[Patent of nobility] Papal privileges for Ercole Furno, 1547 and 1583, manuscript on vellum, Roman red morocco gilt

[PATENT OF NOBILITY]. Papal privileges, on vellum, of Paul III, dated 1547, creating Ercole Furno Eques aureatus, and Gregory XIII, dated 1583, legitimising natural son of Ercole Furno

TWO EXTRAORDINARY PAPAL PRIVILEGES ON VELLUM PERTAINING TO THE FURNO FAMILY ISSUED BY POPE PAUL III AND GREGORY XIII.

The first of two papal privileges bound in this volume was issued by the apostolic chancellery of Gregory XIII, granting legitimacy to Giuliano Furno, the natural born son of Ercole Furno and Prudentia Lotti. The upper cover is embossed with the coat of arms of the Furno family in a gold escutcheon showing the imperial eagle on gold ground, below, five gold diamonds on azure field. The coat of arms is flanked by the letters ‘.I.’ and ‘.F.’ indicating the latinised spelling of Giuliano’s name, Iulianus Furnius. This finely bound papal privilege is an extraordinary document, as the legitimacy of natural born children was usually sought by applying for marital dispensation. Only in extraordinary circumstances, a direct papal dispensation was requested and granted. The grant of legitimisation had critical implications for the child in question, as it enabled a son born out of wedlock to inherit, to continue the line of succession, and to enter ecclesiastical offices from which he otherwise would have been precluded.

The second, earlier papal privilege from 1547 was issued by the chancellery of Paul II, bestows the rank of Eques aureatus, Knight of the Golden Spur, to Ercole Furno, father of the aforementioned Giuliano Furno. In contrast to the Order of the Golden Spur of the Holy Roman Empire, this order was awarded directly by the Pope and given for distinguished services rendered to the Holy See and the Catholic faith. Members of the order were permitted to wear the gold livery collar of the order, a sword with a hilt forming a gold cross, as well as a set of golden spurs. It was the second highest order bestowed by the Catholic church. Notable recipients were Giorgio Vasari, Giacomo Casanova and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.