Legal Formulary. Italy, c 1797. Text in Latin and Italian.
Italian Manuscript Formbook in a Wallet Binding [Manuscript]. [Italy]. [Formulary]. Genoa [Chiavari?], Italy, c.1797. 250 ff., 18 ff. thumb-tabbed index, 25 blank leaves. Octavo (6" x 4-1/4"; 15.2 x 10.8 cm). Contemporary Italian tacketed wallet binding of limp vellum, remnants of thong-and-toggle fastener, untrimmed edges. Light soiling and shelfwear, "Formularium Instrorum" to front cover in later hand, along with lists of years 1801-1806 and some other, illegible marks, "1797" to head of spine. Light toning to interior, light soiling to a few leaves, text in neat legible hand. $6,500. * Written in Latin and Italian the manuscript serves as a fascinating hybrid of statutory theory and everyday legal practice. The Latin Sections feature book and chapter citations that largely appear to be paraphrased excerpts from the civil statutes of the Republic of Genoa, alongside several passages in a question-and-answer format addressing core tenets of Roman Law. Most of the Latin statutory passages are immediately followed by practical, actionable templates and forms written in Italian, directly translating the overarching law into daily instruments like wills, contracts, notarial acts, and civil procedures. Of exceptional historical interest is a specific form dated April 13, 1797-compiled almost exactly two months before the ancient Republic of Genoa collapsed under Napoleonic pressure to become the short-lived Ligurian Republic. The subsequent cover dates (1801-1806) suggest Advocate Bonta continued using this exact manual to navigate the turbulent legal landscape of the Napoleonic transition. As such, this volume offers a rare, granular window into the twilight of the Genoese legal tradition on the absolute brink of systemic transformation.
Price: $6,500.00
Book number 72505