This essay originally appeared in Italian at https://www.naibi.net/A/ALDINI.pdf. It concerns an individual Franco has been tracking quite a while, first mentioning him in an essay written in 1990, at the end of an article in English published in The Playing Card, https://www.naibi.net/A/48-FLOMAK2-Z.pdf, "Florentine Cardmakers and Concession Holders (1477-1751)." In 2013 came a longer piece (https://www.naibi.net/A/209-1775TUSC-Z.docx), again in English, focusing on the second half of that century, but only peripherally on Aldini. These two are well worth reading as background.
In 2023, Franco returned to this subject, posting, with his commentary, transcriptions of communications he and his superior Giuseppe Gavard wrote in 1776-1778 to the Customs Office in Cortona (see https://www.naibi.net/A/CORTONA.pdf and its English translation here, listed by its date of Oct. 25), and some communications about him by Gavard in the period 1778-81, when the system is undergoing reform, for which see https://www.naibi.net/A/BOLLO1781.pdf and its translation here for the date of Oct. 31, 2023. In the current essay we get some controversy about his conduct, perhaps one reason for the reform (reported by Pratesi earlier but happening later).
One perhaps should be aware that the Grand Duke involved here is not a
member of the Medici family that had ruled Tuscany for two centuries.
The family had been unable to produce a direct heir, and the Duchy was
transferred, without a shot fired, to Austria. The Grand
Duke here is Peter Leopold (1747-1792), son of Empress Maria-Theresa (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopold_I ... an_Emperor) and her husband, Emperor Francis I, former Duke of Lorraine and then himself Grand Duke of Tuscany.
A child also of the Enlightenment, when Leopold became Grand Duke in 1765
(age 18, but for the next five years under the watchful eyes of
counselors appointed by his mother), he was eager to bring Florence to
new economic heights, breaking the aristocracy's stranglehold on
modernization.
Without Franco's continual help, a readable but accurate translation of
this essay would not have been possible. Remaining errors are up to me;
do not hesitate to point them out.
1
Florence 1766 - Domenico Aldini under investigation
Franco Pratesi
1. Introduction
An introduction for this study requires few words. The documents
examined are preserved in the State Archives of Florence, and in exactly
the same section and in the same archival unit already used for a
previous study (note 1): in Inventory N/83 of the Miscellany of Finances
A section in the State Archives of Florence one reads: 284, Playing
Cards. Various papers concerning stamp duty - 1766-86. (note 2)
However, the personage in question has been encountered in several
previous studies on playing cards in Tuscany, (note 3), because he was
for decades the contractor and then the main minister for the duty stamp
on playing cards. His signature on a pre-established card in the deck
was a fundamental requirement for those cards to be legally sold and
used.
The origin of the investigation was an anonymous letter preserved among
the documents that contain what was written about it by Aldini himself
and his hierarchical superior, counselor Giuseppe Gavard. Given the
absolute importance of Aldini for the history of playing cards in
Tuscany in the second half of the eighteenth century, I consider it
useful to transcribe a large part of these documents, also because they
provide us with detailed information on the entire administration.
2. The anonymous letter
The letter that gives rise to the practice is written front and back on a
white sheet in handwriting and with a vocabulary that is not at a
professional level, but not an illiterate one either. [Divided into
short sections for clarity - translator.]
3. The note to GavardIn order that Your Royal Highness [V. A. R.– Vostra Altezza Reale] may become aware of more and various disorders that occurred in the General Administration, it would be necessary to deign to bring to account Aldini the Minister [here in the sense of official, in this case the head official] of Playing Cards and Stamped Paper.
First, he has the interest with the card makers, of two percent above the cards, which he takes for the General Administration to the prejudice of V. A. R.
Second, he puts some large batches in input toward the end of every quarter [of the year], so that less is paid of their stamped amount, and also in advance, before they are stamped and delivered to the respective warehouse.
Third, he keeps the registers on which the Enterprise of Cards and Stamped Paper is founded, which, without counting the errors that may exist [independently], are also full of errors, scribblings, and scratchings to make the writing say what he wants.
Fourth, he also engages in continual and illicit trading of cards, such as selling them, having them sold, and exchanging defective cards for good ones that he obtained from the warehouse, which cannot be done without prejudice to V.A.R., because in that way, he is judge, and party [to the suit].
Fifth, he also has seemingly badly administered the Stamped Paper: there are certain interests, which the same receives as gifts, which cause, that the paper is never similar to the samples. It is of no use, that the warehouse keeper Francesco Fond makes noise, so we go on, and this makes V.A.R. poorly served, and the public poorly satisfied.
V.A.R. will also know that he had 282 Lire more above his provision to keep an assistant, of whom he has had several before, and he didn't pay anyone, and among these a certain Cammillo Targioni, having been for the space of three years with flattering him with a job in the service of V.A.R., who then found himself without pay and without employment. If the A.V.R. will let yourself be well informed by the accountants and ministers of the said Administration of the card makers, and have the statutory auditor review his books, more will also be found.
The anonymous letter reaches the Grand Duke, who starts the checks with the following note sent by Counselor [to the Grand Duke] Angelo Tavanti to Giuseppe Gavard, Aldini's hierarchical superior.
________
1. https://www.naibi.net/A/BOLLO1781.pdf.
2. https://archiviodistatofirenze.cultura. ... -finanze-a.
3. F. Pratesi, Playing-Card Production in Florence, Tricase 2018; F. Pratesi, Giochi di carte nel Granducato di Toscana, Ariccia 2015.
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The tone of the request is rather abrupt, beyond the usual expressions of respect. The date of the anonymous complaint is not known, but the investigation begins here, mid-June. The continuation is simple: Gavard asks for a defense of the accusations directly from Aldini, who writes several pages with passion; then we have the "feelings" of Gavard, who explains what has come to light, and finally the matter will be closed with another note from the Grand Duke.Dear Most Illustrious Most Respected Pr.re [?] Signore
By order of His Royal Highness [S.A.R.] I am sending Your Most Illustrious Lordship the hereto attached anonymous information to the end, as it pleases you, of taking the steps you deem appropriate to clarify whether what is represented has substance, and then to report your feelings.
And with perfect respect I confirm myself.
Your most devoted and much-obliged servant Angelo Tavanti
Florence 12 June 1776
4. Aldini's defense
Aldini's defense is written on about ten legal-sized pages, usually using only the right half. Only on the first page are both columns used, on the left to list the two questions in full (in a different spelling) and on the right for the answers. Aldini's writing is read with some difficulty, and the content of his answers does not appear well structured. Despite this, I decided to also transcribe these Answers in full because they include useful information for the detailed reconstruction of the control over playing cards in Tuscany in that period. It should be noted that the two questions posed concern only some of the negative aspects highlighted by the anonymous letter; there were six, and therefore it can be assumed that the other four had already been clarified by the investigation started by Gavard.
Questions
First. You ask under what title, and in virtue of what, Signore Domenico Aldini has exacted from the card makers so much percent above the value or quantity of cards sold by them to the Concession [or Contract: Appalto], and subsequently to the General Administration.
2nd. With what authority has the same Signore Aldini made on his own, a business or sale of playing cards separately, independently of the sale which he supervises for Service and Interest first for the Contract and subsequently for the General Administration.
Answers
In order for Domenico Aldini to be able to candidly respond to the two questions that are put to him on paper by the Most Illustrious Signore Counselor Gavard, it is best to introduce some information, as follows.
After Aldini was appointed Contractor of the Stamp Duty on Playing Cards, then, due to insinuations made of him at this time in 1751 from the [office of the] General Contractor, he ceded [the concession] to this General Contractor. He thought in the meantime about the best regulation of this Cards Concession, and it was determined that it was profitable to have cards sold in all places of the State on behalf of the Concession.
This regulation could not be carried out without Aldini purchasing the cards from the card makers, whereby the prices were fixed, which were agreed with the card makers, with Aldini having procured the greatest possible facility in said prices.
And here Aldini challenges the card makers and anyone else to say, if half a syllable of manipulation, gratification, personal interest, or otherwise, was even dreamed of or conceived.
Whether it was the said regulation, or the cause was otherwise, the sale of such cards increased so much that the card makers could hardly satisfy the demand, to such an extent that it was necessary to import a quantity of cards from Bologna.
In the meantime, Aldini was thinking of building his own card factory in the interests of the General Concession, since it is not repugnant, and one can be [both] a contractor and card maker, as Molinelli was for a very long stretch of time; and several communications were taken to execute the idea.
The card makers having learned of this, foreseeing that it could be their ruin, made many, many negotiations with Aldini to dissuade him from setting up said factory. They pleaded, made promises; and here too Aldini challenges anyone, if it can be said that he allowed himself to be induced into anything, or if half a word was said in his own interest.
Meanwhile, Aldini's factory no longer went forward for various reasons, among which the main one was that, since there were no capable workers, and it was not beneficial to have them come from outside, it was better to seduce those of our card makers, which Aldini did not want to do, it being contrary to all the rules of religion and honor, since in this case he would have been the cause of said ruin of the card makers.
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So it was that Aldini was always on top of the card makers, so to speak, to make them work, and obliged them to increase the workers, with infinite profit and advantage, which consequently still redounded to the advantage of the Concession.
It would be asking too much if Aldini were to repeat all the professions of gratitude that the card makers then and always made to him for this benefit, and in fact, how could Aldini be prevented from building a card factory, even on his own, when this would not only not have jeopardized, but rather would have greatly benefited the interests of the Concession, and if he could and wanted to carry it out, would have brought certain and considerable profits to Aldini (if he built it on his own, or for the business), who would have sold all the cards of this factory, and little or none of those of the card makers.
Up to this point Aldini repeats it with courage, and pro veritate [in truth], nothing, and nothing again, [done] with a view to Aldini’s slightest interest.
After a long period of time, certainly more than a year or two and perhaps more, because Aldini has no memory of it, since these were matters of twenty-five years ago, he who not only on his own consumed, and on his own gave many cards to relatives and friends, because everyone was concerned about him then, and always as Contractor, he finally told the card makers that he would have appreciated some recognition with cards for his consumption.
Rossi therefore gave and granted, simply of his own free will, this recognition, which was now more, now less, having no established agreement, which amounted to approximately no more than two percent of the cards sold in general, but at around a dozen [decks of] Cards, which Aldini had bought on the sole currency of other cards without stamps, and Aldini has always had this recognition in cards.
Molinelli then did not believe he had to grant as much as Rossi, and so much so, that Aldini never demanded this as a pact, that he was and is content with what he gave him willingly, which will have consisted of approximately a dozen, or a little more, [decks of] cards per year; and this notwithstanding that Molinelli always sold more cards than Rossi to the Concession, and to Aldini himself.
What crime, what fault, what evil did Aldini do? He certainly doesn't think he has anything to blame himself for. Prices had been fixed for a long time, were fixed more strictly than had been possible, and to get the card makers to accord the cards the agreed prices required quite a bit of exertion and very long negotiation and effort.
If then the card makers in view of the advantages as above, reported by Aldini, wanted freely, and of their own will and satisfaction, as demonstrated by the quiescence of about twenty-five years, to give this tenuous recognition of their own to Aldini, who has never claimed it as a pact, which he has never had in mind, before or after the negotiation on the purchase of cards or the prices that were agreed upon, he certainly did not believe that he had failed in his duty.
And that this is true as soon as from an extrajudicial [part-time judicial?] friend on the evening of August 14th at 6:15 o'clock Aldini learned that His Illustrious Signore Counselor Gavard was carrying out investigation in this matter, he immediately with frankness and tranquility came up to His Illustrious Lordship; and on his own motion in all candor confessed the fact, declared the above, and never believed he was doing anything improper.
In fact, if Aldini had demanded this recognition de jure [by right], he would have also demanded it from Tognacci, from whom he nevertheless bought cards at a proportional rate and at a lower price than from the other card makers, in benefit now of the General Administration, without even a shadow of this thing in mind.
Furthermore, it should be added that Aldini has not received anything for at least two years, because he realized that the card dealers showed little satisfaction after the gambling law, due to which their profit was significantly reduced. Because of this, he paid and has paid for all the cards taken for himself, and to Tanini, the same as to Rossi, who said to give him some cards as usual, he replied no, I don't want them, and in any case there will always be time.
Rossi then complains that Aldini took fewer cards from him than from Molinelli. If Aldini had had his own tenuous interest in mind, he would have preferred Rossi’s. But the real cause of this has always been the lack of cards that Rossi had in his factory, because Aldini never preferred anyone, when they had cards, with nothing else in view.
Here, Most Illustrious Signore, having candidly answered the first article of your questions, coming to the Second.
It is important to point out that the sale of cards is not a [state-authorized] monopoly, nor an annex to the Concession that can be carried out by anyone, and that the more sellers there are, the greater the advantage to the Concession. The General Contractor first, and then the General Administration never held this sale in the city of Florence, because it was certain that the card makers and many other sellers sold cards at all [legal] hours, which in the meantime was requested by the General Contractor; and then this sale was followed up by the General Administration in places outside of Florence, although with detriment, because it seemed and appears that it could contribute to the sale of cards.
Aldini therefore, who has never been a public card seller, but has served friends, ministers, subjects of distinction, including all the general administrators, delivering the cards at the price of thirteen crazie [denomination of money = 20 denari or 1/12th of a lire] for the low ones, and twenty crazie for the minchiates. And these cards have always been purchased from the manufacturers and paid at the legal price, as is seen from the accounts and receipts.
Many bought cards from Aldini because they paid less for them, and because reposing here they believed they would be found better: which in essence perhaps is not true.
4
This sale of cards is not only not prejudicial, but it is infinitely beneficial, because every time a deck of cards is sold, a Paolo enters the Intake [?: Cassa], and this must be the main object of whoever administers this Concession, and consequently of the General Administration.
Aldini did this quiet selling from the moment he took the Concession; and it is so true that he could never have thought that there was a shadow of evil in this, that he served friends, ministers, and general administrators without consideration or caution, because he did nothing repugnant, and could do nothing repugnant, in the slightest disinterest to the House, or to the most exact delicacy of the ministry, which indeed influenced, and continues to influence, the Advantage of the House, does not prejudice, and has never been able to prejudice anyone, also not the card makers, who in essence have always sold their cards.
Indeed, it seems to Aldini, if memory has not betrayed him, that in some place to establish the sale, he sent cards for which he paid cash, for a given amount of time.
The sale of cards is not an annex to the conduct of the Concession, but is a particular trade, which is carried out to the detriment of expenditure and with the sole object of selling many cards, and which could perhaps even ignore profit in the present circumstances.
That this is true [is confirmed by the fact that] in Livorno the sale on behalf of the Concession was omitted because it was certain that there were many sellers. The sales hall was then reopened at the time of the General Administration to be more certain that the cards were sold there at all hours; but essentially for the sale part it is a sure detriment.
Here in all candor is the answer owed to the two questions asked on the paper by the Honorable Signore Counsellor Gavard to Domenico Aldini and which in substance is the same as given to him spontaneously before receiving the said questions on paper; with the greatest respect I have the honor to say
Of Your Most Illustrious Lordship’s Devoted Obedient Servant Domenico Aldini
Florence 17 August 1776
5. Response and Memorandum of Giuseppe Gavard
A few days after the Answers to the Questions written by Domenico Aldini, Counselor Gavard is able to forward his response letter to the Grand Duke, with a memorandum on the investigation he carried out.
Attached to the letter we find the following long Memorandum, in which Gavard replies point by point to all the anonymous accusations.2. Department. Stamped paper. Playing Cards
V. [See?] Protocol of 23 September 1776 by the Secretary of Schmidveiller, No. 14
Royal Highness
In execution of the Order in a note from Counselor Angelo Tavanti marked on the 12. of June last [p.mo p.to = prossimo passato], I give myself the honor with the hereby enjoined Memorandum to give an account to Your Royal Highness of the diligence I have taken to come to clarity various accusations given in an anonymous representation about Domenico Aldini, Principal Minister of the respective [Public] Enterprise of Playing Cards and Stamped Paper.
I have not been able to find in Domenico Aldini's behavior that grave sinfulness indicated by the accuser's risky expressions; it only seems to me that he has rather in some part lacked the zeal and that scrupulous delicacy that is typical of a minister who has no exceptions, which [is a] sin against faithfulness.
Therefore, if we do not want to consider the true mortification that he felt from the accusations brought against him to the Royal Throne as a sufficient punishment for Aldini, I believe that a serious warning could be added to him to be more cautious and less interested for the future, especially since after the discovery of what passed between him and the card makers, I have taken such measures that there is no need to fear further inconvenience for the Enterprise.
However, on this occasion I must not fail to explain to Your Royal Highness that Aldini, due to his disconcerted health and current unhappy physical state, is certainly no longer able to provide exact and assiduous service as would be necessary, application of his signature [being] noticeably harmful to him, to the point that he cannot even countersign the cards with his own signature, taking advantage of the hand of the helper.
And prostrate at the foot of the royal throne I claim myself
Of Your Royal Highness Most Humble Servant and subject Giuseppe Gavard
Florence 26. August 1776
MEMORANDUM. To clarify, whether six counts of accusation are sustained against Domenico Aldini, principal Minister of the [Public] Enterprise of Playing Cards and Stamped Paper, in an anonymous representation made to HRH, and sent to me with the injunction of His Excellency the Signore Counselor Angelo Tavanti dated 12 June 1776, and marked with No. 1, with the order to express my feelings, I practiced the diligence that I will mention below as I report each head of the accusations.
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First. It is said that the aforementioned Minister has an interest with the card makers of two percent above the cards, which he takes for the General Administration.
There are three playing card makers in Florence, namely Zanobi Rossi, Pietro Molinelli, and the Jew Emanuelle Sacerdote under the name of Salvadore Tognacci.
The first two, making cards of better quality, sell a greater quantity of them to the General Administration than the Jew, who established the factory a short time ago with Tognacci, who went bankrupt; Aldini has not received any recognition [i.e. gifts] from this last [card maker], which deserves to be noted.
When Rossi was questioned whether Aldini himself had any interest with [i.e. emolument from] him, he immediately replied that from the first time, when Aldini succeeded Molinelli in the Cards Contract, he [Aldini] had received two percent on cards without a stamp that were delivered or sold, that is to say, that out of every one hundred dozens of unstamped packs of cards, he received two dozens: which Participation may have accrued about five scudi a year, adding, however, that from the year 1774 onward the same Aldini renounced this emolument.
When Molinelli was similarly questioned on the same subject, he replied that he had always granted Aldini one percent on the low cards alone sold to him [Aldini], that is to say, that for every hundred dozen decks of said cards, he gave him one dozen without stamp, which is worth 4.16.- L[ire], and this lasted until the year 1774, in which Aldini desisted from collecting said participation, which was much less than that granted by Rossi, since for Molinelli it extended only to the low cards, and at one percent. [Low cards = decks smaller than minchiate and “grandi” cards, and with only 40 cards.]
I subsequently asked Aldini if it was true that he received from card makers Rossi and Molinelli a certain percentage of the cards he had purchased from them both at the time of the General Contract and during the Supervising Administration; and the same not only immediately confessed in words how the matter had happened; but also gave me the defense, which is found in the attached sheets of No. 2. under the date of 17 August 1776, where he narrates that on the principle that he obtained for himself the Card Stamp Concession, which he then had to cede to that of Masson, card makers Molinelli and Rossi granted him the aforementioned respective emolument, especially in view that he did not erect a new card factory, which would have prejudiced them, as indeed it could have done.
Aldini therefore continued to receive the aforementioned participation during the respective General Contracts, not only because he always believed he had been prejudiced in the aforementioned transfer, considering himself as the main Conductor of this Enterprise, but also because having established as strictly as possible the prices of the cards that the card makers sold to the Enterprise, no prejudice resulted from it to the Interested Parties. Therefore, with the same maxim, he continued to receive the above-divided small participation even in the early years of the watchful General Administration until the year 1774, when he spontaneously renounced it.
The object was not in itself of great importance; but once the aforementioned participation was out of the way, it was possible to obtain from the card makers some small reductions in some of the prices of the cards already fixed, as I was able to persuade Rossi to reduce the price of the deck of cards lower by four denari, and six denari for minchiate, and similarly inducing Molinelli to reduce the respective price of the one and the other by four denari; and if it appears that on minchiate I have reduced Rossi’s by two denari more than Molinelli’s, this derives from the price initially set with Rossi himself always having been two denari higher, given that it is expected that his cards are better than those of other manufacturers. If we consider the quantity of cards supplied in the year 1775, the above-mentioned respective decrease in the price of the same results in 122 L[ire] to the advantage of the Enterprise, a sum much higher than the participation or emolument that the card makers granted to Aldini.
Having therefore not only spontaneously desisted from the year 1774 from receiving the aforementioned participation as before, but still candidly confessing all the rest, it does not seem to me that he can be accused of fraud, but rather of having failed to that scrupulous delicacy, which is proper to every honored, zealous, and disinterested minister, who must study and procure all the advantages of whoever keeps him provided for in his service.
It would not have been possible to become aware of the previously mentioned small interest that passed between Aldini and the card makers, if the card makers themselves had not revealed it to someone, complaining in a certain way about this burden, especially after the increase in the price of materials which are used for the manufacture of cards. For greater security, and against the method consistently followed from the first of January 1750 to the present, I have decided to no longer leave the task of providing the cards to Aldini alone; rather, in agreement with me, every time he buys with the intervention of the Accountant and the Warehouse Keeper, according to the needs of the Administration.
2nd. It is said that Aldini places in Input [Entrata] large entries at the end of each Quarter [of the year], so that the card makers pay less than their stamped amount, and also in advance before the cards are stamped and delivered to the respective warehouse.
This accusation is baseless; When the card makers want to have the cards stamped, the Minister makes a Policy [i.e. statement] on the quantity and quality of the same: he records it in his Input and Output book: He charges the card makers for the amount of the stamp, according to the number and quality of the cards to be stamped: he consigns said Policy to the Warehouse Keeper assigned to attend the Stamp in the Rooms of the Fiscal Office. The cards are counted. The same Policy remains with the Ministers of the Fiscal Office, who at the end of the year make an examination and also register them.
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I have established that the same Policy passes into the hands of the Accountant before it is brought to the Tax Office by the Warehouse Keeper. At the end of each quarter, once an account has been taken of how much the card makers owe for the stamp duty, and of the amount of cards sold by them to the Administration, the appropriate mandates for payment to the Cashier's Desk [?: Cassa] are drawn up by the Accountant, which is not administered by Aldini.
3rd. It is said that he poorly maintains the account books on stamped paper and playing cards: that it is full of errors, scribbles, and scratchings to make it say what he wants.
As for the cards, the insubstantiality of this accusation is sufficiently evident from the tenor of the previous article, and for the supposed unsuitability to occur, the Minister and the Warehouse Keeper would have to be in perfect agreement, which is not likely.
The slander then becomes greater with respect to the writing on the stamped paper, as will be observed below in Article 6.
4th. It is said that he carries out a continual and illicit trade in cards, selling, having sold, and exchanging defective cards for good ones, which he gets from the Administration’s warehouse.
As regards the exchange of the defective cards, Warehouse Keeper Fond positively declared to me that Aldini never sought this, therefore the accusation in this part is false.
As regards the particular sale of cards, which the aforementioned Aldini makes on his own behalf, having questioned him about it, I received his candid confession in the aforementioned sheets marked No. 2, where he adduces that his sale of the Cards is not private; they are stamped: the greater the sale of the same, the greater becomes the Product of the Stamp on which the Privative [Monopoly Concession] Decree descends. This gives the Enterprise an advantage and not a detriment, since the same loses on the sale and only profits in measure of the greater tax revenue, to which many card dealers contribute.
All these reasons are admissible as far as the interests of the Enterprise are concerned; but I only find that such particular business is contrary to delicacy and is not suitable for a Minister supported by the Enterprise itself, who always causes suspicion of himself to those who are not well informed of the internal system of this small Administration. Therefore I told Aldini that it was in his dignity to renounce the above-mentioned particular sale, which is then reduced to a small object, his only gain consisting in obtaining from the card makers some small relief on the price of the cards which he buys from them in small quantities, but the stamp duty paid by the card makers themselves always remains intact.
5th. It is observed that Aldini received from HRH 282 L[ire] per year more than his usual provision, so that he could pay an assistant, and that he kept a certain Cammillo Targioni for three years without paying him but only with flattering him to get him a job, which he Targioni did not even obtain.
With a Benevolent Edict dated 11 June 1770, Aldini was granted an increase in his provision of 282 L[ire]. per year, so that he could keep an assistant of his choice, and at his expense. He really used the aforementioned Targioni, nor did the general Administration care to know what conditions had been agreed between them. Targioni, however, resorted to S.A.R. [His Royal Highness], complaining about Aldini, and in a long notice of mine dated 16 Feb. 1773, I explained all the circumstances of the affair. Aldini subsequently made use of another assistant, against whose choice I complained, since it was a little boy, whose accuracy there was no need to compromise; But S.A.R. having, by Edict dated 28 December 1775, made Aldini cease the improvement by the aforementioned 282 L[ire], having assigned them another assistant paid by the Administration. The accusation made against Aldini in this Article does not seem to me to deserve further attention or discussion.
6th. Finally, it is said that Aldini mismanages the stamped paper, receiving certain gifts, by which he admits paper that is inferior to the samples, with no need for Warehouse Keeper Fond to make noises and complain about it.
The Minister absolutely cannot do harm on this item, if not in this capacity coming to an agreement with the Warehouse Keeper and with the Selectors to receive poor quality paper, and inferior to the Samples: The prices of the paper were fixed after a sort of auction with the most rigorous diligence: When the paper arrives in Florence from Colle, it is immediately handed over to the Warehouse Keeper; the record is well kept by the principal Minister, the Warehouse Keeper, and the Accountant respectively; only once did it appear to Warehouse Keeper Fond that a batch of paper was not entirely perfect; but since the appraisal had been carried out by several experts and several expert paper [or card: Cartai] makers in my presence, it was truly recognized that the same was not to be rejected. The major justification to be given on this matter is that at the time of the current Stamped Paper Manager, the Appeals, which previously were frequent regarding the quality of stamped paper, were no longer heard, and that the exceptions given few times, some being referable to the poor quality of the ink and the manner of the writing, rather than to an essential imperfection in the stamped paper.
26. Aug. 1776 Giuseppe Gavard
6. Resolution note
The latest document on the matter is a short note without a heading, recipient, or sender, written quickly without giving care to the handwriting, but clearly of an official nature.
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And so “it’s a done deal.” The serious accusations have been denied. The Grand Duke accepts Counselor Gavard's proposal, but accepts it in its harsher version. According to the counselor, Aldini's hierarchical superior, the mortification suffered by the minister for the accusations and the subsequent investigation would also have been sufficient. The Grand Duke, or someone on his behalf, instead judges that a serious warning is necessary.S.A.R. [His Royal Highness] wants the matter of the accusations brought against Domenico Aldini, Minister of Playing Cards and Stamped Paper, to be completed with a serious warning to him.
S.A.R. Venerated [because it comes from the duke himself] Resolution of 12 Sept. 1776 N° 26. – V. P. S. (?) 23. Sept. 1776, N° 14.
The fact is that the discovery, only following the anonymous accusations, of Aldini's less than exemplary conduct ends up directly affecting Gavard himself, who only now realizes the situation and takes initiatives aimed at doing more to regulate the relationship between the minister and the card makers. If things had been working badly for a quarter of a century, a severe punishment for Aldini would logically have entailed a punishment, however reduced, for Gavard too. It is for this reason that in such cases it is customary to entrust the investigation to a third-party judge.
7. Conclusions
From the investigation into Domenico Aldini we obtain quite precise indications, both explicit and implicit, on the control of the production of playing cards in Florence in the second half of the eighteenth century and in particular on the figure of Domenico Aldini, first contractor and then main minister of the sector.
The defense of the minister by his superior (which appears to be a defense rather than an objective investigation into the various accusations) suggests that between the lines Aldini's behavior went well beyond his official duties. Aldini received a salary far higher than that of all his employees. In the same 1776, the distribution of the annual provisions of the office was as follows, in lire: Aldini 1700, Manetti his assistant 400, Fond warehouse keeper 200, Soldi shipper 60, Brunelleschi stamper 53.6.8. (note 4).
Evidently, Aldini intended to earn even more. The situation was made embarrassing by the fact that while the "principal minister" was more or less illegally supplementing his large salary, his employees, who were aware of it, forwarded requests to the Grand Duke to obtain small bonuses or salary increases, regularly pointing out the condition of poverty in which their family found themselves.
One of his tasks, perhaps the main one, was to write his signature on one playing card of all the decks of cards put on the market. For this reason, he also resorted to an assistant who signed "Domenico Aldini" in his place; the assistant was paid first indirectly (with an increase in Aldini's salary which in theory, but not in practice, had to be fully transferred to the assistant) and then directly by the administration. Furthermore, it appears that Aldini had also found ways to increase his already generous salary, thanks to backroom agreements with Florentine card makers whereby he could receive from them, and then sell, packs of cards for free or at a reduced price.
Perhaps the anonymous accusations were more striking than they should have been, but certainly almost all of Aldini’s and Gavard's justifications appear rather weak to us.
Florence, 21.11.2023
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4 F. Pratesi, Playing-Card Production in Florence, Tricase 2018, p. 23; https://www.naibi.net/A/209-1775TUSC-Z.docx; http://trionfi.com/ev09
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