d, the end point of Fiscal Year 1541-42 (when all books of the Sicilian government were closed and sent to the authorities for review) is clearly delineated in Codex A. It is to be noted that starting with the year initiated on September 1, 1542, the fiscal years are numbered I through VI.
Termini baptisms included two Godfathers (just as in England at this time) , rather than the usual pairing of a single Godfather with a Godmother; and the position of Godmother at San Nicola might be described as a vocation. It would appear that the latter women were primarily nuns. The job of the Godparents was twofold: firstly, they bore witness to the baptism. And secondly, the Godparents were charged to assure that, should the mother and father be unable to bring up baptized person in the Catholic religion, then they would take on that responsibility .
In all but a few cases, the father or godfathers brought in the person to be baptized. That person could be a baby, child, other relative, or a slave. The latter are delineated by ethnicity only when they are black Africans or Roma (Gypsies). It is to be noted that in the 16th Century, a mother who had just given birth was not permitted to enter a church (which includes the external baptistery) until a short period thereafter when she was purified via the Rite of Churching. In fact, very few mothers are mentioned in Codex A.
The following image shows a typical entry in Codex A: The translation from Sicilian-Latin: ‘On August 7, 1544, Father Vito Pantano baptized the daughter of Antonio Gebbo. She was named Giovanna. Her godfathers are Antonio Battaglia and Antonino Imperaturi. Sister Domenica LaGrigola is the godmother’.
As Termini Imerese is blessed with an outstanding harbor, ‘lo Caricatojo,’ and a fortuitous location providing access to the interior of Sicily, one can readily understand its attraction to those who ran important businesses in the mid-1500s when Codex A was being compiled. To be sure, the tuna fisheries, the famous hot springs, and the overseas trade in agricultural harvests and goods of all kinds, including slaves (via piracy), made Termini rich; and its multiplicity of churches stands as a testament to its wealth and devotion to the great saints. In addition, a high rocky outcropping, upon which once stood a massive Moorish fortress, surely gave Termini the advantage when it came to observing who was heading towards the town by land or sea.
Just below the fortress, on land which had been the major place of worship in Termini for centuries, stood the 15th-century Church of San Nicola Bari, originally Santa Maria la Nova. It is greatly altered these days with its relatively new façade (1912) and fabulous Baroque interior.
An additional church of note in Termini Imerese is the one dedicated to Santa Maria del Monte, for it is here that the 16th-century ruler of Termini Imerese, Giovanni Battista Romano Ventimiglia, Barone di Resuttano, is entombed. He is represented in Codex A by the baptisms of three of his children. In addition, he stood as Godfather several times when the Sacrament was administered to the offspring of his fellow aristocrats. Another very important personage in Termini who appears in the manuscript is lo Magnifico Giovanni Francisco D’Anfuso, who presented four of his children for Baptism.
Despite the fact that on paper, Sicily was administered by the Spanish King and his Viceroy, the Barons were the real rulers in Sicily, and any usurping of their power by the Spanish or anyone else, was taken very seriously. That is to say, interference with the will of Termini’s Baron Romano Ventimiglia, was a dangerous act. One might easily draw parallels with the Dons of the 19th-20th century Mafia, men who took their cue from the powerful Barons of Sicily and their representatives, the Gabelloti who administered the huge estates owned by the barons.
And then there are the slaves; for wealthy families in Termini, like those residing in most of the port cities of Southern Europe, were quite active in the purchase of human beings: men bought primarily for agricu