Case #3467

Case Description

Don Giovanni Grimani was murdered following mass on the Feast of Saint James. When leaving church he was followed by Giulio Minini who shot him directly in the back with an arquebus. At the same time Domenico Minini ferociously attacked Grimani's head with a billhook. In rapid succession a second arquebus shot struck the victim and he died almost immediately. Who fired the last shot is unclear with some claiming it was Giulio who grabbed a second firearm from Grimani's shepherd while the shepherd himself claimed that the weapon was taken from him after the second shot was fired. The historical trial record concluded that the latter was more likely which would indicate at least one additional assailant.

Motive

Enmity & hired to kill - Grimani and Giulio Minini had a previous enmity due to Grimani having sexual relations with a woman related to Minini. However, by the time of the murder all evidence pointed to this enmity being settled and the two acting civil in public. Grimani's mother, however, claimed that Minini was hired to carry out the murder for 100 ducats by an "il Quillon" and alleged that Marquis Angelo Gherardini was behind the murder. Gherardini and Grimani were in enmity over a land dispute regarding fields purchased by the former from the latter which required a tithe to Grimani that the Marquis did not pay. Furthermore, livestock trespassing and physical confrontations and an attempted murder between their estate managers and hired hands were recorded. The murderers also took refuge at Gherardini's house in Sorgà and used his carts and oxen to get to and from the murder site. Grimani's mother also alleged that Ponton's parish priest was complicit and had let the killers stay in his home multiple times.

Legal Record

Court

Council of Ten

Trial phase

denunciation

Outcome

Filled indicator = recorded in source; hollow = not recorded or not applicable.

Archival Sources

Source

Capi di Consiglio di Dieci

Archival location

Rettori di Verona, #200

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