the forms and functions of notaries’ wills in central and northern italy volvement in trade and money-lending. The most striking example, but not the only one, is David da Sant’Ambrogio’s will of 1264. The usual introductory formula, “[Confiteor] me debere recipere …”, ends by specifying the reasons the credit was owed: “occasione accomendacium sive societatum … et occasione debitorum et mutuorum que feci et michi dare tenentur infrascripte persone”.18 This is followed by dozens and dozens of itemthat take up no less than four of the six and a half sheets that David’s colleague EnricodePorta needed to draft the will.19 Out of the six parts that make up a will according to the Bolognese model adopted and developed by Rolandinus in his Flos testamentorum, described above, the provision of legacies does not fall among those that are strictly indispensable.20 But it is precisely within this wide range of provisions of a stochastic and non-substantial nature that sometimes, in addition to allusions referring to relatives and friends, religious sentiment, ill-gotten goods, etc., more explicit references are made to the testator’s identity and profession. Three elements in particular can be identified from this perspective. Firstly, dispositions concerning the dressing of the deceased, funerary ceremonies, burial rites, and periodic commemorations reflect, more than any other piece of evidence, both the state of mind in which a notary making a will approached his encounter with God, as well as his desire to continue to manifest his presence and role within his family and within his social and professional context. Thus, being buried in one of 208 18 “I acknowledge that I must receive ... on account of commercial agreements or partnerships ... and on account of loans that I have provided, and that the persons described below are obliged to pay me back.” On these types of documents (accomendaciones et societates) – the main sort of contracts used in Mediterranean trade throughout the 13th century – see Calleri – Puncuh 2002. 19 Genoa, State Archive, Notai antichi 21/II, foll. 169r–172r. The will was later annulled by David himself on 2 April 1266, as stated in an annotation at the bottom of the document. 20 See note 4. Spaces for the expression of one’s identity and professional choices
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