| Bio-Bibliographical Guide to Medieval and Early Modern Jurists |
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Report No. t112 |
Marcus Antonius Blancus |
1498–1548 |
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| Alternative Names |
Marcus Antonius Blancus Patavinus; Marcantonio Bianchi |
Biography/Description |
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M. was originally from Padova and not, as Picinelli believed, from Milano, nor from Mantova, as Argelati believed. He was a student of Marcus Mantua Bonavito Patavus, who considered him ‘iurisconsultus eruditissimus’ and prince of the forum ‘primus in agendis causis (aliorum pace dixeris)’. His praeceptor was Petrus Paulus Parisius ‘nunc Reverendissimus Card.’ At Padova, M. held the third afternoon chair in civil law from 1525 to 1529, and from 1533 to 1543 he held the chair of the secunda Decreti and then to teach criminal law. In 1540, he was given a special chair (though he had first requested it in 1532). M. retired from teaching for health reasons in 1548, dying that same year, and was buried in Padova in the church of St. Anthony. Tiberius Decianus, who succeeded him in his chair at the studium, gave his eulogy. M.’s relatively early death stunted what would have been a promising career; Marcus Mantua Benavito argued that, had he lived longer, ‘alia vidissemus longe pulchriora et praestantiora’. M’s best known work was the Practica criminalis aurea et perutilis cum singularibus cautelis pro reorum defensionibus. It seems to have been first published postumously by his brother Domenico in 1555/6. It includes a dedication by Domenico, dated in 1555, to the giureconsulto Ottonellus Pasienus. There are a number of independent editions. It can also be found in miscellaneous collections, like that of the Lyonese Giunta who included it alongside the Practica of Petrus Follerius, the Praxis et theorica criminalis and the Tractatus ad defensionem omnium of Jacobus Novellus. M.’s Practica was used frequently until the 18th century as an authoritative reference. M.’s inclusion of 14 cautelae pro reorum defensionibus reveals his propensity to strengthen the defense’s position, not only through procedural techniques, but also through a very detailed treatment of the pars defensionis. M. states his purposes explicitly in the text: ‘non enim ea intentione, ut velim delicta remaneant impunita, et quod provinciae non purgentur malis hominibus, et boni possint to vivere inter malos, sed ad liberandum eos, quos verosimile est corrigi, et in melius mutari’ (ed. 1556, fo.155r), clearly indicating the deterrent and educational purposes of criminal penalties. Equally as appreciated by legal scholars, and even more quoted, was M.’s Tractatus de indiciis homicidii ex proposito comissi & de alijs indicijs homicidij et furti ad legem finale ff. de quaestionibus. This treatise grew out of his second year of teaching on the publica iudicia in Padova (in 1544), particularly his repetitio on the l. finalis of the title de quaestionibus of the Digest (D. 48.18.22). The Tractatus was later incorporated into the TUI of 1584, though it was already well known to jurists by this time. Its purpose, according to M., was to synthesize the writings on the subject, which originated with the decisive contribution of Bartolus and later authors. It served as the capstone of a productive scholarly career. M. dedicated the work to three senators of the Venetian Republic (two doctors and an eques) because, in his own words,”munus vestra mihi auctoritate iniunctum suscepi.” The most intriguing part of the work is the information placed ‘as a link’ ‘between the treatment of the criminal procedure (done the year before) and the treatment of torture in particular’ (P.Fiorelli, Tortura giudiziaria). The text itself follows a normal structure, beginning with a focus on procedural concerns and then discussing circumstantial evidence (indicia). M. divides evidence into broad categories before discussing particular crimes, specifically murder and theft. Evidence and crimes are broken down into 79 types, prioritizing premeditated murder; they are differentiated according to whether they were ante homicidium, in ipso actu homicidii, or post homicidium. From here, M. treats the trials of multiple people for the same crime before he discusses the evidence for murder independent of the psychological element, which depend upon their source(ex persona, ex verbis, ex facto, ex processu et testibus). Finally, he discusses thirteen valid types of evidence for theft. Evidence is judged on its relevance and quantity during the early phase of truth-seeking. Evidence can be gathered ad torturam, but this must be only moderate torture, and it cannot be done more than three times in order to get a confession. M. devotes much attention to murder cases as the central theme of the work; his process also demonstrates how much the constant study of this crime meant for the construction of criminal law, which was gradually systematized by civilians and canonists, the latter of whom were M’s guide. M. also wrote Celebres et foecundi tractatus de compromissis faciendis inter coniunctos secundum statuta, et de exceptionibus impedientibus litis ingressum, which also appear often in the early prints. Entering into the established field of statutory rights and compromise, M. provides ten well-developed quaestiones which expand upon the problems of the field. This work attests to his extensive doctrinal knowledge, his good argumentative capacity, and his ability to synthesize material to help find more equitable and practical solutions to problems. M. gave special consideration to the statutory legislation of his home-city of Padova, which was elevated to a sort of ‘common law’ for its territory. At the end of the fourth quaestio as numbered in ed. Venezia 1547, there is a tract entitled De exceptionibus impedientibus litis ingressum, which deals individually with the impediments to the beginning of a dispute or a compromise procedure. M. G. di Renzo Villata in DGI argues that M. wrote a separate tract on cautelae pro reorum defensionibus, printed in 1575 in Tractatus cautelarum auctoribus atque collectoribus infra scriptis collected by Raimundus Pius Ficardus along with those of Bartholomaeus Caepolla Veronensis, Thomas Ferratius, Johannes Arnonus, Johannes Dilectus Durante Gualdensis, and Baldus de Ubaldis. M. is also said (Mazzuchelli, Picinelli) to have left behind unpublished consilia, in particular Consilia practica criminalia in defensionem reorum. |
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Source: M. G. di Renzo Villata, in DGI 1.251–2. |
Entry by: CD/DC, rev CD/MBC/RO/DJ viii.2023 |
Text(s) |
| No. 00 | Note. |
| No. 01 | Practica criminalis aurea et perutilis cum singularibus cautelis pro reorum defensionibus. As noted in the Biography, this work seems to have been first published postumously by M’s brother Domenico. |
| No. 02 | Tractatus de indiciis homicidii ex proposito commissi et de aliis indiciis homicidii et furti, 1544. As noted in the Biography, this work grew out of repetitio that M. gave in 1544 on Dig. 48.18.22 (De quaestionibus, l. finalis). There are several editions in M’s lifetime. |
| No. 03 | Tractatus de compromissis faciendis inter coniunctos secundum statuta et de exceptionibus impedientibus litis ingressum. As noted in the Biography, this work is a series of ten quaestiones, most of which concern proof in criminal cases. The work also contains a tract De exceptionibus impedientibus litis ingressum. There are several editions of the whole work in M’s lifetime. |
| No. 04 | Tractatus cautelarum pro defendendis reis. Although M. G. di Renzo Villata in DGI lists this as a separate work of M., it is not clear that it is. The online ed. Frankfurt 1575, which seems to be the first, says that it is derived from M’s Practica criminalis. |
Text(s) – Early Printed Editions |
| No. 00 |
Note. |
| Early Printed Editions |
This list is selective. M. G. di Renzo Villata in DGI has a more comrehensive list with less detail. |
| No. 01 |
Practica criminalis aurea et perutilis cum singularibus cautelis pro reorum defensionibus. |
| Early Printed Editions |
Practica criminalis Marci Antonii Blanci Patavini i.v.d. clarissimi aurea et perutilis, cum singularibus cautelis pro reorum defensionibus, nunc primum in lucem panditur: adiectis summariis, ac indice alphabetico . . . Venezia: Giovan Battista Ziletti, 1555 (online). This seems to be the earliest edition. It was reprinted in 1557, 1567, and 1583, all, it would seem, with the claim that it is the first edition. The online edition linked is dated 1556. |
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Practica criminalis D. Petri Follerii, I.V.D. : Insuper, Marci Anto. Blanci Patauini iurisconsulti clarissimi, Practica criminalis, cum singularibus cautelis pro reorum defensionibus. Lyon: Filippo Tinghi, 1556, 699–900 [male 600] (online). |
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Practica criminalis Marci Antonii Blanci Patavini i.v.d. clarissimi aurea et perutilis, cum singularibus cautelis pro reorum defensionibus, nunc primum pro Germanis in lucem panditur: Accessit de indiciis homicidii ex proposito commissi, et de aliis indiciis homicidii et furti. Frankfurt am Main: Kopf, 1597 (online). This edition includes Ziletti’s index and summaries and M’s De indiciis. |
| No. 02 |
Tractatus de indiciis homicidii ex proposito commissi et de aliis indiciis homicidii et furti, 1544. |
| Early Printed Editions |
Tractatus de indiciis homicidii ex proposito commissi: et de aliis indiciis homicidii et furti: Ad legem finalem ff. de quaestionibus. Venezia: apud Cominum de Tridino Montisferrati, 1545. WorldCat reports a similar edition dated 1546. |
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Tractatus de indiciis homicidii ex proposito commissi: et de aliis indiciis homicidii et furti: Ad legem finalem ff. de quaestionibus. Lyon: Beringi, 1546 (online). WorldCat reports a similar edition, dated 1547. See above ed. Frankfurt 1597. |
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Tractatus ex variis iuris interpretibus: Tractatvs de indiciis homicidii ex proposito commissi: & de alijs indicijs homicidij & furti, ad legem finalem ff. de quæstionibus. Lyon, 1549, 10.65va–83ra (online). |
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Tractatus universi iuris: Tractatus de indiciis homicidii ex proposito commissi: et de aliis indiciis homicidii et furti ad legem finalem ff. de quaestionibus. Venezia: F. Ziletti, 1584, 11.260vb–280vb (online). |
| No. 03 |
Tractatus de compromissis faciendis inter coniunctos secundum statuta et de exceptionibus impedientibus litis ingressum. |
| Early Printed Editions |
Tractatus de compromissis faciendis inter coniunctos et de exceptionibus impedientibus litis ingressum. Venezia: Aurelio Pinzi, 1543 (online). M. G. di Renzo Villata in DGI also lists editions of Venezia 1545 and 1546. |
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Celebres et foecundi tractatus de compromissis faciendis inter coniunctos secundum statuta, et de exceptionibus impedientibus litis ingressum. Venezia: apud Cominum de Tridino Montisferrati, 1547 (online). As M. G. di Renzo Villata reports in DGI, between the fourth and fifth quaestiones in this ed. (fol. 164v–203v) there is the tract entitled De exceptionibus impedientibus litis ingressum. She also reports that the same tract is found in the same position in an ed. Lyon 1547 (fol. 124v–129v). That ed. is not in WorldCat. |
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Tractatus de compromissis faciendis inter coniunctos et de exceptionibus impedientibus litis ingressum. Lyon: Giunta, 1549 (online). |
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Tractatus de compromissis faciendis inter coniunctos et de exceptionibus impedientibus litis ingressum. Venezia: apud Georgium de Caballis, 1565 (online). WorldCat lists a similar ed. Venezia 1585. |
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Tractatus universi iuris: De compromissis faciendis inter conivnctos ex statvtorvm dispositione, et De exceptionibus impedientibvs litis ingressvm. Venezia: F. Ziletti, 1584, 3.138va–206ra (online). De exceptionibus is printed as if it were a separate treatise, 3.1.169rb–206ra. |
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Tractatus de compromissis faciendis inter coniunctos et de exceptionibus impedientibus litis ingressum. Frankfurt am Main: Kopf, 1597 (online). |
| No. 04 |
Tractatus cautelarum pro defendendis reis. |
| Early Printed Editions |
Tractatus cautelarum auctoribus atque collectoribus infra scriptis: Tractatus cautelarum pro defendendis reis. Frankfurt am Main: Raimundus Pius Ficardus, 1575, 345–349 (online). M. G. di Renzo Villata in DGI also lists editions of Lyon 1577 and Frankfurt 1582. |
Literature |
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M. Sbriccoli, ‘Periculum pravitatis. Juristes et juges face à l’image du criminel, méchant et endurci (XIV–XVI siècles)’, in Le criminel endurci: récidive et récidivistes du Moyen Âge au XXe siècle, M. Porret and F. Briegel, ed. (Recherches et rencontres 23; Genève 2006) 25–41. Reprinted in: idem, Storia del diritto penale e della giustizia: scritti editi e inediti, 1972–2007 (Per la storia del pensiero giuridico moderno 88; Milano 2009) 225–261. |
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M. Pifferi, Generalia delictorum : il Tractatus criminalis di Tiberio Deciani e la “Parte generale” di diritto penale (Per la storia del pensiero giuridico moderno 66; Milano 2006) 83–87. |
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M. Sbriccoli, ‘Lex delictum facit. Tiberio Deciani e Ia criminalistica Italiana nella fase cinquecentesca del penale egemonico’, in Tiberio Deciani (1509–1582). Alle origini del pensiero giuridico moderno, M. Cavina, ed. (Strumenti di storia del Friuli 2; Udine 2004) 91–119. Reprinted in: idem, Storia del diritto penale e della giustizia: scritti editi e inediti, 1972–2007 (Per la storia del pensiero giuridico moderno 88; Milano 2009) 225–260. |
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G. Colli, Per una bibliografia dei trattati giuridici pubblicati nel XVI secolo, 2 vols. (Ius nostrum 28; Roma 1994–2003) 1.21, 103, 227; 2.232, 265, 271 (Casalini online by subscription). (The link is to vol. 2. So far as we are aware, vol. 1 is not available online.) |
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M. Sbriccoli, ‘Giustizia criminale’, in Lo Stato moderno in Europa: istituzioni e diritto, M. Fioravanti, ed. (Manuali Laterza ; 171; Roma 2002). Reprinted in: idem, Storia del diritto penale e della giustizia: scritti editi e inediti, 1972–2007, 2 vols. (Per la storia del pensiero giuridico moderno 88; Milano 2009) 1.111–130. |
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L. Garlati Guigni, Inseguendo la verità: processo penale e giustizia: nel Ristretto della prattica criminale per lo Stato di Milano (Pubblicazioni dell’Istituto di storia del diritto italiano 24; MIlano 1999). |
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I. Rosoni, Quae singula non prosunt collecta iuvant: la teoria della prova indiziaria nell’età medievale e moderna (Pubblicazioni della Facoltà di giurisprudenza [Università di Macerata. Facoltà di giurisprudenza] 2a ser., 84; Milano 1995) 12, 76, 81, 101, 132. |
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E. Dezza, Tommaso Nani e la dottrina dell’indizio nell’età dei lumi (Pubblicazioni dell’Istituto di storia del diritto italiano 17; Milano 1992) 133. |
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M. Sbriccoli, ‘Tormentum idest torquere mentem. Processo inquisitorio e interrogatorio per tortura nell’Italia comunale’, in La parola all’accusato, J. Maire–Vigueur and A. Paravicini Bagliani, ed. (Palermo 1991) 17–32. Reprinted in: idem, Storia del diritto penale e della giustizia: scritti editi e inediti, 1972–2007, 2 vols. (Per la storia del pensiero giuridico moderno 88; Milano 2009) 1.13. |
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F. Cordero, Criminalia: nascita dei sistemi penali (Roma 1985) 296–270, 301, 410. |
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L. Martone, Arbiter-arbitrator: forme di giustizia privata nell’età del diritto comune (Storia e società 13; Napoli 1984). |
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F. Cordero, Riti e sapienza del diritto (Storia e società; Roma, Bari 1981) 577. |
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I. Mereu, Storia del diritto penale nel ’500; studi e ricerche (Pubblicazioni della Facoltà giuridica dell’Università di Ferrara 4; Napoli 1964) 43. |
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P. Fiorelli, La tortura giudiziaria nel diritto commune, 2 vols. (Ius nostrum 1–2; Milano 1953–1954). |
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G. Mazzuchelli, Gli scrittori d’Italia cioé notizie storiche, e critiche intorno alle vite, e agli scritti dei litterati italiani, 2 in 6 vols. (Brescia 1753–1763) 2.2, 1159 (online). |
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P. Argelati, Bibliotheca scriptorum Mediolanensium (Milano 1745) 2.2, col. 2053 (online). |
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N. Papadopoli, Historia gymnasii Patavini (Venezia 1726) 1.247–248 (online). |
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F. Picinelli, Ateneo dei letterati Milanesi (MIlano 1670) 408 (online). |
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G. F. Tomasini, Gymnasium Patavinum (Oldenburg 1654) 259–260 (online). |
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M. Mantova Benavides, Epitoma virorum illustrium qui vel scripserunt, vel iurisprudentiam docuerunt in scholis . . . (Padova 1555) 49v–50r (online). |
