VENETIAN SECRET DOCUMENTS CONCERNING MALATESTA

DOC. NO. 20

Ibid., [Arch. di Venezia, Consiglio Dieci, Misti n.16] c[arta]. 44

Die XXVI Novembris 1461

Si videtur vobis per ea que dicta et lecta sunt quod Mattheus de Pastis missus de Creta Venetias eo quod ibat ad Turchum retineatur auctoritate huius consilii et fiat collegium quod per maiorem partem habeat libertatem examinandi et si fuerit opus tormentandi pro inquirendo et habendo copiosam veritatem omnium, pro quibus ad illum Turchum acedebat vel per quos et qua causa mittebatur et cum eo quod habebitur veniatur ad hoc consilium. 

De parte 16.    De non 0       Non sinceri 1.

26 November 1461

[Archives of Venice, Conucil of Ten, Mixed no. 16] Record no. 44.

If it seems to you by what is said and read (=reported by message and letter) that Matteo de Pasti was sent from Crete to Venice because he was going to (meet) the Turk, he shall be retained by the authority of this council and a committee shall be instituted that will have great liberty in examining him and, if it be appropriate, of torturing him to inquire and obtain extensive truth regarding all the things for which he was going to the Turk or by whom and for what reason he was sent there and with what you will obtain you should come here and report to this council.

For: 16     Against: 0    Abstained: 1.

c. 46 Die II Decembris 1461

Cum Mattheus de Pastis, qui de Arimino mittebatur ad Turchum, retentus per regimen Crete cum libro et scripturis suis missus Venetias carceratus et per collegium examinatus non repertus culpabilis eorum, que suspicabantur et sibi obiicebantur expeditus sit a dicto collegio, vadit pars quod relaxetur de carceribus quantum pro nunc, sed dicatur sibi quod caveat ire ad Turchum, si caram habet gratiam nostri dominii. Liber autem quem ipse portabat ad Turchum remaneat in munitione huius Consilii.

De parte 10    De non 4.        non sinceri 3.

Record no. 46, 2 December 1461

Since Matteo de Pasti, who had been sent to the Turk from Rimini—after being detained by the government of Crete and sent to Venice with his book and his notes and incarcerated and examined by the assembly—was not found guilty of the crimes of which he was suspected and which were attributed to him, he shall be released by the aforementioned council, and he shall walk the path away from prison as soon as possible, but he shall be told to avoid going to the Turk, if he values our lordship’s favour. The book that he himself was carrying to the Turk shall remain in possession of this council.

For: 10    Against: 4.      Abstained: 3.

DOC. N. 28

Ibid, [Arch di Venezia, Senato Secr. 21] c. 117

Die XII Octobris MCCCCLXII, Nicolao Sagundino secretario nostro apud Summum Pontificem… Restat solummodo ad omnem Italie pacationem pars Malatestarum. qui etsi Beatitudini Sue debitam reverentiam et obedentiam non prestiterunt, decet tamen pientissimi pastoris et patris indulgentissimi clementiam et mansuetudinem quid ei conveniat quam quid Malateste meruerint magis animadvertere et eos ad penitentiam et erratorum suorum recognitionem revertentes benigne potius amplecti quam a gremio sue benignitatis et gratie reiicere, quum Ecclesia nunquam claudit gremium redeuntibus ; propterea causis et respectibus antedictis et quoniam etiam progenitoribus eorum et statui illius domus, Dominatus noster optime semper affectus fuit, curamque illius tamquam patres filiorum semper habuimus, sicuti Beatitudini Sue et toti Italiae notum est ; nostro nomine omnibus viis, verbis et rationibus, quibus prudenter uti scies, age, insta et procura, ut Beatitudo summi pontificis ad veniam et pacem dandam Malatestis supradictis inclinetur et nihil omnino, quod per te fieri possit, pretermitte, sed omnia tenta et omnem, ut aiunt, volve lapidem, pro optinendo huiusmodi nostram intentionem et quantum egeris quantumque tibi responderit Summus pontifex nobis diligentissime scribe et expecta mandatum. 

Ibid. [Archives of Venice, Secret Senate. no. 21]. Record no. 117

12 October 1462, to Nicolas Sagundino, our secretary at the court of the Holy See… The territory of the Malatesta was the only one excluded from the Peace of Italy [The Lodi Treaty of 1454]. Even though they lacked the appropriate reverence and obedience, it is nevertheless appropriate for the clemency and gentleness of the most pious of pastors and the most forgiving of fathers to attend to what is more convenient to him than to what the Malatestas deserve and to embrace them more benignly after they admit their sins than to reject them from the heart of his benevolence and grace, for the Church never closes its heart to those who return to it. Therefore, having introduced and considered these reasons and also keeping in mind their ancestors and the status of their house, our perfect Command has always taken  care, like fathers do with children, as is known to your Holiness and to the entire Italy. 

By all means, words and reasons, which you know how to make use of properly, act, pursue, and make sure in our name that the Holy Father is caused to lean towards giving pardon and peace to the aforementioned Malatestas and do not let pass anything altogether that can be done by you, but try everything and, as they say, turn every stone to obtain in this way our intention and write meticulously to us what you will do and what the Holy Father will answer to you and wait for an order.

DOC. N. 33

Ibid, c.121 t

Die XXVIII octobris (1462). Comparet quotidie coram Dominio Hannybal secretarius Magn. D. Malateste Cesene et memorando pericula et angustias rerum status illius instantissime requirit ut eius saluti providere dignemur petitque ut aut mittamus aut permittamus Magn. Comitem Carolum ad subsidia sua. Item ut contenti simus quod elevare possit vexillum S. Marci. mittamusque barchas nostras ad favores suos et aliquem nobilem nostrum ad hortandum populos suos. Item quod scribamus Dominis Forlivii, ut ab eorum offensione se abstineat et tandem quod pro tutella Cesenne et Cervie ei subveniamus de peditibus CC., qui dominus non est omnino destituendus sed tenendus in bon spe, propterea

vadit pars quod eidem Hannybali optimis et amplissimis verbis dici et declari debeat optima mens et desiderium nostrum ut res sue ad quietem reducandur libereturque status ille a presenti periculo et oppressione pro qua singulariter re elegimus, ut ipse novit oratorem nostrum ad Summum Pontificem, qui iam discessit et ei talem tamque accomodatam dedimus commissionem quod amplissime speramus Beatitudinem Summi Pontificiis ad preces et supplicationes nostras se inclinaturam et ad gratiam gremiumque sue clementie prefatos dominos admissuram esse. Propterea non videntur nobis ad propositum rerum suarum convenire ut nos et pedites palam mittamus, aut alias faciamus ostentationes, que animum Pontificis magis alienare et indignare quam reconciliare aut flectere possent.

De parte 75

Volunt hec addi. Sed bene contenti sumus mutuare, secretissime tamen Magnifico D. Malateste predicto ducatos duos mille, cum quibus ipse facere et conducere possit, extra tamen loca nostra pedites supradictos, ut interim tante rerum suarum necessitati aliqualiter possit providere et statum suum sustentare.

De parte 52.   De non 1        Non sinceri 16.

28 October (1462). Hannibal, the secretary of the great lord Malatesta of Cesena, appears every day in front of our Lordship and, reminding (us of) the dangers and difficulties of the affairs of that state, he requests that we deem worthy to grant him safety as soon as possible and he asks that we either let him go or give him leave (to go) to the Great Count Carlo [Fortebracci] for help. (He) also (asks) us to approve his sailing under the flag of Saint Mark, and to send our ships to be acclaimed, and one of our nobles to exhort his people. Also, that we write to the Lord of Forlì that he should abstain from any offense, and finally that we provide him with 200 soldiers for the defense of Cesena and Cervia, so that this Lord should not be dispossessed at once but kept in good faith, and for this reason the part (of the army) should go that was commended by Hannibal himself with great and honorable words and our good intention should be declared, and our desire to reconduct his affairs to peace and that the state [Cesena] be freed from the present danger and oppression, for the purpose of which we decided exceptionally that he should know our ambassador at the court of the Pope, who already left and that we gave to him such a committee and prepared in such a way that we immensely hope that the beatitude of the great pontifex will incline towards our prayers and supplications and that it will admit to the grace and the heart of its clemency the aforementioned lords. For these reasons, it doesn’t seem to be convenient to the purpose of his affairs that we openly send soldiers or that we make other ostentatious gesture that could distract and outrage the heart of the Pope more than they could reconciliate or move it.

For: 75

They desire this to be added. But we are well pleased to make a loan, albeit in a very secret manner, to the aforementioned Magnificent Lord D. Malatesta of 2000 ducats, with which he himself can do and hire, yet besides the aforementioned soldiers from our state, so that in the meantime he will be able to provide to the necessity of his affairs and sustain his state.

For: 52       Against: 1        Abstained: 16

Latin text translated by Eloisa Bressan, June 2018.

REFERENCE

Soranzo, Giovanni. "Appendix." Pio II e la politica italiana nella lotta contro i Malatesti. Padova: Fratelli Drucker, 1911. 483-96.