INQUISITION ROMAINE
Defence of the lawyers of Giovanni Grimani, patriarch of Aquileia, accused of heresy by the tribunal of the Inquisition. S.l. [Padua?], ca. 1562-1563. Manuscript in-4, 45 pp.o.b., 8 pp.o.b., 1 blank page and 13 pp.o.b., red morocco, double framed with gilt and cold fillets, large oval cartouche in the centre decorated with fleurons and azure scrolls, spine decorated, gilt and chiselled edges (Italian binding of the 17th century)
Precious manuscript of the defense presented to contest the accusations of the Roman Inquisition.
Member of one of the most influential families in Venice, Giovanni Grimani (1501-1593), patriarch of Aquileia, had lived under the threat of the Roman Inquisition since 1550. In 1561, the Inquisition firmly accused him of having supported heretical theses on predestination and free will.
Grimani hired three great Paduan jurists to defend him: Marco Mantova Benavides (1489-1582), Tiberio Deciani (1509-1582) and Girolamo Tornielli. These jurists were very famous in their time, the most famous of them being Benavides, who was not only a great art collector, but also Deciani's teacher and adviser to Charles V and Ferdinand I.
Grimani was therefore judged by a commission in July 1563, which absolved him of any suspicion of heresy in September of the same year.
The manuscript contains the texts of the particular defence of each lawyer, followed by their signature and the formula in fide manu propria subscripsi et sigillum meu..., accompanied by their personal red wax seal.
The red wax seals have perforated the text in some places.
Spine redone, corners restored.
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