo and Antonio di Corvara, guardians and curators of his children and heirs. The list of items sold includes the sale of several enslaved persons. An enslaved Tatar man named Martino, who is approximately 18 years of age, is sold to the notary named Emaneule de Fontanegio, for 650 asperes of Caffa. An enslaved woman named Giacobina, who is approximately 26 years of age, is sold to a pelter named Lodisio Marracio, for 495 asperes of Caffa. An enslaved woman named Maddalena, who is approximately 23 years of age, is sold to a certain Matteo Cattaneo, for 800 asperes. An enslaved man also participates in the auction as a buyer: a certain Michele, held by the notary named Riccobono de Bozolo, buys one "tereta" for 7 asperes of Caffa.
