Italy - Document - [1740] «Obblighi, Pene, e Premj per l'estirpazione de' Banditi, e Malviventi portati dalle Regie - 1740

Description:
Fascinating and rare historical manifesto printed by the Senate of Turin under the reign of Charles Emmanuel III of Savoy, dated in print November 16, 1740 and printed by the prestigious Royal Printing House of Turin.

The document entitled «Obblighi, Pene, e Premj per l'estirpazione de' Banditi, e Malviventi portati dalle Regie Costituzioni» constitutes an important testimony of criminal justice and public order in the Ancien Régime.

The text meticulously details:
Obligations for mayors and citizens to raise the alarm (by ringing the hammer bell) upon the arrival of the fugitives.
Bounties and rewards in gold scudi for the capture or killing of bandits.
Conditions of grace for accomplices who hand over other criminals to the authorities.

Historical detail of value:
At the end of the document there is a contemporaneous manuscript note from the archive/chancery: «Pubblicato li 26 9bre 1740». This notation attests to the actual posting and public notification of the manifesto, which occurred 10 days after its drafting.

Technical Details & Conservation
Year: 1740 (Kingdom of Sardinia / House of Savoy).

Printing: Royal Printing House, Turin.

Technique: Typographic printing on handmade period paper with a prominent woodcut of the Savoy coat of arms at the top and historiated initial capitals.

Condition: Generally good historical condition. It shows the natural age folds due to storage/posting, light trimming/wear along the upper edge, and minor marginal foxing that do not compromise perfect legibility of the text.

Language: Italian (18th century).