[BONCOMPAGNI (Girolamo, 1622-1684, from 1651 Archbishop of Bologna, from 1664 Cardinal)]

Attractive Manuscript Permission to Carry Weapons, in Italian with translation, bearing the Archbishop's family arms of a gold dragon on a red field, with his cardinal's hat and tassels, in strong colours, the text bordered with blue scrolls between pairs of red lines, saying that "Alessandro Pandino's name being inscribed in our roll, he is allowed to bear all kinds of Arms, offensive and defensive, except Arquebuses and daggers, we also prohibit him from carrying firearms ['bocche di fuochi'] in the City, unless passing through", vellum, 7½" x 8", Bologna, date and month left blank, three small wormholes in blank portions, one just crossing a red frame line

The Boncompagni family of Bologna rose to high position in the Church with the election in May 1572 of Ugo Boncompagni, Professor of Law at Bologna, as Gregory XIII. One of the Pope's first acts was to legitimate his natural son Giacomo (1548-1612). In 1580, he bought for 11,000 ducats the town of Sora and its castle facing the Kingdom of Naples and made his son the 1st Duke.
Girolamo Boncompagni, was thus the Pope's great-grandson. His father the second Duke having died in 1628, he was educated by his uncle Don Francesco, Archbishop of Naples, and went to Rome in 1642. The see of Bologna fell vacant in 1651, and Girolamo, though not yet a priest, and not yet 30, the canonical age for a bishop, was elected the new Archbishop.
An Arquebus is an old form of musket, discharging a bullet weighing about 2 ounces. 'Bocca da fuoco' ('mouth of fire') is the term for a gun barrel of any size, but will only be the portable kind here.

Item Date:  1667

Stock No:  55686      £675

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