162 LaCitadeSancta
had a practical element; the council members had to complete the election
before the candles burned out.^123
At Bologna, the officials (anziani) of the city inaugurated their term by
offering (at their own expense) a one-pound candle of fine wax in the church
of San Giovanni in Monte. Those of the autumn term offered candles on
the feast of Saint John the Baptist ( 24 June), those of the spring term on the
feast of Saint John the Evangelist ( 27 December).^124 The Sienese captain of
the people offered candles on titular feasts in the different churches where
courts met.^125 At Bologna, the city fathers expressed thanks to churches, like
Santa Maria in Porta Ravennate, where they conducted city business, by
having city officials attend the church’s patronal feast—when the largest
number of parishioners would be present—and make a candle offering.^126
The Bolognese societies of the Popolo imposed obligatory attendance at can-
dle offerings when the city made them an official gesture of respect. If a
society made a devotional offering to a church or religious house on its own,
none could be forced to attend.^127 In some cities, candle offering became so
distinctive a public rite that city law forbade it on private occasions, such as
a priest’s first public Mass or a nun’s profession.^128
Offerings marked days of particular importance to city history. The Bo-
lognese marked their victory at Castro Bassano on 6 July 1247 , the feast day
of Saint Isaiah the Prophet, by a candle offering. On the anniversary, the
podesta and his officials carried forty candles to the church of Sant’Isaia and
offered them to God, the Virgin, and the victory-granting prophet.^129 Annual
candle offerings to city patrons were universal by the mid- 1200 s. In Bologna,
the two oldest patronal offerings each consisted of forty pounds in wax can-
dles. The city made one at the duomo on the vigil of its patron, Saint Peter,
the other at the chapel of the commune on the vigil of its titular, Saint
Apollinaris of Ravenna.^130 The podesta carried his candle personally, as did
each member of the smaller and greater city councils. The podesta or one of
his judges weighed the candles and tested their wax quality in the church
itself as they were presented at the altar. At Padua, the day set aside for the
cult of Saint Anthony brought the closing of shops and expulsion of women
of ill fame (but just for the day). A procession of representatives from the
associations (fratalie) of the Popolo offered candles at his shrine.^131
- Padua Stat. ( 1267 ), 1. 29 ,p. 108 , no. 335.
- Bologna Stat.i( 1245 – 50 ), 1. 10.
- Siena Stat.i( 1262 ), 1. 315 ,p. 120.
- Bologna Stat.i( 1262 – 67 ), 7. 146 , 2 : 168 – 69.
- Bol. Pop. Stat., 1 (Vari, 1265 ,c. 34 ), 356.
- Bologna Stat.ii( 1288 ), 4. 92 , 1 : 248 ; Mantua Stat. ( 1303 ), 1. 45 , 2 : 94 ; Florence Stat.i( 1322 ), 5. 6 ,p.
- Bologna Stat.i( 1250 ), 5. 3 , 1 : 441 – 42.
- Ibid. ( 1250 ), 5. 2 , 1 : 439 – 41.
- Padua Stat. ( 1257 ), 2. 10 ,p. 181 , no. 558 ;( 1269 ), 2. 10 ,p. 181 , no. 557.