The Duke must have taken great pleasure in will-making, as his Diary
frequently mentions his being employed in that way. At his death it
would seem that more than one valid testament was found, the general
provisions of which, as stated in a contemporary abstract,[123] were
as follows:--He desired to be buried in the church of the Crucifixion
at Castel Durante, and that two thousand masses should be said for
his soul. He instituted his granddaughter Vittoria his universal
heir and executrix, burdened with these legacies: To his Duchess
Livia, 50,000 scudi, and an annuity of 4000 scudi; to his sister,
the Marchioness del Vasto, the palace and garden at Montebello, in
which she was living; to the Marquis of Pescara, a jewel, a gold
watch, and 2000 scudi; to the Duke of Modena, the Marquis del Vasto,
and the Cardinals Farnese and de' Medici, each a gold watch; to the
Zoccolantine monastery in the park of Castel Durante, 50,000 scudi;
among his servants 12,000 scudi; to the community of Urbino, the
library of MSS. and printed books in his palace there, with the
Campo dei Galli under the fortress for maintenance of a librarian;
to the convent of Minims, at Castel Durante, the library he had at
that residence. In case of the death of his granddaughter without
issue, he substituted the Dukes of Parma, Modena, and Aiello, to his
succession.
[Footnote 123: Magliabechiana MSS., class viii., No. 74.]
The inheritance thus conveyed was immense. The lowest estimate I
have seen states its amount at 2,000,000 of golden scudi, though
probably somewhat impaired by a litigation which arose with the
Camera Apostolica, in consequence of involved questions, as to what
were public and what allodial rights of the late Duke. It included
lands in Naples worth 50,000 scudi, and estates in the duchy, which,
in 1648, were computed to yield 15,000 scudi a year, besides the
residences and their dependencies, worth 4000 more.[124] The personal
property was valued at 340,000 ducats, exclusive of family jewels
previously sent to the Princess, and of the libraries otherwise
bequeathed.[125]
[Footnote 124: Maruccelli MSS. C. No. 308. Mercurius Gallicus, 1624.]
[Footnote 125: Such particulars of the wardrobe inventory as relate
to objects of art are included in the last No. of the Appendix.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account