Due to poor management of public granaries throughout Istria, where the managers of these granaries used the money for other purposes rather than to purchase grains and other necessary items to feed the poor, the Venetian Senate enacts several rules to remedy this situation.
Die XXIIII septembris [MCCCCLXX]a
<ser Ioannes Diedo, ser Nicolaus de Musto capita de XLta (+)>
Neçessarium est providere quod pecunie fonticorum terrarum Istrie bene et cum utilitate et commodo universitatum gubernentur, et non expendantur ad aliud quam in emendis frumentis et aliis rebus necessariis huiusmodi fonticis, sicuti deputatum fuit, et non malo modo dispensentur per camerarios comunitatum ipsarum, qui multotiens remanent debitores et in Consiliis suis fieri faciunt sibi gratias, uni hodie et cras alteri, et totum hoc damnum revertitur ad pauperes fonticos cum interesse pauperum populorum, qui sine fonticis stare non possent, et proinde vadit pars:
[1] Quod omnes rectores nostri Istrie presentes et futuri ex Mugla usque Polam, sub pena ducatorum Vc, non audeant nec presumant expendere aut consentiant ut expedatur aliquis denarius de ratione dicti fontici, excepto quam in furmentisb et aliis rebus necessariis pro dictis fonticis.
[2] Item quod omnes fonticarii dictorum fonticorum octo diebus postquam compleverint officium, debeant solidasse capsam suam et consignasse successori suo omnes rationes fontici per eum administratas, sub pena soldorum quatuor pro libra, que pena sit rectorum nostrorum, et privatione perpetua omnium officiorum et benefitiorum que contribuuntur per Consilia dictorum locorum.
[3] Preterea, quia pecunie dictarum comunitatum gubernantur per suos camerarios male et improbe, qui remanent debitores et numquam solvunt et optinent gratias in suis Consiliis ad solvendum in tempore, adeo ut stipendarii Raspurch non possunt recipere solutiones suas, et quotidie molestant Dominium nostrum non sine periculo rerum nostrarum, captum sit, ut dicti camerarii comunitatum predictarum subiaceant omnibus dictis penis, quibus subiacent dicti fonticarii et de quibus superius providetur.
[4] Et quoniam dicti fonticarii et camerarii in solidandis capsis suis remanent debitores, et cum successoribus suis plerumque conveniunt per modum quod dicti successores ostendunt se recepisse totum id, quod illi dare restant, et re vera nihil habuerunt, quod male factum est, captum sit quod id decetero fieri non possit. Et si aliquis dictorum successorum contrafecerit, cadat ad penas suprascriptas.
[5] Et hoc capitulum addatur in commissionibus omnium rectorum nostrorum Istrie, qui rectores, sub pena ducatorum Vc, partem suprascriptam executioni mittere teneantur.
Mugle, Iustinopolis, Insule, Pirani, Humagi, Emonie, Parentii, Rubini, Pole, Adignani, Vallis, Monthone, Portularum, Buglie et Pinguenti, Sancti Laurentii.
De parte 143
De non 0
Non sinceri 3
a) in summo A. b) sic A: pro frumentis.
The managment of public granaries – fondachi – was of utmost importance for the welfare of the community, especially for the poorer social strata. This set of Venetian decrees was enacted to make sure the public money invested in the public granaries was used properly – to purchase grains and other necessary victuals exclusively.
A total of five decrees were promulgated: First, that all Venetian rectors in Istria, from Muggia to Pula are prohibited from spending or allowing the spending of any money from the granary funds except for purchasing grain and other necessary victuals, under a penalty of 500 ducats; second, all the managers of public granaries must settle their accounts and hand over all records to their successors within eight days of completing their term, under penalty of four shillings per pound and permanent disqualification from all offices and benefits granted by the local communal councils; third, community treasurers, who often mismanage funds and remain in debt, are subject to the same penalties as granary managers, in order to make sure that the forces stationed in Rašpor can receive their wages from the said local granaries; fourth, to prevent collusion between outgoing and incoming managers, where the latter falsely claim to have received full payment from the former, such practices are strictly forbidden, and any manager found guilty of this deceit incurs the aforementioned penalties; finally, these decrees are to be added to the ducal instructions of all Venetian rectors in Istria, who are obliged to enforce them under penalty of 500 ducats. These measures aimed to ensure proper management of granary funds, prevent misuse of public money, and safeguard the food security of the poor population in Istrian communities under Venetian rule.
The entire decree of the Venetian Senate was then sent to incumbent Venetian rectors in Istria in the form of a ducale issued by Doge Cristoforo Moro. The decree features the names of the localities that are to receive the letter: Muggia, Koper, Izola, Piran, Umag, Novigrad, Poreč, Rovinj, Pula, Vodnjan, Bale, Motovun, Oprtalj, Buje, Buzet and Sv. Lovreč. Interestingly, some places are missing: Grožnjan, Dvigrad, and Labin with Plomin (the latter two administered by one podestà). Dvgirad was effectively a disjointed part of the district of Koper, so this omission makes sense, as it would be the job of the podestà of Koper to enact this decree in Dvigrad. The omission of Grožnjan is perplexing, but as one of the smallest podestarias of Istria that lost its military-strategic importance with the institution of the Captainate of Rašpor, this can be explained as a mere oversight. Finally, Labin with Plomin was most probably omitted as the two towns did not always fall within the conceptual horizon of “Istria” as they were located to the east of River Raša, the ancient border separating Histria from Liburnia.
The digital facsimile of A (Venice, Archivio di Stato di Venezia, Senato, Deliberazioni, Mar, reg. 9, fol. 61) comes from morevento, the official databank of Archivio di Stato di Venezia, replacing the old Divenire webpages. The entire register can be consulted here.
Image by Archivio di Stato di Venezia.
The digital facsimile remains under the exclusive copyright of Archivio di Stato di Venezia.