Ordinamenta et consuetudo maris
Encyclopedia
The Ordinamenta et consuetudo maris (“Ordinances and Custom of the Sea”) was a convention governing maritime trade promulgated at Trani
in 1063: "the oldest surviving maritime law code of the Latin West".
The Ordinamenta is preserved in a Venetian
version appended to a copy of the Statuta Firmanorum, the statutes of the commune of Fermo
, printed in a single volume at Venice
“under the auspices and care, through the diligence, and at the expense of Marcus Marcellus, a citizen of Venice, and a native of Petriolo
, a small village in the circle of Fermo, at the press of Nicholaus de Brentis and Alexander de Badanis, the Lord Leonardo Loredano
being Doge
, A.D. MDVII” (1507). Two copies of this work were preserved in the municipal archives of Fermo and another in the Bibliothèque nationale de France
. Probably the Venetian version was a translation made from the original Latin after 1496, when Trani came under Venetian dominion (where it remained until 1509). The printed version appears under a Latin title, with a Latin subtitle (edita per consules civitatis Trani), possible both original. A few Latin phrases left untranslated also evidence a work of translation. The text in the archives of Fermo was supplied by their then keeper, Filippo Raffaelle, for a critical edition and English translation in the Black Book of the Admiralty
.
The text of the Ordinamenta contains the date anno Domini
1063 and specifies the first indiction
. This has been cited as “a strong argument in favour of the authenticity of the ordinances”, since the first indiction only coincides with the sixty-third year of a century every three hundred years, but it did with 1063. The text also refers to ‘‘electi consoli in arte de mare’’, which is translated “Consuls elect of the Guild of Navigators” in the Black Book. Neither the translation “guild” nor that of “company” (typical for Latin societas) for the presumed Latin original, ars, is strictly accurate. Nevertheless, the term has been seen as evidence of the existence of a sailors' corporation at Trani in the mid-eleventh century.
Trani
Trani is a seaport of Apulia, southern Italy, on the Adriatic Sea, in the new Province of Barletta-Andria-Trani , and 40 km by railway West-Northwest of Bari.- History :...
in 1063: "the oldest surviving maritime law code of the Latin West".
The Ordinamenta is preserved in a Venetian
Venetian language
Venetian or Venetan is a Romance language spoken as a native language by over two million people, mostly in the Veneto region of Italy, where of five million inhabitants almost all can understand it. It is sometimes spoken and often well understood outside Veneto, in Trentino, Friuli, Venezia...
version appended to a copy of the Statuta Firmanorum, the statutes of the commune of Fermo
Fermo
Fermo is a town and comune of the Marche, Italy, in the Province of Fermo.Fermo is located on a hill, the Sabulo with a fine view, on a branch from Porto San Giorgio on the Adriatic coast railway....
, printed in a single volume at Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
“under the auspices and care, through the diligence, and at the expense of Marcus Marcellus, a citizen of Venice, and a native of Petriolo
Petriolo
Petriolo is a comune in the Province of Macerata in the Italian region Marche, located about 45 km south of Ancona and about 9 km south of Macerata. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 2,063 and an area of 15.6 km²....
, a small village in the circle of Fermo, at the press of Nicholaus de Brentis and Alexander de Badanis, the Lord Leonardo Loredano
Leonardo Loredano
Leonardo Loredan was the doge of the Republic of Venice from 1501 until his death, in the course of the War of the League of Cambrai. Upon the death of Pope Alexander VI in 1503, Venice occupied several territories in the northern Papal States...
being Doge
Doge of Venice
The Doge of Venice , often mistranslated Duke was the chief magistrate and leader of the Most Serene Republic of Venice for over a thousand years. Doges of Venice were elected for life by the city-state's aristocracy. Commonly the person selected as Doge was the shrewdest elder in the city...
, A.D. MDVII” (1507). Two copies of this work were preserved in the municipal archives of Fermo and another in the Bibliothèque nationale de France
Bibliothèque nationale de France
The is the National Library of France, located in Paris. It is intended to be the repository of all that is published in France. The current president of the library is Bruno Racine.-History:...
. Probably the Venetian version was a translation made from the original Latin after 1496, when Trani came under Venetian dominion (where it remained until 1509). The printed version appears under a Latin title, with a Latin subtitle (edita per consules civitatis Trani), possible both original. A few Latin phrases left untranslated also evidence a work of translation. The text in the archives of Fermo was supplied by their then keeper, Filippo Raffaelle, for a critical edition and English translation in the Black Book of the Admiralty
Black book of the admiralty
The Black Book of the Admiralty is a compilation of English admiralty law created over the course of several English monarchs' reigns, including the most important decisions of the High Court of Admiralty. Its starting point is the Rolls of Oléron, which were promulgated in c. 1160 by Eleanor...
.
The text of the Ordinamenta contains the date anno Domini
Anno Domini
and Before Christ are designations used to label or number years used with the Julian and Gregorian calendars....
1063 and specifies the first indiction
Indiction
An indiction is any of the years in a 15-year cycle used to date medieval documents throughout Europe, both East and West. Each year of a cycle was numbered: first indiction, second indiction, etc...
. This has been cited as “a strong argument in favour of the authenticity of the ordinances”, since the first indiction only coincides with the sixty-third year of a century every three hundred years, but it did with 1063. The text also refers to ‘‘electi consoli in arte de mare’’, which is translated “Consuls elect of the Guild of Navigators” in the Black Book. Neither the translation “guild” nor that of “company” (typical for Latin societas) for the presumed Latin original, ars, is strictly accurate. Nevertheless, the term has been seen as evidence of the existence of a sailors' corporation at Trani in the mid-eleventh century.
Further reading
- G. Coniglio. “La società di Trani e gli ‘ordinamenta’.” Archivo storico pugliese 24 (1981): 75–88.