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The church of the Vizzero
On 8th July 1666 the men of the Parish to be built gather in front of the Oratory of Vizzero in order to sign the deeds (draft).
On 18th July 1666: the men who have established the Benefice gathered again in front of the Oratory or Church of Vizzero and one by one solemnly undertook to give lands and fruits of their possessions.
15th September 1666 is the official date of the drafting of the deed, executed in the Palace of the Archbishop, in the Vicar's residence.
By the document of foundation notarized by Notary Battista Puberini of Bologna, it appears that Vizzero pertained to Orsigna Territory and belonged to the Church of Sant'Agostino dei Boschi, Municipality of Granaglione.
The builders of the Oratory, which then became the church of Vizzero, came from Orsigna, as well as the promoters of the Parish Benefice.
These men, after having elected Giovanni Sabatini as their representative , sent him to Bologna in front of Cardinal Buoncompagni, of his Vicar and of Doctor Rodolfi Don Antonio Jurist Deputy, in order to sign the document of foundation of the Parish of Vizzero.
The Benefice of Vizzero, made of plots of land, chestnut woods and arable land, had a rent of 10 scudi and 8 paoli a year.
On the base of that amount, confirmed by witnesses who present Sabatini Giovanni as their proxy, the Vicar of the Cardinal erected and founded the Benefice (simple) of Vizzero under the title of Holy Virgin of Saint Michael Archangel, under the following conditions:
that the first Rector would have been don Giovanni Tombelli of Orsigna;
that his successors, as well as the first one, would celebrate three Masses for the souls of the founders of the Benefice;
that, being the Benefice vacant, they should proceed to the election of the successor by secret ballot, with white and black beans (since they were mostly illiterate).
In case of election of a person of Orsigna not yet in sacris (namely priest) , he should become so within the year and then would be obliged to celebrate the three Masses as previously said.
The notarial deed, notary Battista Puberini, was stipulated on Wednesday 8th July 1666 under the Pontificate of Alessandro VII (Fabio Ghigi) and of the Archbischop of Bologna, Cardinal Buoncompagni.
The founders of the Benefice of Vizzero had been:
Giovanni Marco e Michele Sabatini brothers
Domenico Sabatini (also in the name of his absent brother Giacobbe)
Domenico Paccagnini
Francesco Sabatini
Evangelisti Luca
Giacobbe and Bartolomeo Poli brothers, also in the name of their absent brother Giovanni)
Valentino Bruni
Antonio Sabatini
Domenico son of Pasquale
Pietro Brizzi
Giacobbe Sabatini
Caterina Tombelli widow of Mariotto Sabatini
Bartolomeo Paccagnini
Lorenzo Fagnoni
Giovanni son of Giacobbe Sabatini
The above mentioned people, gathered in front of the Oratory of the Church of Vizzero, in the presence of Notary Puberini and of witnesses Giovanni Franzoni and his son Domenico of the Municipality of San Mommé (Pistoia) engaged themselves to give the fruit of some of their land, in order to reach the amount due as rent of the Benefice of the Parish of Vizzero.
The fruit would have been not only money, but also wheat, chestnuts or their flour and also cheese and sheep.
The absolute condition : the Rector should have been elected by them and their will of choice should have been respected.
Notes:
The Oratory or Church of Vizzero was built on the land owned by two brothers Marco and Michele Sabatini, in a place once called "La Bora".
Moreover, the founders engaged also their heirs to the payment of their tribute to the Benefice , with the option that, should they decide to disengage themselves, they would surrender to the Church those properties previously appointed in the deed.
We are inclined to think that when the founders have passed away, their heirs have met some difficulties, when dividing the properties burdened by the obligation of the notarial deed.
Accordingly, they probably judged it better to give the land to the Church, retaining the right of the election of the Rector and the benefit of the three Masses.