CommunalPiety and theMendicants 449
property. Summoned to come and witness this act were the vicar general
Fra Benvenuto, three Carmelite friars with their subprior Fra Guglielmo
Angelico, and two eminent laymen, the notary Don Pace of Salicetto (who
probably did not know that his son had organized Bompietro’s burial) and
Ser Paolo Trintinelli.^193 But as Alberto began to announce the sentences,
Trintinelli exploded with rage.^194 Paolo was a man to be reckoned with; he
was a past consul of the Societadei Linari and a director of the Societadei
Linaiuoli.^195 In front of the entire congregation, he denounced the inquisitor
in a loud voice. He did not give a bean (fabam) for the judgments. The
inquisitor could write whatever he wanted; Bompietro was a good man. The
one who tried to calm him, Pace the notary, was, if anything, an even more
distinguished citizen. Pace had served on a committee that revised the city
statutes in 1286 – 87 ; he was a official (anzianus) of the linenworkers’ society, a
member of the leatherworkers’ society, an official for criminal justice (officialis
ad officium bannitorum), a councilor (sapiens) of the quarter of San Pietro, and
a councilor of the Societa`dei Vari, and thus very visibly involved in city
government.^196 ‘‘Ser Paolo,’’ he said, ‘‘you are speaking badly; you could be
excommunicated for such talk.’’ ‘‘I don’t care about such excommunica-
tions,’’ Ser Paolo retorted. ‘‘Watch yourself, if the inquisitor summons and
condemns you, you will have to pay,’’ replied Pace, now appealing to Trinti-
nelli’s more earthly sensibilities. ‘‘I do not care and I am not afraid,’’ came
the answer. Others, including the parish notary and the friars, tried to reason
with him.
Trintinelli turned from them in disgust and denounced the impending
ruin of Bompietro’s family. It would be better to rob the altar of the cathe-
dral of San Pietro than to rob Bompietro’s widow and children. Turning on
the Carmelite friars, he berated them as ‘‘vile wretches’’ for not having de-
fended their old benefactor. Again Don Pace tried to reason with Trintinelli,
reminding him that Bompietro, when he was condemned on the Arenga,
had himself admitted being reared in heresy. This piece of irrelevant infor-
mation appears to have worked some effect on Ser Paolo, who replied sul-
lenly, ‘‘What happened to Bompietro was unfortunate, but I’ll be quiet.’’
But now it was the turn of one of the burial party to attack the judgments.
Salvitto di Salvitto of Salicetto denounced the court at length and praised
Bompietro, saying that he was a good man and that the friars were the real
heretics. ‘‘You’re excommunicated!’’ yelled Pace. ‘‘I don’t care about this
excommunication, and I’ll never go before that inquisitor to do penance,’’
Salvitto retorted.
- As seen on the witness codicil of Bompietro’s condemnation, ibid., no. 567 , 1 : 309. On Trintinelli,
see Paolini,Eresia, 56 – 61. - For the events that followed, see the testimony against Trintinelli, inASOB,nos. 22 – 23 , 27 – 32 ,
1 : 47 – 51 , 55 – 60 , especially that of Pace, no. 23 , 1 : 50 – 51. - Bologna Stat.ii( 1288 ), 1 : 406 and 1 : 408 ; he continued to hold the latter office in 1293 , ibid. 1 : 593.
- Bologna Stat.ii, 1 : 150 , 372 , 396 , 419 , 471 , 530.