Letter from Francesco Gatta to PF, 1681-05-18, Tunis
Barbary (unspecified or several locations)
Algiers
Bizerte
Corsairs
Galleys
Salé
Slaves (Christian)
Tripoli
Tunis
Letter from Francesco Gatta to PF. Gatta has informed PF as well as Gio' Levascer [Jean Le Vacher] the vicar apostolic in Algiers, about the most important matters of the mission in Tunis. Le Vacher released Gatta from his side to go to Tunis. Some people from Messina who had enough of the Pascia tried to be favored by the grand vizier of Constantinople, in order to obtain Turkish troops for Sicily. Giuseppe Marchese was secretly connected with Mamet Agha (the Turkish ambassador in Tunis), to intermediate in the wars that divided the country. By means of this ambassador, he sent his message to Constantinople. From the returning ship, they received no other news except that it disembarked from Naples in the Romagna; there Giuseppe boarded a ship together with four of his children. Gatta hopes that the ambassadors of the Christian princes will be wise enough to stop him. When he was in Algiers, he came to understand that in Salé, there were many Christian slaves who were left without a priest, because of the pest. Likewise, in Tétouan there are 500 Christian slaves without a priest. When Gatta asked the vicar apostolic for permission to go to Tétouan, however it was not granted. Then, the prefect of Tripoli, Da Castel'vetrano [Girolamo Da Castelverrano] saw that in his decree, Salé was annexed to the mission of Tripoli. As the city is 1,700 Italian miles away by sea, it is impossibile to serve them from Tripoli. Because the city has been abandoned, he begged Da Castelverrano to either visit once every seven years, send two companions there (and two others for Tétouan), or to ask PF to provide these cities with missionaries. Da Castelverrano promised him that he would go himself, but because years have passed and nobody has visited, he decided to inform PF. If they decide to send two missionaries, then it would be best to imbark from Marseille. The people who go there however, must be willing to suffer a lot, considering the people there are more barbaric and wild. He also sends PF a list of all the cities and places with Christian slaves, and their distance from Tripoli. List with distances from Tripoli: a) in Tripoli in Barbary, live a little more than a thousand Christian slaves of various nations. From Tripoli to Tunis, the distance is 500 Italian miles, from Tunis to Utica (today Porto Farina), the distance is 24 Italian miles, and from Porto Farina to Bizerte, the distance is 26 Italian miles; b) in Tunis there are around 2,000 Christian slaves, and a few free Christians. In Porto Farina and Bizerte (that are part of the same mission), there are around 200 ships and galleys. In Caponegro there are around 40 free Christians amongst whom soldiers and merchants. From Bizerte to Algiers, the distance is 450 Italian miles. In Algiers there are around 5,000 Christian slaves, even though the size of the city is only a quarter of Tunis. There are however, 46 ships, two galleys, and two other small boats. From Algiers to Orano, the distance is 300 Italian miles, from Oran to Melilla, the distance is 100 Italian miles, from Mellila to Pignon, the distance is 60 Italian miles; c) the places of Oran, Melilla and Pignon are under the king of Spain. Except for soldiers there are farmers, free people, and they have their own parishes and chapels. From Pignon to Tétouan, the distance is 80 Italian miles; d) in Tétouan, a city of the Moors, there are 500 Christian slaves and no-one to administer the sacraments. From Tétouan to Ceuta, also a Spanish city, the distance is 20 Italian miles, and from Ceuta to Tanger, a place in the hands of the English, the distance is 30 Italian miles and from Tanger to Salé, the distance is 200 Italian miles; and e) Salé is a place of the Moors, in the kingdom of Fez, and there are around 500 Christians without priests. The priests stay in Fez and cannot travel around because the countryside is filled with robbers. From Tripoli to Salé is 1,790 miles over sea. He is not sure whether one could do this in a year because of the difficulties of travelling and the few possibilities of doing so.
Additional comments
Francesco Gatta
APF SC Barbaria 1, 502r-503r
1681-05-18
Adressed to [PF}
original; signed
Italian
Letter
899
Origin: Tunis
Destination: [Rome]
Summary on the mission in Barbaria, [1679], [Rome]
Algiers
Conversion
Corsairs
Non-Catholic Christians
Ransom
Slaves (Christian)
Trinitarians
Summary on the mission in Barbaria. Trinitarian Procurator Ferdinando Di Alaba presents PF the five Trinatian hospitals in Algiers. Here the priests of his order do not only take care of the sick, but they also administer the sacraments, teach the children in the school, and ransom those that are in danger of converting.
This mission (that has been running for 70 years), has lately been disturbed by the vicar apostolic, Levacher [Jean Le Vacher]. He refuses to show his patents that he claims to have received from PF. Le Vacher forbade the priests of the hospitals to use their privileges, and took away the privilege of receiving the sacraments from the slaves. He removed the coat of arms of the king of Spain, the protector and patron of the hospitals, and also the coat of arms of the crosses. He also took the Holy sacrament from the hospital and brought it to his own house, amidst heretics, Lutherans and others. Because the priests have to take scaraments from Le Vacher's house to the hospital, there is a risk that this cannot be done in time. Le Vacher also let sick heretics enter the hospitals, and placed them in the same rooms as the Catholics; the hospitals used to take care of them in seperate rooms. He also forbade the slave priests to celebrate mass in the hospitals, making them instead travel to his house. When one priest dared to resist [Bartolomeo Da Serrano], he had him imprisoned and brought him to a Muslim court; this was a big scandal, not only among the Christians, but also among the heretics. For this reason Ferdinando aks PF in the name of his order to grant the priests in the hospitals the title and faculties of vicar apostlic, removing them from the jurisdiction of Le Vacher. Or, he asks PF to tell Le Vacher that he should not intervene in the hospitals, nor with its people. Proof of the case can be found in the collection of four testimonies made in the court of Madrid. After this summary was made, the letter of Jean Le Vacher arrived. A few years ago it seemed to PF a good idea, to declare the Trinitarian Fathers dependent from the jurisdiction of Le Vacher. Le Vacher deemed it necessary however, to issue a new decleration (similar to the one he had already received), in which it is declared that the priests of the hospitals are under his jurisdiction. Le Vacher also wrote about the abundance of missionaries that PF sends to Barbaria. According to him there is no need for more missionaries. The slave priests are dissatisfied because the missionaries take away their alms that they would receive from the slaves. With these alms they would pay for their own living, the lune to their masters, and their own ransom money. Some time ago, there where two Neapolitan priests for the mission, who asked Le Vacher for the required faculties, and he replied them that their services were not needed in Algiers. Le Vacher presided over the peace agreement between France and the Turks, which promised that the corsairs of Algiers would not enslave French people any longer. He also writes about the slaves that arrived some months ago, of which there were around 80 women, many of whom were Catholics. Some were at risk of losing their honor, when ransomed by him. The prosecretary [Domenico Corsi] states that they have continuously recieved complaints from Jean Le Vacher against the Trinitarians who have always pretended not to be subject to the vicar apostolic. Eventually during PF meeting of 28 February 1673, it was decided to give the general of this order the task to instruct his priests, that they would not administer the sacraments in the area, without a license from the vicar apostolic. One of them, Girolamo Da Sassari, persisted though. PF decided unanimously to remove Da Sassari from Algiers, and to write to the nuncio to Spain, requesting that he make sure that this would not happen again. The Trinitarian Fathers do not like the fact that Le Vacher forced them to receive the heretics, as requested in a letter written by PF dated 10 July 1673. PF renewed the orders to the general and the superiors of the hospitals, to not use the sacraments without the consent of the vicar. They also asked Le Vacher to receive the heretics in the hospitals in a more prudent way. They also order Le Vacher to give the two Neapolitan priests the faculties of missionaries, as has been decided in PF meeting of 1 December 1676; they also received the news of the death of Marcello Costa. PF decided to write to Le Vacher about the Trinitarians, and about the fact that Catholics and heretics should be seperated from each other. He should not interfene in things that are not part of his position, and PF also decided that the Neapolitan priests have to be given the faculties.
Date discussed: 1679-09-11
Additional comments
PF
APF SOCG 475, 93r-98r, 124v
[1679]
This summary is also found in the corresponding ACTA: APF ACTA 49, 205r, 214r-218v, issue 18 (database item 681).
See for the letters that were subsequently sent: APF LETTERE 68, 58v-60v (database item 636) and APF LETTERE 68, 60v-61v (database item 637).
For the mentioned letter from PF to Le Vacher, see: Letter from PF to Jean Le Vacher, 1673-07-10, Rome (database item 614).
Italian
Latin
Summary
798
Origin: [Rome]
Letter from Francesco Gatta to [PF pro-secretary, Edoardo Cibo] 1679-09-15, Tunis
Bizerte
Capuchins
Corsairs
Mercedarians
Ransom
Renegades
Slaves (Christian)
Slave priests
Tunis
Letter from Francesco Gatta to PF. It has been eight months since he warned PF about some the developments in the church of Tunis. The ship that brought this letter though was taken by Neapolitans and the letters were lost. He stated that the spiritual goings of the church were progressing well. There have also been a few heretics that converted to Catholicism. This success is the work of the Capuchin priest Giuseppe Maria Da Bologna, Vicenzo Da Frascati in Tunis, and Chrisostomo Da Genua in Bizerte. However, there are also people working against them, creating discord. Some clerics are doing things that are a disgrace for the Holy faith. One year ago, one Mercedarian Spanish priest was killed by a rennegade, because he found this priests at home with his wife. In this case a Sardinian priest was wounded. After this the Sardinian priest was suspended for some time, but has since now returned. There was another case of a priest from Calabria (who already returned in Christinianity), but was very impertinent whilst staying in Tunis. He bragged about having been an outlaw in the countryside, murders that he committed, and his years in jail in Napels. After a conflict with the provicar, the vicar of Algiers [Jean Le Vacher] decided that they had to make a report on the case. Eventually the provicar, Giuseppe Maria, was forced to make him leave, as he had threatened to convert to Islam. Another priest, De Minimi, used to play cards from early morning until late at night. He won 80 piastre from a Christian slave of the Bascia, who gave him 200 beatings with a cane. The priest gave the money back, however he was also canned and almost killed. While visiting Algiers, he saw that the vicar apostolic, Jean Le Vacher, had some problems with the slave priests as well; he was also French consul at the same time. It has been a few days since another priest, Father Zoccolante (who just ransomed himself), was playing cards with a Greek Catholic. They became involved in a fight, and were both beaten with a cane. The Greek slave brought the case before the Bey, who imprisoned the priest. All priests in the city (both missionaries and slaves), were consequently brought to him. First, he asked the group whether priests were allowed to play cards, and other things which he will not tell PF because he does not want to cause offence. Gatta told the Bey that it was prohibited, and that there are penalties in this life and the next. The king told Gatta to punish the priest, and Gatta made him the slave of the Bascia. The slave was brought to the Bascia, his clothes were taken away, and he was beaten. The priest was imprisoned in the bagno of the Dogana. When they warned him that the Bascia also wanted to enslave the priest, he was released and allowed to travel to Livorno on an English ship. It has been two days since he left. There has been a civil war in this country for three years between two brothers, and the whole area is divided into two parties. Whilst the troubles do not impede them to do their spiritual work, the only problem is travelling to other places. Every now and then, he does travel to these missions together with Vincenzo Da Frascati. They heard that the Capuchins in Tuscany might send new missionaries, and they will follow PF in every decision they make regarding this matter; they do ask PF to be cautious in sending new people to a war-torn area. /
Date discussed: 1680-04-08
Additional comments
Francesco Gatta
APF SOCG 478, 260r-261v, 263r
1679-09-15
[Adressed to PF]
For the minutes of the PF meeting where this matter was discussed, see: APF ACTA 50 98r, 112v-113v (database item 683).
Original: signed
Italian
Letter
804
Origin: Tunis
Destination: [Rome]
Letter from Jean Le Vacher to [PF], 1679-05-30, Algiers
Algiers
Capuchins
Conversion
Corsairs
Ransom
Slaves (Christian)
Slave priests
Trinitarians
Tunis
Letter from Jean Le Vacher. From the letters he received from PF, he understood that there was no reason to hope that the loss of souls in Barbaria could not be solved, due to not receiving the sacrament of confirmation. The Holy Spirit will have to work by itself, because the infidels will not allow spiritual assistance. PF suggested that it might be easier if there was a bishop in Algiers, however the bishop would risk his life. He thanks PF for the medals and crucifixes that he received. During the last few years, PF made it clear that the Trinitarian Fathers are subjected to his, or actually the apostolic authority. He has heard though, that the Trinitarians are trying to obtain independence from his authority, from Rome. Le Vacher deems it necessary that PF gives him a decree, declaring that the Trinitarians living in Algiers are subjected to the apostolic authority. He is suprised by the great number of missionaries that PF sends to Tunis, as there isn't a need for them; the slave priests have already complained about this. One Capuchin missionary named Cherubino [Cherubino Da Frascati], returned to Marseille because of tension between the slave priests and the apostolic missionaries. The slave priests need the alms from the Christians, for their daily lives and to also ransom themselves. PF also wrote to them about the Neapolitan priests that PF sent to Tunis, and the required faculties. Le Vacher however, told them that their services were not needed in the city. Some days ago he received the confirmation of the peace with France. This means that the corsais will not take any more French prisoners, as they had done for some years with the French and English; they also took an Catholic Irish, which he will try to assist. He ransomed a young French woman for 1,000 scudi, who had converted to Catholicism, and was about to lose her honor and faith. He sent her to Nimes in France. Two other women (one from France the other from Denmark) were also ransomed by him for 2,900 scudi and 80 lire. One Englishman converted to Catholicism and some other English and Dutch slaves are considering doing the same.
Date discussed: 1679-09-11
Additional comments
Jean Le Vacher
APF SOCG 475, 119r-120r
1679-05-30
[Adressed to PF]
For the minutes of the PF meeting where this matter was discussed, see: APF ACTA 49, 205r, 214r-218v, issue 18 (database item 681).
Original
Italian
Letter
802
Origin: Algiers
Destination: [Rome]
Petition on behalf of Luigi Da Palermo to PF, [1677, Rome]
Algiers
CM petitions
Corsairs
Ransom
Renegades
Slave priests
Slaves (Christian)
Tunis
Petition on behalf of Luigi Da Palermo to PF. Luigi Da Palermo has (previously in a long letter) explained himself, and now humbly returns to PF. He was made slave by Corsairs of Algiers, who was operating under the French flag. During a year in slavery he suffered a lot. He postponed his liberty for his companion, who was freed by the redemption priests from Spain. In Algiers, he worked day and night for the well-being of the poor Christian souls. Two heretics converted to Christianity because of his persuasion. A Dominican, who had fled to Oran (leaving his wife and children behind), converted himself. The patron of the bagno, offering many treasures, wanted him to convert, and also offered one of his daughters as wife. In the coming year, the French army arrived to negotiate peace. In this time, Da Palermo went to this patron, explaining his disgraceful situation, and asking for his liberty. This was agreed upon, and Da Palermo offered to work for the Christians in Barbary. Consequently he was appointed vicar apostolic and vicar general of Carthage by Gio' LeVascier [Jean Le Vacher], and this was also approved by PF. Upon arriving in Tunis he united and pacified the place, as can be understood from many accounts found in the letter sent to PF by the most important Christians in Tunis. Sent by PF, Marcello Costa has also recently arrived in Tunis as missionary. Two heretics wanted to convert to Catholicism, and whilst discussing the Holy faith with him, a Moor named Gerbino told Da Palermo told him that he wanted to become Christian; Da Palermo told him to go to Malta, and six other Moors converted to Christianity. Two obstinate Christians confessed to Da Palermo, that for years they did not live in good will. The following night, one killed the other with a knife. The murderer was sentenced to death. Many Christians ware amazed by Da Bologna, which was the reason that they lived more prudently. He paid 15 piastre for the burial of the body of the murderer, who had been stoned to death before. With great effort Da Palermo was able to baptize a child of a Christian slave, that she bore from her patron. Two months later the child died. Two Christian slaves had bought two Greek women and for a long time they treated them badly. Da Palermo made sure that they married them, and that they converted to Catholicism. Da Palermo made sure that the Dey, and others in Tunis would no longer destroy the churches. He told renegades that they knew what to do for eternal salvation, and the renegades promised to flee to Christianity. Da Palermo wrote their names down and promised them mild penance in Christendom. Da Palermo told the French consul, Gio' Ambrosini [Jean Ambrozin] that he could not just usurp the goods of the church. Le Vacher was given the order to investigate six complaints against Ambrozin. Le Vacher ordered Da Palermo to conduct the investigation, and Ambrozin yelled so loud that Da Palermo was forced to leave the case. A mother with two old spinsters from Corsica were made slaves. Da Palermo brought the missionaries together to pray to God to free these women. He entrusted their case to the Grand Duke of Tuscany. While Da Palermo was in Palermo, the Grand Duke gave 1,000 scudi to ransom all three. Filippo Brescia (a doctor in law from Trapane in Sicily), arrived in Tunis to convert to Islam. Da Palermo found him and brought him back to Christianity and went with him back to Christendom. There were also two free Christians, who had no money and could not pay for their return in Christendom. Da Palermo collected 60 piastre to make sure they could return home.
Da Palermo used to travel to where the bodies of St. Perpetua and St. Felicitas were, and thought to use 280 piastre that he had gained from giving alms. He was forced however to use the sum for the liberation of two young Spaniards, who were forced by their masters to convert. One of them had 200 piastre. Da Palermo brought in his 280, and the other 400 was lent from merchants. When Da Palermo left, they asked him to restitute the money. Da Palermo had received 200 piastre from the Bagno of Saint Francis. They were meant to buy vestments but Da Palermo gave them to the merchants. He also took 50 piastre from the bagnos of S. Lucy and S. Leonardo. He freed five Christians, and entrusted the two Spaniards to the viceroy of Sicily, asking him to pay back these churches. The viceroy promised to refund them, but when the troubles started in Messina, this was no longer possible. Da Palermo went to Rome to present the problems of the church to PF, but from there he was sent back to Palermo. It has been six years since Da Palermo has taken the money from the church, and he has been persecuted as a thief. In Palermo a complaint has been made in Spanish by Luis de Loyo (conservator of the royal patrimony in Sicily) on the 200 piastre of Pietro di Salorsano. Luigi Da Palermo does not ask anything for his works, but if he appears to be guilty, he should be punished; if he is innocent, it is not right that he is suffering. If he asks to return to the lands where his life is at risk every hour, he does this because he wishes to serve. Therefore PF should either decide to satisfy the churches, or the other one in Sicily.
Additional comments
The letter is undated, but Luigi Da Palermo left Tunis in 1671; which according to the letter was six years ago. That is why it should be dated around 1677.
Luigi Da Palermo
APF SC Barbaria 1, 435r-436v
[1677]
Adressed to PF
copy
Italian
Letter
888
Origin: unknown
Destination: [Rome]
PF summary on the case of Luigi Da Palermo, [1671 or later]
Capuchins
Tunis
Corsairs
Ransom
Renegades
Slaves (Christian & Muslim)
PF summary on the case of Luigi Da Palermo, a Capuchin who left the mission of Tunis. The summary includes the viewpoint of both the Capuchin commissary of Sicily, Gioseppe d’Ica, and Luigi Da Palermo himself about his work as a missionary, and the reasons why he left Tunis to go to Rome.
Additional comments
PF
APF SOCG 461, 266r-v, 267r-v
[1671 or later]
Italian
Summary
658
Origin: [Rome]
Destination:
Letter from Antonio Di Seravezza to [PF], 1671-01-11, Cagliari
Capuchins
Corsairs
Franciscans
Petitions for missionary patents
Ransom
Renegades
Slaves (Christian)
Seravezza case
Letter from Antonio Di Seravezza to PF. He had previously sent a letter to PF about the poor state of the church of Tunis (which had been caused by the French consul Jean Ambrozin), so that PF would select two priests for this case, and would be well informed enough to remove the consul from his position; he has given this letter to Father Chintana who was instructed to bring it to PF. However, the two ships that would bring the letter to Rome have been capatured by the Turks, therefore he is sure that the letters are lost. For this reason, a copy has been made, and sent with the help of David de Barnard and Cosimo Bouillard, a French merchant. Because he [Di Seravezza] was staying in Tabarca he had to go to Sardinia in order to meet Girolamo Da Sassari (his predecessor who had expierenced the same troubles as he is now), to talk about the case. When he arrived there, however, he found out that he passed away. In Sardinia however, he found two priests willing to serve as missionaries, Elzelario Boulliard and Alexandrino Serro. He asks PF for their missionary patents. In the dispatch that he expected to receive, he hoped to find the patents for these priests from the Father Provincial. He also asks patents for two other priests, Gio' Baptista Pisquedda and Michel Angelo Ledda. In three or four days he explects to return to Tabarca. The letter also notes that three years ago an 18-year-old Capuchin monk named Francesco della Pantelleria (the slave of Agimamamet Cogga, alias Filippo Delustria), renounced the faith. Di Seravezza ransomed him for 450 piastre. He promised to pay the money back to Di Seravezza who had lent it. In Pisa, Della Pantelleria gave it to Giouan Pagni. When Di Seravezza arrived in Genova he wrote a letter to Pagni asking him to give back the money. He said he gave the money to Antonio Maria Vintimiglia who will return the money to Tunis, so that Di Seravezza can give it back to his creditors.
Date discussed: 1671-08-06
Additional comments
Antonio Di Seravezza
APF SOCG 430, 250r-v
1671-01-11
Adressed to [PF]
For the minutes of the PF meeting where this matter was discussed, see: APF ACTA 41 305r, 330r-338r.
Copy; signed
Italian
Letter
735
Origin: Cagliari
Destination: [Rome]
Letter from Philippe Le Vacher to [Thomas] Berthe, 1655-03-04, Algiers
Algiers
Slaves (Christian)
Corsairs
Mission reports
Letter from Philippe Le Vacher, vicar apostolic in Algiers, to Thomas Berthe, superior of CM house in Rome. Among other things he writes to recommend the servants of Cardinal [Barberini], who have been caught by Algerian corsairs, and now reside under his care. He also gives the latest news about his pastoral work, the slaves, local politics, and the fortunes of the corsairs. The letter signed and dated 4 March 1655.
Additional comments
Philippe Le Vacher
APF SOCG 248, 162r-163r
1655-03-04
Addressed to [Thomas] Berthe
French
Letter
428
Origin: Algiers
Destination: Rome
Letter from Giuseppe Maria da Genoa to the PF secretary [Francesco Ingoli], 1648-04-29, Algiers
Algiers
Capuchins
Corsairs
Slave priests
Plague
Letter from Giuseppe Maria da Genoa (Brother Giuseppe Maria), prefect of the Capuchin mission in Tabarca, letting PF know he had arrived in Algiers several days before, and that the plague continued to ravage the city. He mentions three priests in Algiers at that time (including himself), and that one of them, whom he does not name, was afraid of catching the disease, and therefore was showing some "reserve." Nevertheless he (Brother Giuseppe Maria) is making sure that all Christians receive the Holy sacraments and the required spiritual aid. Brother Giuseppe Maria also heard that a corsair ship was in the area, with three religious men captive on board, two of whom were ordained priests and the third a secular person; he is hoping that they would be brought to Algiers, rather than Tunis, so that they might provide assistance to him and the other two priests in Algiers. Brother Giuseppe Maria would like to add more details on the improvements that could be brought to the Algiers mission, and to the abuses that occur everyday, but "time does not allow for such repose." PF note on 211v mentions that no response was deemed necessary because, "shortly" after the receipt of this letter, news of Brother Giuseppe Maria's death reached PF.
Additional comments
The death of Brother Giuseppe Maria is announced to PF in a letter written in Tabarca on 9 June 1648 by Fra Bernardino da Casale (also a Capuchin), who says that Brother Giuseppe Maria of Genoa left Tabarca on 15 April and arrived in Algiers on 21 April. Brother Giuseppe Maria worked there indefatigably for a month, administering the sacraments to the Christians who had taken ill, and that at the end of one month he took ill with the same disease, and died after four or five days of illness. Brother Bernardino mentions some "included letters" that offer more details on Brother Giuseppe Maria's death, but they do not seem to have been filed in this volume. PF received Brother Bernardino's letter on 12 September 1648 (SOCG 65, 205r, 210v).
Giuseppe Maria da Genoa
APF SOCG 65, 204r, 210v
1648-04-29
Addressed to [Francesco Ingoli]
For news of Brother Giuseppe Maria's death, see: PF SOCG 65, 205r, 210v (not in this database).
Original; signed, dated; Italian
Italian
Letter
136
Origin: Algiers
Destination: [Rome]