the forms and functions of notaries’ wills in central and northern italy these notaries’ choices were conditioned by the rules contained in the statutes of the various guilds. With regard to the first aspect, while wills are primary sources for reconstructing individuals’ lives, the very formalism of such documents and the use of neutral formulas confine each testator’s will to a rigid scheme, making it extremely difficult to grasp its intimate aspects. Sometimes, however, a notary’s departure from standard practice is indicative of the testator’s direct contribution, since in almost all cases a notary who dictates his own will would leave his colleague complete freedom to employ his usual formulas. Here are a few examples: in 1258 the notary Ugo Botario di Ventimiglia dictated his will to the notary Giovanni Amandolesio. The preamble consists of a quotation taken from Job 14:1-2 – “Cum homo, natus de muliere, brevi tempore vivens, multis miseriis subito repleatur et fugiat velut umbra”10 – which was never used elsewhere by the notary Giovanni.11 The only way to explain this departure from custom is to assume that the biblical passage is the preamble that Ugo, the testator, habitually used when acting as a drafter, although unfortunately there are no surviving documents from him. Another particular form is that used by the Genoese notary Francesco de Silva (1317), who made many substantial bequests to charitable institutions. As proof of his sincere dedication to charity, he asked the notary to include in his will – besides those saints to whom the Genoese usually commend their souls – Elisabeth of Hungary, who was raised to the honours of the altars for her assistance to the poor and the sick.12 Further clues to individual piety can also be gleaned from burial wishes. A strong religious sentiment is reflected in the radical choice made 206 10 “man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble, He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow.” 11 Balletto 1985, n. 2, pp. 4–6. 12 Alvaro et al. 2018, Appendice, No. 2, pp. 153–155. The cult of this saint spread in Liguria thanks primarily to the work of Jacobus de Voragine (2007), pp. 925–945. Personal choices and direct intervention
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