Rare printed indulgence certificate of Santa Maria sopra Minerva in Rome - Santa Maria sopra Minerva. Indulgentia - indulgence certificate. Typographic printing in black italics on parchment. Set mirror approx. 44 x 31.5 cm. Leaf size approx. 66 x 45 cm. With filled Vacat places, title in colored verses and wide three-part border with painting in brush gold and colors. Rome 1594. Pontifical Indulgentia exhibited under Clement VIII (1536-1605), by the Arch Fraternity of the Church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva and its Titular Church of Saint Mary in Cosmedin. The important church belonged to the Ordo Praedicatorum, i.e. to the Dominican Order of Preachers. The calligraphically completed and pragmously illuminated document is a notarial authentication on behalf of the bishops, the archbishop and the pope as the supreme Pontiff from Rome, in which the administrators of the Arch Brotherhood at the Church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva confirm a papal letter of Pope Gregory XIII (transsumpt). The Pope commends the work of the Brotherhood and grants the members special indulgences of sins (indulgences) when entering the Order and on high holidays: "In Christi nomine nos Arcanius Columna miseratione divina Santae Mariae in Cosmedin S. R. E. Diaconus Cardinalis Piae & Universalis Archiconfraternitatis Sacratissimi Corporis Nostri Iesu Christi in Ecclesia Domus Beatae Mariae supra Minervam Urbe, ordinis fratrum Praedicatorum erectae.[...]. GREGORIV'S Papa Decimustertius, Volens ciu the Archionfraternitatis Confratres, Indulgentiarum, & gratiarum muneribus prosequi, quasdam eis concessit literas, quarum tenor de verbo ad verbum fequitur, & est talis. ("Gregor XIII, who wanted to favor the brothers of the Archbrow with indulgences and graces, granted them certain documents, the wording of which is as follows [...]"). The year follows below: "Date Romae in sacrario ipsius Ecclesiae Beatae Mariae supra Minervam ... Anno à Nativitate D. N. Iesu Christi millesimo quingentesimononagesimo IIII". The beautiful border painting above shows three Tondi with a representation of Mary Eleusa, with two angels around the chalice with the host and the saying "Verbum caro factum est" as well as St. Michael as mind-warrior. To the left and right the episcopal and cardinal coats of arms in Ovaltondi. Below the Plica several contemporary signatures in pale sepiatinte and a Locus Sigilli with a painted star seal with cross "NP". The document was issued to the protectors of the True Faith ("Protector[es]") and supporters of the Roman Catholic Church, a community of three persons, including the archbishop of Dubrovnik (then Ragusa), Paul Alberus Archiepiscopus Ragusinus (also Paulo Alveri or Paolo Álvaro), who held the Dalmatian episcopal seat between 1588 and 1591. The second indulgence donor was the Milanese clergyman Alfonso Ricci. 26. On February 15, 1597, an apostolic protonotary and cleric of the episcopal chamber ("Alfonsus Riccius, Proton[otarius] ap[ostoli]cus, Cl[er]icus [Camerae]") and a Roman patrician named "Octavius Gabrielius Patritius Romanus". – A little more wavy, kinky, with small outbursts, holes and cracks and abrasions almost without loss of text. Border, a few brown spots below. Perhaps a little need for restoration, but overall an impressive piece for the indulgence economy of the Catholic Church also many years after Luther. Not detectable in bibliographic catalogues, very rare.