CARLO V. Privilegio a favore di Gasparo Pignatta, documento su pergamena in latino. Roma, 29 marzo 1576

Single sheet, c.650 x 780 mm, the lower 30mm folded up, 70 lines of text, the first written in large capitals alternately blue or red, the rest written in semi-cursive italic with a few words and names in larger script, some also in capitals, incorporating the painted imperial device of the Holy Roman Emperor, a double-headed splayed eagle, and a crown, with the usual horizontal and vertical folds, and a few small holes The text begins ‘ALOYSIVS, miseratione divina tituli S. Marci presbiter cardinalis, Cornelius sancte Romane ecclesie camerarius, sacre aulae imperialis comes et eques ...’ and lists the privileges of Gaspar Pignatta, knight and jurisconsultus of Ravenna, signed at the bottom by ‘Aloysius [i.e. Louis/Luigi] Cornelius Card. Cam. comes et equest etc.’ and with the subscription of Zerbinus Sperandeus with his notarial symbol, with arms and motto ‘Spera in deo’. The knight Gaspare Pignatta is reported to have been a friend of Torquato Tasso, who visited his house in Ravenna and has been his guest, too. (see P. Uccellini, Dizionario Storico di Ravenna, p. 367).