In the parish archives of San Martino in Badia, a hitherto unknown letter of indulgence from 1500 was discovered. It refers to the chapel of Sant’Antonio Abate in Antermoia, once an important filial church. The letter grants 100 days of indulgence to those who visit the chapel on certain feast days, go to confession or make a donation. The aim was to strengthen the chapel as a spiritual centre and secure its financial basis.
The letter of indulgence was issued by two cardinals and drafted by the papal notary Hieronymus Salvius in cursive Latin with numerous abbreviations. As part of a research project of the Museum Ladin Ciastel de Tor in San Martino in Badia, the linguist Giovanni Mischí, head of ethnological and cultural research at the museum, scientifically analysed the letter for the first time, transcribing, translating and analysing it. He also documented its simple exterior, its state of preservation and the remains of the seals. ‘The rediscovery of the 1500s letter of indulgence is of great importance for Val Badia, as it offers new insights into the religious practice and spiritual life of the region in the late Middle Ages, while at the same time helping to document and preserve the cultural heritage associated with the chapel of St Antony in Antermoia,’ Mischí emphasises.
In the late Middle Ages, letters of indulgence were considered a way to mitigate temporal punishments for sins (those that could be atoned for in purgatory or on earth), a practice that later came under criticism during the Reformation. In a modified, non-commercial form, indulgences continue to exist today.