History of the Reformation in Europe in the Time of Calvin, Vol. 8 (of 8)Merle d'Aubigné, J. H. (Jean Henri)
History
History of the Reformation in Europe in the Time of Calvin, Vol. 8 (of 8)
Merle d'Aubigné, J. H. (Jean Henri)
Reformation
From Dr. Voigt's statements that as early as the year 1463, 8,000
men were employed in the alum-works of Tolfa, and that the profit to
the apostolic treasury, after the claims of the discoverer and the
proprietors had been duly recognized, amounted to 100,000 ducats a
year, and from the date of the Pope's Brief quoted above, it would seem
that the discovery could scarcely have been made later than 1462, the
year assigned to it by Niccolo della Tuccia.
The following extract from R. Harrison's translation of A. von
Reumont's 'Lorenzo de' Medici,' carries on somewhat further the
history of this famous mine and of its position in regard to the Papal
Government:--
'The Pope's affection and confidence were shown in various ways. The
Roman depository, i.e., the Receiver's office, was handed over to the
Medici, with the permission to choose as their representative Giovanni
Tornabuoni, director of the Roman bank. New privileges were also
granted to them in connection with their share in the farming of the
alum-works of Tolfa. It was an important concession. In the days of
Pope Pius II., Giovanni di Castro, son of the famous jurisconsult,
Paolo, the principal co-operator in the revision of the Florentine
statutes (finished in 1415), discovered alum-deposits in the rock while
making geological investigations in the hilly country between Civita
Vecchia and the territory of Viterbo, in the vicinity of Tolfa. He
instantly perceived the importance of his discovery, which promised
to free the West, hitherto poor in this mineral, from a tribute to
the distant East, made more inaccessible by the Turkish conquests. In
fact the produce soon amounted to 160,000 gold florins; and it is well
known what sanguine hopes Pius II., whose eyes were directed towards
the East, indulged, that this new source of revenue would aid his
enterprises. Genoese houses had employed themselves with the alum-trade
till the Medici concluded a contract with the Papal exchequer, which
afterwards gave rise to many unpleasant misunderstandings with the
financial department.'--(Vol. I. p. 275).
An account of the alum of Tolfa is also given in vol. v. chap. i., of
the 'Voyages du P. Labat de l'Ordre des FF. Prescheurs, en Espagne
et en Italie;' and in the article 'Alaun,' in the 'Oeconomische
Encyclopädie,' by Dr. J. G. Krünitz, which is in part derived from
Labat's work.
GENERAL INDEX
TO
VOLUMES I.--VIII.
_Aarau_, meeting of pastors at, to complain of exile of
Megander, vi. 367;
deputation sent to Berne, 367
_Abelard_, ii. 18; iii. 44
_Ab Hofen_, Thomas, Bernese deputy to Geneva, ii. 311 _sqq._;
his evangelical work, 312;
opposition and dejection, 314;
death, 316
_Adam_, iii. 301 _sqq._
_Adrian VI._, Pope, attempts to prevent introduction of
Luther's works and followers into Spain, viii. 4
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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