Insights into the Locality around Fermo, Italy between 1658-1717 [Waste Book]

ITALIAN WASTE BOOK. Fermo, Italy 1658-1717  8vo, (189-198 x 132 mm).

63 leaves (with 3 leaves mostly removed and 4 left blank).
Manuscript, composed on paper and written in Italian, in various 17th- and 18th-century scripts.
The pages exhibit signs of browning and staining.  The book is disbound, with several leaves now loose, and measures 8vo, approximately.

This intriguing pocket waste book from Fermo captures a series of transactions and financial activities. It includes brief notations of payments made in scudi and baiocchi—the currency of the Papal States at that time—along with receipts, contracts, sales, and records of services rendered. It is likely that these entries were later compiled into more structured accounting ledgers.
The records span from June 29, 1658, to April 10, 1717, penned by various officials associated with the Evangelista (or Evangelisti) family, an aristocratic lineage in Fermo since 1547. Additionally, this waste book offers valuable insights into surrounding municipalities, such as Monte Urano and Ponzano, notably detailing financial dealings and agreements linked to local monasteries.
A waste book, also known as a waste ledger or waste notebook, is an informal record-keeping tool used to jot down transactions, notes, and other financial or business activities before they are formally entered into more structured accounting records, such as journals or ledgers. Typically kept for convenience, the waste book allows individuals or businesses to capture information quickly and as it occurs, making it easier to manage daily transactions.