Breve di Villa di Chiesa
The Breve di Villa di Chiesa is the oldest document, and undoubtedly the most important , preserved in the Municipal Historical Archive of the town where it can still be seen today. The document Is basically the statute of Villa di Chiesa, the ancient name of Iglesias, and was developed when the town dedicated to the exploitation of the local mines, was under the domination of the Pisan family of the Donoratico.
The original document was ratified in 1327 by Alfonso of Aragon called ‘the kind’ after the conquest of the town and it contained rules for the entire life of the community like urban planning, the rules for trade and social life and penalties to be imposed on those who were guilty of different crimes.
In the document was also described how single ladies had to behave outside their homes and the rules to be followed in gambling, also the advertising to which the code himself was to be subjected and the right order that had to be respected by i candelieri during the the procession on the Assumption day.
The life of the Captain himself, royal lieutenant in Iglesias, was regulated by the Statute as well as the rules regarding the exploitation of mines, true wealth of the town.
Il breve di Villa di Chiesa was also to be observed in the passage of time, by respecting the prescription that after the third evening tolling of the bell, no one could wander the town streets anymore. Some peculiarities are connected to this ancient code: it is clear the precise will of the legislator to give wide diffusion and promote knowledge of the text as much as possible. The rules on its disclosure to the population and its drafting in vulgar Italian in times when all documents were written in Latin are a clear indication. Il Breve di Villa di Chiesa, in addition to being an ancient and valuable document, represents the important basis on which the community of Iglesias has grown over the centuries.