Letter from a Marriage Processetto

[CaptainCatholic]

Hi everyone! I have a question about a letter that was included in the marriage processetto of my 6th-great-grandfather, Andrea di Gennaro.

Andrea was married in Troia, Puglia in 1701. However, before moving to Troia, he lived in Orta Nova, Foggia from 1684 to 1697. His processetto contains a letter written by a priest from the Parish of San Pietro in Cerignola stating that he was free to marry.

I am confused as to why the priest of the Parish of San Pietro in Cerignola would write this letter. Since Andrea lived in Orta Nova, I assumed he would have been a parishioner at Santa Maria delle Grazie (the church that the Jesuits built in Orta Nova).

According to a book about the history of Orta Nova: "The Fathers of the Roman College, as previously treated, they built a Church adjacent to a building or convent, dedicating it in Santa Maria delle Grazie. Orta was part of the Diocese of Ascoli Satriano, who sent a priest to celebrate Mass and of the burial of the dead. The Church was especially for the Jesuit Fathers a place to debate the problems of the nascent community."

So according to this book, Orta Nova belonged to the Diocese of Ascoli Satriano. So if Andrea needed a letter written for his processetto, one would think that either the priest at Santa Maria delle Grazie would write it, or perhaps a representative from the Diocese of Ascoli Satriano would write it.

Thus, it puzzles me why the letter would be written by a priest from a parish that wasn't even in Andrea's Diocese. This makes me wonder if perhaps, despite living in Orta Nova, Andrea and his family belonged to the parish of San Pietro in Cerignola for whatever reason? Could this have been possible?

Does anyone know why a priest from San Pietro in Cerignola would write this letter, despite Andrea living in a different Diocese?

(The reason I'm asking is because I hope the answer to this question will help me track down some documents pertaining to Andrea's family!). The letter in question is attached to this post!

Thanks so much for any help that can be provided!
Tony

[polidori104]

Hi,

I believe this may be because your ancestor was previously married, and the ensurance that the previous spouse was deceased was needed for the marriage to proceed. Perhaps your ancestor was previously married, and his previous wife was either buried in this parish (where she may have been a native) or even died there, as many hospitals back then were run by religious institutions (I have myself had this experince with the processetti in my genealogical research, where many of my ancestors would cross the border from the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies to the Papal States, dying in these hospitals.)

Though my knowledge of latin is rudimentary, my guess through my own experience is that your ancestor needed the proof that he was single. Circling back to the geographical anomaly, it was not only very common for marriages to happen in the bride's native town, but also for the newlyweds to settle there. Therefore, your ancestor may have established a family there beforehand. Or more simply, this priest may have been a witness to the hypothetical first wife's death- he may have been a family member, and this document certifies your ancestor's status.

Alternatively, this may have been another scenario. I don't know your ancestor's age at the time of his marriage, but I know from personal research that minors (below the age of twenty-one at that time) who wanted to get married needed consent from their parents. However, in the case where they were orphans, it would be up to (male) legal guardians to give their consent- perhaps this was your ancestor's case, and this priest was a relation or legal guardian?

Hope it helps!