Connection to the Basilica of Saint Catherine

Original bull Piis Votiis of Urban VI dated 25 March 1385

‍^{by which the Pontiff—having learned from a petition submitted by Raimondello Orsini del Balzo that construction had already begun on a site in Galatina for a Friars Minor convent and a church dedicated to Saint Catherine (intended for the celebration of sacred rites in Latin, given that the Christian population of Galatina was both Greek and Latin and the Latins did not understand Greek)—authorized the Friars Minor to accept and inhabit the site, provided it met their needs in accordance with the rules of their order. Furthermore, having learned from the same petition of Raimondello’s desire—shared by other members of the faithful—to build a hospital for the poor on land adjacent to the aforementioned church, the Pope granted full authorization.}

NIn the year 1434, Indiction XIII (= XII), on September 24th, in Galatina (the ‘land of Saint Peter of Galatina’),

‍ _{Stefano Grasso, the *baglivo a credenza* (magistrate) of Galatina, and Nicola ‘Russacius’—the annual judge of Galatina and a local resident—convened to administer justice at the *bagliva* house near the town’s *theatrum* (likely the main square). At the request of Mayor ‘Nucius Urrisi’ and the *universitas* (civic administration) of Galatina, they ordered the apostolic notary Nicola de Arcidiacono—also a local—to transcribe the bull *Sincerae devotionis*, issued by Pope Urban VI on June 13, 1386 (published by Papadia in *Memorie storiche di Galatina*, pp. 100–101), so that it could be used if the original were ever lost by chance. The document concludes with the signatures of the *baglivo* (in Greek), the annual judge, and eight witnesses—all from Galatina—the most notable among them being the notary Nicola Calò (de Calo), a staunch loyalist of the House of Orsini del Balzo, and Angelo d’Aruca.}

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The context of the meeting: "Dispensing Justice" at the *Casa della Bagliva*.
The meeting between Stefano Grasso (the *baglivo*) and Nicola Russacius (the annual judge—whose surname is recorded as *Russacius* in the register) was not an informal conversation but a formal session of the local court.
The two convened to "dispense justice" (administer the law) within the *Casa della Bagliva*—the official building serving as the seat of the feudal representative—strategically located "near the town square" (the exact location of the ancient square is unknown; it may have been Piazza San Pietro or the area adjacent to the old walls and main gates).

The reason for the act: Safeguarding the historical memory of Galatina.
The intervention of the *baglivo* (magistrate) and the judge was requested by the mayor at the time, Nucius Urrisi, together with Galatina’s entire civic administration (the *universitas*).
Their request was driven by a practical and farsighted concern: the fear that the original bull of Pope Urban VI might be lost due to "fortuitous events" (such as fires, looting, or deterioration). For this reason, they instructed the apostolic notary Nicola de Arcidiacono to produce an official, authentic transcription of the papal bull dated June 13, 1387, titled *Sincerae devotionis*. In the language of diplomacy, the official transcription of a document made to guarantee its future legal validity is known as a *transunto* (transumpt).

The importance of the witnesses and the connection to the Orsini del Balzo family:
the document concludes with the signatures of high-ranking officials and prominent witnesses from Galatina. Notable among them is the notary Nicola Calò, explicitly described as a "most loyal servant of the Orsini del Balzo house.
This detail confirms the absolute control Prince Giovanni Antonio Orsini del Balzo exercised over Galatina. The presence of a trusted associate ensured that the transcription process had the approval of the feudal court of Soleto and Taranto. Another witness mentioned is Angelo d’Aruca.

Bilingualism and the Cultural Clash (Greek vs. Latin):
Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of the document emerges when cross-referencing the 1434 text with the first paragraph of the image shown (the 1385 bull *Piis Votiis*). The summary record specifies that in 1434, the *bailiff* Stefano Grasso signed "in Greek."
In the 1385 bull, however, the Pope had authorized the construction of the Church of Saint Catherine of Alexandria and the Friars Minor convent precisely because the population of Galatina was partly "Greek" and partly "Latin."
Why is the bailiff's signature in Greek a "political act"?
As mentioned, the bailiff Stefano Grasso signed the document in Greek. This detail is not merely a linguistic curiosity; it reflects strong cultural resistance.
Raimondello Orsini del Balzo (and later his son Giovanni Antonio) sought to "Latinize" the city. Building the Church of Saint Catherine of Alexandria and bringing in the Franciscan Friars Minor served this very purpose: to impose the Latin language and the Roman rite upon a Galatina dominated by the Greek clergy and language. The fact that, fifty years later in 1434, the highest judicial official (the bailiff) still proudly signed in Greek demonstrates that Galatina's Byzantine soul was far from subdued.

An "insurance policy" against disaster:
the initiative stemmed from the municipal administration's—or *universitas*—fear, under Mayor Nucius Urrisi, that the original papal bull might be lost due to some "unforeseen event."
In 1434, Salento was a politically unstable region, shaken by constant feudal tensions and the persistent threat of raids and fires. Losing the papal bull would have meant forfeiting the legal and economic rights associated with the Santa Caterina complex and the Hospital for the Poor. The meeting between Grasso and Russacius effectively created a "security backup": an authenticated copy (or *transunto*) possessing the exact same legal validity as the original in the event of a catastrophe. Such copies of important documents were not infrequently produced with a degree of cunning: the document to be preserved was vital to the city, yet sometimes it was a document that did not actually exist. Could this have been a forgery created by the people of Galatina for their city's benefit? In any case, no trace of the original papal bull has ever been found.