Monreale Marriage

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cj11788
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Monreale Marriage

Post by cj11788 »

Hello everyone,

I have a good one for you.

The first link below is the marriage for Geronimo Costa to Antonella Damiano. What's interesting is there are two dates:

Dec 6 1562, second link.
Aug 6, 1564, third link.

Why two dates, unfortunately much information is not listed under the marriage.

Chris



INDEX -
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903 ... Id=2046915

1562 MARRIAGE (#6, right side)
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903 ... Id=2046915

1564 MARRIAGE (#4, right side)
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903 ... Id=2046915
Danip
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Re: Monreale Marriage

Post by Danip »

Index: Marriage between Girolamo Costa and Antonella Damiano was celebrated on December 6th, 1562 and was reported on page 103, number 6.
Danip
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Re: Monreale Marriage

Post by Danip »

Day December 6th, 1562.
Marriage record between bride Antonella Damiano, daughter of Giacomo Damiano and Caterina and groom Gerolamo Costa.
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Re: Monreale Marriage

Post by Danip »

Day August 13th, 1654.
Marriage record between bride Antonella Damiano, daughter of Giacomo Damiano and Caterina and groom Gerolamo Costa (thank you if someone could know about the abbreviations) Bartolomeo Giraci.
cj11788
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Re: Monreale Marriage

Post by cj11788 »

Thank you but any reason anyone can think of why there are two marriages that are two years apart. They even had a child born in Dec 1563.

Chris
deigo1
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Re: Monreale Marriage

Post by deigo1 »

Chris this was interesting so I had AI take a shot at reading the images and provide some context in this time period. No replacement for the experts here, but maybe a feasible answer?

It was a two-step process, not two separate marriages. In 16th-century Italy, marriage consisted of two distinct legal and ceremonial phases: the betrothal (sponsalia / inguagiata) and the nuptial blessing (desposata). Entry #6 is the official promise to marry, while Entry #4 is the solemnization of the sacrament.

Betrothals were legally binding. An inguagiatura was not a casual modern engagement; it was a formal, legally binding contract (often involving dowry agreements). Couples frequently began cohabitating or living as husband and wife after the betrothal phase.

The child in 1563 fits this exact timeline. Because the betrothal carried full legal weight, having a child during the two-year gap between the contract (Entry #6) and the final church ceremony (Entry #4) was common and socially accepted at the time.

The Council of Trent (1563) changed record-keeping. The Tametsi decree of 1563 required priests to strictly document both the initial contract/banns (matrimonio in fieri) and the final church blessing to eliminate clandestine unions. What looks like two marriages in the register is simply the priest logging both required stages of the same union.
cj11788
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Re: Monreale Marriage

Post by cj11788 »

Omg, very interesting I never would have thought that, times were definitely different back then

Thank you

Chris
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