Letter from Casimiro di Monte Vecchio, Rafel Gronosios, Francesco Galerio Spalero, Antonio Bermezó, Charlos Bontemps Escrivain, Francesco Caratelo, Giuseppe Renda to [Jean Le Vacher], 1670-01-30, Tunis

Title

Letter from Casimiro di Monte Vecchio, Rafel Gronosios, Francesco Galerio Spalero, Antonio Bermezó, Charlos Bontemps Escrivain, Francesco Caratelo, Giuseppe Renda to [Jean Le Vacher], 1670-01-30, Tunis

Subject

Tunis
Capuchins
Franciscans
Other religious orders
Seravezza case

Description

Letter from Casimiro Di Monte Vecchio, Rafel Gronosios, Francesco Galerio Spalerio, Antonio Bermezò, Charlos Bontemps Escrivain, Francesco Caratelo, and Giuseppi Rendi. They did not write earlier about the situation in Tunis, as they did not yet know that [Le Vacher] had been chosen by PF as vicar apostolic. Girolamo Da Sassari who had been vicar apostolic before, left after a conflict with consul Ambrosini [Jean Ambrozin], which was about the money that each ship in Tunis should give to the chapel of Sant'Antonio. He left Antonio [Di Seravezza] in his place, but there was never a clear understanding of who the vicar apostolic was. They declare that they never really accepted the authority of Di Seravezza. His behaviour in office was very indecent and he had a group of five or six men around him who did exactly as he said. A freed female slave was housed in the residence of the French consul [Jean Ambrozin], where Di Seravezza also lived. The latter forbade her to sing and at one time she was beaten up. Di Seravezza told the consul that he no longer wanted to stay in his house because the woman used it as a brothel. The consul was furious and sent him away; this is the reason why Di Seravezza illegitimately placed the chapel of the consul under interdict (i.e. forbidding masses in the chapel). However, Gioseppe Marino [Giuseppe Merino] kept celebrating mass in the chapel. The authors of the letter use citations from Bonacina's De Censuris in order to make clear that the interdict is illegitimate since the reason was not made public. Di Seravezza and his group do not fear God for leaving so many Christians without the possibility of confession, and they also have denied Merino the access to the bagnos. The authors of the letter think it best if he [Le Vacher] did not grant the authority of vicar apostolic to anybody else, but instead came to Tunis himself; if he is not able to come, then he should at least send some reputable priests.
Date discussed: 1671-08-06
Additional comments

Source

APF SOCG 430 240r-v, 263r

Date

1670-01-30

Contributor

Adressed to [Jean Le Vacher]

Relation

For the minutes of the PF meeting where this matter was discussed, see: APF ACTA 41 305r, 330r-338r.

Format

Original; signed

Language

Italian
Latin

Type

Letter

Identifier

729

Coverage

Origin: Tunis
Destination: [Algiers]

Citation

“Letter from Casimiro di Monte Vecchio, Rafel Gronosios, Francesco Galerio Spalero, Antonio Bermezó, Charlos Bontemps Escrivain, Francesco Caratelo, Giuseppe Renda to [Jean Le Vacher], 1670-01-30, Tunis,” Early Modern Documents: Sources and Resources for Historical Research, accessed October 7, 2024, https://earlymoderndocs.omeka.net/items/show/13298.