Sulpizia Petrucci and the record of her marriage

Sulpizia Petrucci, one of the daughters of the lord of Siena, Pandolfo Petrucci, got married to Sigismondo Chigi in March 1508. Sigismondo and his brother Agostino were both sons of the Magnificent Mariano.

Sulpizia was born in February 1493. She was fifteen at the time in which she became, through receiving a ring, the wife of the “prestantissimum virum” Sigismondo, who was twenty-nine years old.

The document is the notarial copy of the official record of the ceremony performed in the house of Pandolfo Petrucci, in front of wealthy family friends and witnesses.

Shy Sulpizia, bowed her head (“inclinata”), when she answered with a modest “Messer sì” to the question on whether she wanted Sigismondo as her husband. The notary amended the contract by deleting the previous, simple, “sic” to highlight the modesty of the girl’s answer. Her father Pandolfo, her legal representative, then “consensit” to the marriage that was organized by himself and his family.

Sigismondo, acting by himself, as a man and an adult, simply answered “eam vellem” and put a golden ring to her right fourth finger, when Lorenzo Donati and Aldello Placidi presented him with the hand of the girl. With this gesture, Sigismondo “ipsam inguadiavit”, thus officially married her.

In Dei nomine amen. Anno Domini MDvii indictione xi die vero xii mensis martii

Pateat omnibus evidenter qualiter post verba mei notari infrascripti breviter prolata in sponsalitio infrascripto venusta virgo Sulpitia filia magnifici viri Pandolfi Bartolomei Giacoppi de Petrucciis constituta in presentia dicti sui patris et cum eius consensu et voluntate et in presentia mei notarii et testium infrascriptorum interrogata per me notarium infrascriptum si volebat in eius virum et maritum prestantissimus virum dominum Sigismundum Mariani de Chisiis civem senensem et in eum consentire per legitimum matrimonium pro receptione anuli secundum precepta sante romane Ecclesie inclinata respondit [canc: sic] “messer sì” et ita consensit dictus magnificus Pandolphus dicto actui et obligationi spirituali et sacramentali et vice versa dictus dominus Sigismundus interrogatus similiter acceptavit ipsam in sponsam et sic dixit “eam vellem” et in signum veritatis et testimonii dicti matrimonii se daturum anulum aureum et in eam consentire per dationem anuli secundum precepta sacrosante romane Ecclesie et accepta manu dicte Sulpitie per Laurentium Donatum et Aldellum de Placidis ipsam inguadiavit anulo aureo in digito anulari manus dextere coram predictis duobus et Alexandro Lollio, ser Mariano Barletto et ser Francisco Duccio notariis et pluribus aliis testibus ad predicta habitis.

Et predicta fuerunt acta in domo prefati magnifici Pandolfi et in camera superiori dicta domine Aurelie et coram dictis testibus.