Baldassare Fontana : professional success and real estate wealth

This contribution focuses on lesser-known aspects of Baldassare Fontana (1661–1733), whose output has already been extensively documented. The fulcrum of this investigation are two notarial deeds of great importance: his will and testament, drawn up in the house in Chiasso on 17 June 1733, and his property inventory drawn up in 1737. The two documents open up new perspectives regarding his life and his affective relationships, which are important for investigating some of the dynamics of the society to which Fontana belonged; work relations, socio-economic relations also developped thanks to his marriage. The testament clarifies the kinship ties, also verified in the parish registers that preserve fundamental sources for inferring spiritual alliances, family mobility, etc., as well as the bonds of belonging to the community of Chiasso and in the will to keep the fuoco acceso, namely the family lineage and residence in Chiasso. The inventory, on the other hand, gives us an insight into the wealth in which his family lived and the significant property assets he accumulated during his life. To this must be added credits and policies to be redeemed at home and 'in the City of Olmiz in Moravia', as the notarial deed states, revealing social and professional networks which are useful for further investigations.