Letter from the minister of the Holy See to PF-secretary Edoardo Cybo, 1683-08-04, Civitavecchia
Barbary (unspecified or several locations)
Civitavecchia
Galleys
Slaves (Muslim)
Slave priests
Letter from the minister of the Holy See to PF. Being in Visconte, he enjoys the opportunity to see the lieutenant of justice on a daily basis. The justice has continued to show his compassion with the suffering of regular, and secular slave priests in Barbaria. According to the news they received from a PF secretary (who received a testimony from the Governatore delle Armi), he deemed it necessary to offer two testimonies to PF; he also asks for approval to send them to Barbary. In Barbary they know that he is minister of the Holy See, and that he has always treated their Turkish subjects well, and provided them with passports free of charge. He has always done this in order to protect the Christians from harm, and to make sure they are not mistreated. Oriondo (a vassal of the Ottoman Empire), has spread negative rumours. Cardinal Stefano Brancaccio and the treasurer general of the pope, Negrone, are able to testify. In order to calm down the slaves, he sent a messenger to the treasurer, and after his return, the situation stablized. A full account can be given by the Bishop of Viva and from Princess Maria Pamphili Giustiniani. He is sure that the PF secretary will sympathize with his long account, and also because of his long service for the Cybo family.
Additional comments
[Minister of the Holy See]
APF SC Barbaria2, 41r-42v
1683-08-04
[Adressed to PF]
original; signed
Italian
Letter
908
Origin: Civitavecchia
Destination: [Rome]
Petition on behalf of Francesco Guevara to PF, [1666]
Tunis
Slaves (Christian & Muslim)
Ransom
Civitavecchia
Petition on behalf of Francesco Guevara asking for 1,000 pezze, that he deems to be his legitimate property, especially now that the Dey and his heirs have passed away. He states that after he arrived with Giuseppe Guevara, and Serafino and Vincenzo Piccinini in Civitavecchia, on the same ships which contained the goods and money of the Dey, they started fighting over it. The special commission ordered by the pope judged the case in his favor, but the others fled with most of the goods. PF, however, kept the 1,000 pezze on the advice of Jean Le Vacher, who feared that the Dey, out of redemption for a Muslim Slave in Sicily, would take the loss of the money out on Christians in Tunis.
Additional comments
The date of this petition is probably 1666. Late in 1665 Francesco Guevara wrote a letter to Jean Le Vacher. It seems probable that the petition was made a year later. See also: APF SOCG 254, 133r-v, 134v (database item 394).
Francesco Guevara
APF SOCG 254, 135r-v, 136v
[1666]
Addressed to PF
Italian
Petition
395
Origin: unknown
Destination: Rome
Letter from Jean Le Vacher to [PF], 1683-05-26, Algiers
Algiers
Civitavecchia
Galleys
Slaves (Muslim)
Letter from Jean Le Vacher to PF. The Turkish slaves working in the galleys of the pope, have written to the rulers in Barbary about the piece of land where they used to bury their dead; the land has since been taken from them. They paid 1000 pezze da otto for the land, but have received no compensation. The rulers in Barbary were very displeased when they heared this, and decided to seek revenge themselves on the priests in Algiers (both secular as regular). This would have materialized had Le Vacher not stopped them, telling these men that he would send word to Italy, to either restitute the land or provide a substitute. Therefore he asks PF to do either one of these things, and to also relieve the poor slaves from their extraordinary suffering.
Additional comments
Jean Le Vacher
APF SC Barbaria 2, 36rv-v, 37v
1683-05-26
[Adressed to PF]
original: signed
Italian
Letter
905
Origin: Algiers
Destination:
Petition on behalf of Jean Le Vacher to PF, [1655]
Tunis
CM petitions
Slaves (Christian & Muslim)
Civitavecchia
Slave priests
Petition on behalf of Jean Le Vacher, vicar apostolic in Tunis to PF. He writes that the [Muslim] slaves in Civitavecchia have sent their complaints to the ruler of Tunis, stating that the land they had bought to bury their dead, has been taken from them. Le Vacher heard that the ruler of Tunis summoned all Christian priests and Christians present in the city, and told them that were the situation in Civitavecchia to remain unchanged, the Christian cemetery in Tunis would be destroyed. Jean Le Vacher therefore asks that the cardinals remedy this problem, and have the slaves in Civitavecchia write to Tunis. In their general meeting of 12 July 1655, the cardinals decide to ask the general treasurer to provide more information about the matter.
Date discussed 1655-07-12
Additional comments
Jean Le Vacher
APF SOCG 248, 257r, 296v
[1655]
Addressed to PF
For the minutes of the PF meeting where this matter was discussed, see: APF ACTA 24, 35r, 38r-v, issue 10 (database item 527).
Italian
Latin
Petition
440
Origin: [Tunis]
Destination: Rome
Letters from Jean Le Vacher to [Thomas Berthe], 1655-04-10 and 1655-04-17, Tunis
Tunis
Petitions for faculties
Slaves (Christian & Muslim)
Civitavecchia
Non-Catholic Christians
Two letters from Jean Le Vacher, most probably to the superior of CM house in Rome. He asks him to obtain the following from PF: a) the renewal of his faculties of vicar apostolic; b) the faculty to administer the sacrament of confirmation be included; c) all the books in Arabic that PF normally gives to those who go on missions in partibus infidelium, especially the Holy Scripture; and d) a letter from the slaves in Civitavecchia, which would testify that they had not been treated badly, in order to rectify the trouble that they had brought to the Christians in Tuni,s due to their earlier complaints to the Dey of Tunis. In the second letter he writes that the English have come with 18 warships to demand all the English slaves, but the Dey refused, so in retaliation, the English burned all Tunisian ships which were in Port Farine, and threaten to destroy more if their requests go un-answered. Le Vacher also asks for copies of the Koran, the Torah, and the Gospels in Arab and Latin (if they are available in Rome). Lastly, he asks for specific indulgences. The letters signed and dated 10 and 17 April 1655.
Date received 1655-05-15
Additional comments
Since the letter is in French it is probably not written to PF, because Le Vacher would usually use Italian for that purpose. It is also known that Le Vacher sometimes used Berthe to send letters to Rome. See also: APF SOCG 248, 298r (database item 448).
Jean Le Vacher
APF SOCG 248, 299r-v, 301r
1655-04-10 and 1655-04-17
Addressed to [Thomas Berthe]
French
Letter
449
Origin: Tunis
Destination: Rome
Letter from Marò Aurelio Bongrazij to [PF], 1683-07-28, Civitavecchia
Civitavecchia
Galleys
Letter from Maro Aurelio Bongrazij to PF. The Governatori delle Armi demands willingness to serve PF, in her demands in the matter of the Turkish slaves. But to tell the truth, Cavaliere Malaspina, (commander of the papal galleys), refuses to cooperate, and expects PF to adress him directly. Currently Malaspina is away with the ships, but he can return any day. He also made a report of the current situation, which he sent to PF.
Additional comments
Marò Aurelio Bongrazij
APF SC Barbaria 2, 40v-41r
1683-07-28
[Adressed to PF]
original: signed
Italian
Letter
907
Origin: Civitavecchia
Destination: [Rome]
Letter from Marò Aurelio Bongrazij to [PF], 1683-07-14, Civitavecchia
Civitavecchia
Slaves (Muslim)
Galleys
Letter from Maro Aurelio Bongrazij to PF. Following the orders of the Governatori delle Armi, and Cavaliere Malaspine (the commandor of the galleys), the most prominent slaves have been interrogated. They need to know whether they ever encountered difficulties, or are currently receiving difficulties, the current use of the place that they used to bury their dead, and whether this has been taken from them. They responded unanimously that they always enjoyed, and still do enjoy (without any impediment), the use of the land to bury their dead. They promised to make an authentic declaration of this, though as to date this has not het been done. They have stated that the declaration could damage them, as in the kingdom of Naples, the bodies of the Turks are burned and thrown into the sea. They showed not to have been mistreated in Civitavecchia, of which he wanted to make a declaration by Cavaliere Malaspina, but this has not yet been possible.
Additional comments
Marò Aurelio Bongrazij
APF SC Barbaria2, 38r-39v
1683-07-14
[Adressed to PF]
original: signed
Italian
Letter
906
Origin: Civitavecchia
Destination: [Rome]
PF minutes, 1655-07-12, Rome
Tunis
Slaves (Christian & Muslim)
Civitavecchia
Minutes of PF general meeting of 12 July 1655 discussing among other matters, a petition by Jean Le Vacher (CM priest and vicar apostolic in Tunis). He asks that PF exercise its authority and request that the land which Muslim slaves in Civitavecchia had acquired in order to bury their dead, be given back to them. This is to prevent the ruler of Tunis depriving the Christians in the city, of their own place of burial. The cardinals decide that PF secretary should discuss this matter with the general treasurer of the pope.
Additional comments
PF
APF ACTA 24, 35r, 38r-v, issue 10
1655-07-12
See for the petition: APF SOCG 248, 257r, 296v (database item 440).
Latin
Minutes
527
Origin: Rome
Destination: