Case #1001

Case Description

Marquis Federico Bevilacqua of Ferrara, accused, having previously become enamored of Battistina, daughter of Antonio Combertino called "Pettene" from Polesella, a virgin of honest birth and reputation. Desiring to have her in his power, to which express resistance was made by her father, and after having summoned him into the Ferrarese in the own rooms of said Marquis he expressd to him his determined will to have the daughter and gave to him a certain short space of time to give him the answer, threatening him that in another manner he would have taken her by force.The father standing firm and constant in his just purpose and refusal, he [the Marquis] deceived him and reassured him with a false promise: that if he had made the girl return to her house (who by him [the father], out of fear, had been saved and hidden in another house), he should not doubt, because no displeasure would be done to him. He [the father], having reassured himself, however, upon the words of the said Marquis, had her brought back into his own house. Whereupon on the day of Thursday, the 23rd of the month of December recently passed, between the 23rd and 24th hour, the aforesaid Marquis, accompanied by eight or ten foreign men, all armed with arquebuses long and short entered into the house of the said Antonio, where the aforesaid daughter was found and with act of threats and frightfulness, saying to everyone: "Stay back there!" (Stò in drio là) they ran to the aforesaid unhappy young woman and having seized her by the arms, they conducted her with them to the places of this Marquis at Raccano in the Ferrarese territory, near whom she is still found, notwithstanding her screams, and the weeping of her mother; And while the afflicted father followed her vainly to prevent the abduction they aimed their arquebuses against him and it was of no avail that he had recourse to the sound of the bell tolling the alarm.

Legal Record

Court

Council of Ten

Classification

rapto

Trial phase

summons

Outcome

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