THE DOCUMENTS OF THE CARDINALS

   From a formal point of view they include rather solemn documents. The intitulatio (heading) starts with N.N. miseratione divina episcopus, or presbiter or diaconus) Sancte Romane Ecclesie cardinalis. The inscriptio (writing) follows the usual style. The conventional greeting is usually salutem in Domino.

   In the XV and XVI Centuries, cardinals granted (along with some other papal interventions) indulgences of modest importance, for which they issue documents. The size of these documents is  often very large, because their purpose is to make public announcements of the indulgences and are sometimes fixed onto the doorways of the churches. They start with the name of the cardinal who is granting the indulgence; then there is the general address Universis Christifidelibus presentes litteras inspecturis (visuris et audituris) and the conventional greeting Salutem in Domino sempiternam. The formulary of the context is completely stereotyped. The date is worded as follows Datum Rome in domibus (or aedibus) nostris (or nostrarum solitarum residentiarum) anno a nativitate domini... die vero (modern dating), pontificatus sanctissimi in Christo patris et domini nostri, domini N. divina providentia pape..., year... The cardinal’s seal, in spindle-shaped red wax (often protected by a tin capsule), is hung onto the envelope with a string of hemp. The exterior aspect is like the litterae cum serico pontificie; the writing and the spaces between the lines are larger than the papal documents. Sometimes the capital letter and the cursive writing substitute the gothic capital and the chancery writing. The documents of a collective indulgence were often decorated with colours. In that case, the capital letters are not just thickly written with dark ink, but are painted with many colours, decorated with flowery tendrils, etc.

Letter Patent by Giovanni Domenico de Cupis, Cardinal Bishop of Ostia (Tranensis), 11th January 1544 ASV, Arch. Boncompagni-Ludovisi 587, f. 67r

Letter Patent by Alessandro Farnese, Cardinal Deacon with the title of S. Lorenzo in Damaso, vice-chancellor of the H.R.C.  ASV, Arch. Boncompagni-Ludovisi, prot. 595, n.2r

Indulgence document by Giovanni Domenico de Cupis, Cardinal Bishop of Ostia (Tranensis), 29th March 1550 ASV, Arciconfr. Gonfalone 2, f. 21r