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.
This letter from Giacomo Isolani, the governor of Genoa, and the council of elders elected to secure peace with Tunis, to Abu Faris Abd al-Aziz II, the Caliph of Tunis, was sent to address numerous diplomatic issues. First, it notes that Genoa had sent six bales of cloth (measured at 365 canne) to Tunis as part of a 16000-doubloon ransom for the redemption of all current Genoese captives, but the cloths were seized by Tunisian customs officials without notifying the Genoese representatives Ambrogio Spinola and Gherardo Gentile. The Tunisian authorities claimed that the cloths measured only 350 canne, and later informed the Genoese agent named Cristoforo Marruffo that the Caliph had already sold them. The Genoese calculate a remaining debt of 400 doubloons, based on a previously agreed price of 5.5 doubloons per canna, and asks that this be paid to Gherardo Gentile. Second, the Genoese government denounces the seizure of 17 of their subjects from Bonifacio, Calvi, and Cap Corse by the Tunisian fleet, the sinking of their vessels, and their subsequent public sale of the captives in Tunis. The letter notes that some of these captives were formerly enslaved persons who had been manumitted in Tunis before being taken back into custody, a violation of the manumission. The Genoese authorities demand the immediate release of all Genoese captives and call for Tunisian ships to abstain from future attacks. Third, the letter requests that peace be confirmed in writing to avoid future misunderstandings, using a prior treaty by Federico Lecavello and amended by Cristoforo Marruffo as a model. Fourth, the Genoese authorities dispute a customs claim that they owes 2000 more doubloons and request for an accurate and equitable calculation.
The slaveholder named Girolamo de Franchi manumits an enslaved woman named Lucia, under the condition that work as a servant for the physician Quirico de Franchi for a term of five years. Girolamo retains the right of patronage. Lucia was absent during the transaction and was represented by the enacting notary Lorenzo Calvo.
The slaveholder named Ansaldo Usodimare manumits an enslaved Circassian man named Giacobino. The formerly enslaved Giacobina agrees to serve Ansaldo for the subsequent three years as a condition of the manumission.
The slaveholder named Caracosa Cattaneo manumits an enslaved Ruthenian woman named Margarita. The formerly enslaved Margaritaagrees to work as a household servant for Margarita for the next three years as a condition of manumission. It also notes that the manumission was made in order to prevent flight and possible religious conversion.
The slaveholder named Niccolò Testa manumits an enslaved Ruthenian man named Ivan, under the condition that the formerly enslaved Ivan serves Niccolò for a term of two years. Niccolò retains the right of patronage.
The slaveholder named Lorenzo Gattilusio manumits an enslaved Vlach woman named Sofia. The formerly enslaved Sofia agrees to work as a household servant for Lorenzo and his family for the next three years as a condition of manumission.
This is the testament of the slaveholder named Orietta Cocalosa. She does not name an executor but instructs her heirs to decide funeral expenditures. She names her daughter Bianca Groppo, Giorgio Griffo, and Gaspare de Monsia as her universal heirs with each receiving one third of the estate. She also names numerous beneficiaries. The enslaved Agnesia (who is manumitted the same day in the following contract) is named as a beneficiary of two benches, one press, two pairs of sheets, one mattress, one pillow, one wool blanket, one knife, a silver spoon, and all the clothing and silver currently in her possession. Her nephew Giorgio Griffo receives one piece of striped fabric (Alexandrine) and rights to the debt of approximately 250 Genoese lire held by Orietta against the heirs of the deceased Giacomo de Maiolo, who had been in a business partnership with her deceased husband Antonio Groppo. Her daughter Pometta Groppo receives the right of full usufruct of all items of the estate not given as bequests (but not ownership, which is held by the universal heirs). She also bequests burial privileges to Pietro Costa and Giorgio Griffo that she holds for the Beringerio family monument in San Lorenzo. Finally she provides charitable bequests of 5 soldi to both the Scario and Pammatone hospitals. The item was extracted.
The testator named Linò Ittaliano names her sons Girolamo and Pasquale Bondenario as her heirs. The testament mentions her desire to manumit an enslaved Abkhazan woman named Caterina.
The slaveholders named Girolamo, Pasquale, and Antonio Bondenario manumit an enslaved Abkhazan woman named Caterina under the condition that she serves Pasquale (or whoever he appoints) for two additional years. The contract notes that the manumission was made according to the wishes of their mother Linò Ittaliano for whom the enslaved Catarina had served for a long time and especially during her illness. The contract mentions that the title over the enslaved Catarina was split as follows—⅙ part each for Girolamo and Antonio and ⁴⁄₆ part for Pasquale—and for the purposes of cost-sharing the title is valued at 100 Genoese florins. Pasquale and Girolamo retain the right of patronage.
The slaveholder named Niccolò de Canevalis manumits an enslaved Circassian woman named Caterina, who is approximately 45 years of age, under the condition that she serves Niccolò and his spouse Sobrana for the remainder of their lives. Sobrana also renounces all rights that she might have over the enslaved Caterina from her dowry property. Niccolò retains the right of patronage.
The slaveholder named Girolamo Bondenario manumits an enslaved woman named Cita whose manumission had been bequeathed in the testament of the deceased Isabella Bondenario enacted on 11 May 1470. Girolamo acts as the universal heir of Isabella and executes the manumission which is under the condition that Cita work as a servant in the household of Maria Bondenario for five years, two of which have already been served. Cita is absent during the manumission and is represented by the enacting notary Lorenzo Costa. The contract has a unique penalty for non-compliance: if the heir fails to manumit Cita, then he must pay 150 Genoese lire to the Officium Misericordie for distribution to the poor. Girolamo retains the right of patronage. The contract was extracted.
The slaveholder named Megollo Lercari manumits an enslaved Circassian woman named Cristiana, who is approximately 35 years of age, and who had just been leased in the previously enacted contract for a term of ten years. The manumission takes effect after the term of service. Megollo retains the right of patronage.
This item is the testament of the slaveholder Isabella Bondenario in which she mandates the manumission of an enslaved woman named Cita. Isabella names her nephew Girolamo Bondenario as her universal heir.
Having been rented out for a term of 10 years and total payment 120 lire by Cipriano Lomellini to Ginevra Spinola, the enslaved baptized Muslim woman named Caterina returns to the household of Cipriano before the end of the lease.
The slaveholder named Ottobone Lomellini manumits an enslaved Bosnian woman named Maria, who is approximately 30 years of age, under the condition that she serves the silk merchant named Girolamo de Canalis for a term of 12 years. The service obligation was recorded in a lease contract enacted immediately before the manumission for which Girolamo paid Ottobone the sum of 120 Genoese lire. Ottobone and his heirs retain the right of patronage. Maria was absent during the manumission and was represented by the enacting notary Niccolò Raggio. The contract was extracted.
The slaveholder named Pietro Centurione manumits an enslaved baptized Muslim woman from Granada named Agnese, who is approximately 30 years of age, under the condition that Agnese promises to serve in the household of Pietro for six years, starting from 1 January 1497. Agnese is represented in the transaction by the enacting notary Niccolò Raggio. Pietro and his heirs retain the right of patronage. The contract was extracted.
The slaveholder named Girolamo Navone manumits an enslaved woman named Margarita, who is approximately 24 years of age, under the condition that she serve a merchant named Enrico de Franchi, for a term of 15 years (as specified in the previously enacted contract). Girolamo retains the right of patronage. The contract was extracted.
The merchant named Pietro Peres Demeros, described as formerly Jewish (olim hebreus), and having a debt of five Genoese ducats due to a certain Antonio Ittaliano, which he is unable to pay because of his poverty (propter ipsius paupertatem), leaves his daughter Dona, who is approximately 15 years of age, to work as a handmaiden and household servant (famula et pedissequa) for Antonio until she is 26 years of age. This is a form of a lease contract for a free person.
The slaveholders named Battista and Raffaele Richeme manumit an enslaved Ruthenian woman named Maria, who is approximately 40 years of age, with the condition that Maria continue to serve Battista until Christmas 1457 (approximately 3 months). The manumission also specifies additional conditions. First, that Maria perform laundry duties to Battista at least once per month after the term of service for the remainder of her life. Second, that Maria must serve Battista and Raffaele, or their families, in case of their illness (without pay). Maria is represented in the contract by the enacting notary Oberto Foglietta. Battista and Raffaele retain the right of patronage.
This is a power of attorney contract where the slaveholder named Battistina Delfino appoints a procurator to accept her dowry which included an enslaved Russian woman named Maddalena.
This contract is a judicial composition between the slaveholder Antonio Clavio and the Bulgarian named Michali, whom Antonio had purchased as an enslaved Tatar from Andrea Gagiola of Palermo for 50 Genoese lire approximately three months previous. It turned out that Michali was not a Tatar but a Bulgarian Christian who had concealed his identity in order to escape the abuse he had faced from Andrea. To recoup his capital outlay, as well as avoid the risk a possible legal challenge by holding Michali in enslavement, Antonio enters into an agreement with him to convert the original purchase into an eight-year term of service. The contract was extracted.
The slaveholder named Niccolò de Orlandis manumits an enslaved Circassian woman named Lucia under the condition that the formerly enslaved Lucia serve him for a subsequent term of two years. Niccolò renounces the right of patronage. The enslaved Lucia is absent during the manumission and is represented by the enacting notary Piero de Roncionibus. An undated addendum to the contract notes that Lucia eventually served in the household of Sandra de Orlandis, the daughter of Niccolò, until her death.
The slaveholder named Alegrantia, the wife of Antonio Donato, names the butcher named Giacomo de Bobbio as her procurator to obtain a copy of a contract enacted in Caffa in December of 1351, in which an innkeeper named Greco Stiliano, a burgensis and inhabitant of Solkhat, had sold an enslaved Cumaran child named Borolat, who is approximately 14 years of age, to Antonio for 510 asperes of currency of Caffa.
The formerly enslaved Giovanni Battista requests an authorized transcript of his manumission contract, enacted approximately 30 years previously, on account that is is worn by time and suffers from damage due to moisture.
The testator and slaveholder named Alterisia Cattaneo names her son Evangelista de Marini as her executor. Evangelista is also named as an heir along with his siblings Taddeo and Lucrezia de Marini. The testament mandates that two enslaved women held by Alterisia named Maddalena and Maria be manumitted.
