1. Of marriage and the death of Victoria, the daughter of Jerome Amati

“Anno D[omi]ni 1630 die 22 8bris [sic]

Denuntia no.nibus premissis inter Missar solemnia iuxta forma S. C. T. tribus diebus festivis, quam p.a die 13 Dom.ca; secunda die 19 S. Imerij; tertia 20 pariter Dom.ca eiusdem mensis habita fuit, nullor. legitimo impedim.to detecto; ego inf.s Rector Dominicus felicem q.m Ludovici Meneghini Parochiae Maioris, et Victoria filia Hieronimi Amati huius meae Parochiae, in eadem Ecclesia interrogavi eorumq. mutui habito consensu per verba de presenti, Matrimonio coniunxi;  p.tibus testibus notis Ioseph f.o q.m Fran.ci Manarae, et Iacobo f.o q.m Ioannis Baptistae Peranis ambobus viciniae S.tor Faustini, et Iovitae. Hijacinthus Peran.s Rector”

The document mentioned above, that was read recently at the Diocesan Historical Archive of Cremona and that seems to be unpublished until now, certifies the marriage of Vittoria Amati, Gerolamo's doughter, in the St. Faustino and Giovita Church in Cremona, on October 22nd 1630.

This document is curious, because the same register tells that Vittoria died the previous 20th of October.

During those months, the town of Cremona was troubled by the plague mentioned by Ripamonti. People died so often and rapidly that the parish priests could register the deaths all togheter in the few moments of pause that the plague granted or during the night.

That is what happened on November the 2nd, concerning the registration of the death of four members of the Amati family: Gerolamo, the father, who died the same day; his wife Laura Lazzarini, perished on October, the 27th; his doughter Margherita deceased on October, the 21st and her sister Vittoria died on October, the 20th.

The critical situation of those days may have caused confusion and mistakes in the parish registers and the date of Vittoria's death can be, even if only slightly, wrong. This marriage act seems to be a more reliable document, since it should have written the same day of the wedding ceremony.

Gianpaolo Gregori

(translation of Cecilia Gregori)

March 6th, 2013