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were stored in a protective case at the society chapel.^142 The carrying of such
doppieriin procession eventually fell victim to sumptuary regulation. Cities
tried to keep candle weight down to one or two pounds, and they often
limited those carried them to fewer than a dozen.^143 Nevertheless, people
defied the ban.
Solidarity in death dictated that pallbearers come from the same state as
the deceased.^144 Priests were to carry a priest, deacons a deacon, confrater-
nity members their brothers, and laypeople laypersons. Priests wore their
stoles of office in the procession and recited prayers for the dead as they
marched along. Organization of the funeral procession fell to the leaders of
the deceased’s state. At San Vincenzo at Bergamo, the canons’ provost (primi-
cerio) chose the pallbearers and assigned the other functions. He made sure
that the cantors did not rush through the psalms of the Office.^145 The minis-
ters of communal societies did the same at members’ funerals.^146 Penitent
societies took charge of members’ funerals and those of their near relatives.
The brethren first went to the cappella of the deceased. There the minister
selected those to carry the body, and the rest formed up and marched before
the parish cross to the house of the deceased.^147 Only at funerals of women
did members of another state organize the procession. A deceased woman’s
near male relatives, not the females, carried her bier.^148 Bishop Sicardo of
Cremona said this was because of the ‘‘risk of immodesty,’’ but the rule
effectively freed women to devote their undivided attention to raising the
pianto—something the good bishop probably did not intend. In funeral pro-
cessions men always went ahead of the body. Women marched behind the
bier.^149 This made sense, since female mourners usually vastly outnumbered
the men. Even nuns left their cloisters for funerals.^150 The widow in her robes
of mourning, who followed immediately after the corpse, vied with it for
attention. When the Sienese restricted funeral spectacle in the early 1300 s,
they limited the widow’s escort to no more than twelve men and twelve
women; only two candle-bearers were to carry wax torches (doppieri) at her
side.^151 Even after sumptuary decrees, Sienese widows made a good showing.
- Bol. Pop. Stat., 2 (Falegnami, 1264 ,c. 20 ), 203.
- Treviso Stat. ( 1233 ), 745 , 2 : 289 (limit of four candles); Reggio Stat. ( 1242 ), 62 ,p. 36 (limits candles
to twelve); Brescia Stat. ( 1277 ), cols. ( 137 )–( 138 ) (two candles of^1 / 2 lb.); Bologna Stat.ii( 1288 ), 4. 91 , 1 : 246
(nodoppieri); Lucca Stat. ( 1308 ), 1. 11 ,p. 16 (limit of twelve candles ordoppieri,total not weighing more than
twelve lbs.); Siena Stat.ii( 1310 ), 5. 210 , 2 : 320 (eight candles of one lb.); Pisa Stat.ii( 1313 ), 3. 58 ,p. 350
(nine lb. weight limit); Modena Stat. ( 1327 ), 4. 173 ,p. 476 (two candles of one lb.). Brescia set up a ‘‘candle-
control committee’’ to police their use at funerals: Brescia Stat. (before 1277 ), col. ( 203 ). - Sicardo,Mitrale, 9. 50 , cols. 427 – 28.
- ‘‘Instrumentum Litis’’ (September 1187 ), 3. 28 ,p. 173.
- E.g., Bol. Pop. Stat., 2 (Ferratori, 1248 ,c. 31 ), 187 ; Lucca Stat. ( 1308 ), 1. 11 , pp. 14 – 16.
- ‘‘Chapitre de Pe ́nitents Lombards’’ ( 1280 ), 13 – 16 , Meersseman,Dossier, 165 – 66.
- A rule also found in Lucca Stat. ( 1308 ), 1. 11 , pp. 14 – 16.
- San Gimignano Stat. ( 1255 ), 2. 54 , pp. 713.
- See Milan Council ( 1287 ), 5 ,p. 874.
- Siena Stat.ii( 1310 ), 5. 211 , 2 : 320 – 21. Other cities restricted female mourners in the same period:
Reggio Stat. ( 1277 ), p. 46 (none more distantly related than three degrees); Florence Stat.i( 1322 ), 5. 7 , pp.