Documents of the 13th-19th centuries (with the bulk of the collection dated 1350-1600) pertaining to the public and private lives of numerous members of the Samminiati family (Bartolomeo di San Miniato, Francesco di San Miniato, and Cosimo di San Miniato in particular), noblemen of San Miniato, Florence, and Pisa, as well as other individuals who operated in the same territory and interacted with them in various capacities. Among them were local aristocrats (such as the Medici and the Altoviti), clergymen, and common citizens who worked for them or turned to them for employment in their large estates or for legal help. The Samminiati were prominent politicians, men of law (notaries and lawyers), and businessmen, and most of the items in the collection are either notarial or legal documents (powers of attorney, wills, contracts, and deeds being the most common ones). However, papal briefs and bulls, often granting benefits, are also present, indicating the close relationship between the Tuscan family, the local clergy, and the Roman Church. The documents have been cataloged individually and include oversize items, as well as rolls. Filed with many of them are short, later summaries, usually written in Italian.
