Munificentia Venetiarum

Munificentia Venetiarum – Scrinium – A.A., Arm. I-XVIII, 1302 – Archivum Secretum Vaticanum (Vatican City, State of the Vatican City)

Italy — 1586

Found today in the famous seal collection of the Vatican Library: the magnificent deed of gift for a Venetian Doge's villa presented to the Pope

  1. Pasquale Cicogna (1509–95) was the Doge of the Venetian Republic, Duke of Candia, and Rector of Cyprus

  2. This manuscript documents the gift of a palazzo to Pope Sixtus V (1521–90) to be used as a residence by the Papal Nuncio

  3. The gold seal of Doge Pasquale Cicogna is now part of the Vatican Library’s famous collection of seals

Munificentia Venetiarum

  1. Description
  2. Facsimile Editions (1)
Description
Munificentia Venetiarum

The Republic of Venice was one of the most splendid states in Renaissance Italy, commanding a massive fleet with a trade empire stretching spanning the Adriatic, Mediterranean, Black Sea, and beyond. It was also one of the most powerful Italian states with an often-strained relationship with the Papacy. As part of an effort to improve relations, a magnificent palazzo was gifted to Pope Sixtus V by the Doge, Pasquale Cicogna, as a residence for the Papal Nuncio in Venice. The beautifully adorned document at hand, written in gold ink and adorned with the Doge’s golden seal, testifies to this chapter in Italian political history.

Munificentia Venetiarum

Pasquale Cicogna (1509–95) was the Doge of the Venetian Republic, Duke of Candia, Rector of Cyprus, and a religious man who met success in both business and arms. The Munificentia Venetiarum or “Munificence of Venice” documents the gift of a palazzo to Pope Sixtus V (1521–90), which was formerly owned by the Gritti family and had been a residence of Doge Andrea Gritti (1455–1538). It was to be used as a Venetian residence by the Papal Nuncio, an ecclesiastical diplomat representing the Holy See. This donation is recorded in a sublime document written in gold ink and adorned with splendid marginalia. The document is affixed with the splendid gold seal of Doge Pasquale Cicogna, which was joined to the document with a red silk thread and is now part of the Vatican Library’s famous collection of gold seals from various kings, princes, and emperors across the centuries.

Codicology

Origin
Italy
Date
1586
Language
Content
Document of the donation of the Gritti Palace by Doge Cicogna to the Pope
Patron
Doge Pasquale Cicogna
Previous Owners
Pope Sixtus V

Available facsimile editions:
Munificentia Venetiarum – Scrinium – A.A., Arm. I-XVIII, 1302 – Archivum Secretum Vaticanum (Vatican City, State of the Vatican City)
Scrinium – Zurich, 2009
Limited Edition: 399 copies
Facsimile Editions

#1 Munificentia Venetiarum

Scrinium – Zurich, 2009

Publisher: Scrinium – Zurich, 2009
Limited Edition: 399 copies
Commentary: 1 volume
Language: Italian
1 volume: Exact reproduction of the original document (extent, color and size) Reproduction of the entire original document as detailed as possible (scope, format, colors). The binding may not correspond to the original or current document binding.
Regular price without login (like new)6,980 
Log in for a Better Price!
You might also be interested in:
Book of the Knights of the Brotherhood of Santiago – Siloé, arte y bibliofilia – Catedral de Burgos (Burgos, Spain)
Book of the Knights of the Brotherhood of Santiago
Burgos (Spain) – 1338 – End of 17th century

300 impressive depictions of the knights of the Brotherhood of Santiago: an artistic testimony of coats of arms and armor from four centuries ranging from the Gothic to the Renaissance

Experience More
Chronicles of Lucca by Giovanni Sercambi – AyN Ediciones – Biblioteca Statale di Lucca (Lucca, Italy)
Chronicles of Lucca by Giovanni Sercambi
Lucca (Italy) – 1368–1424

Impressive pictures from Tuscany in the Middle Ages: 651 detailed miniatures on the eventful history of the famous pilgrimage city of Lucca

Experience More
Blog articles worth reading
Filter selection
Publisher