On Wednesday 26 March, a group of six Italian lawyers arrived at the Signet Library for a visit of the building and of Parliament Hall. Diana Stoica, Solicitor, who grew up in Italy, gave the group a guided tour in Italian.
The visit focussed on the history and role of the WS Society as the historic legal institution privileged to supervise the use of the King's Signet, (the private seal of the early Kings of Scots) since the early 14th century, up to the modern-day life at the Society, now a hub for conferences, exhibitions, legal education, and home office to a team of lawyers working in the governance and charities sector.
The lawyers discussed the modern role of a Solicitor working in the Society’s Governance and Charities team and the differences between the Italian and Scottish legal professions, covering qualification entry routes and the day-to-day life of a lawyer in the two respective countries.
The group stopped at Parliament Hall to hear about the history of Parliament House - the world’s first purpose-built parliament -from when it was built in 1637 to its present use within the Court of Session and the College of Justice.
The visit closed with a mini-exhibition on Italian books and manuscripts held at the Signet Library, curated by Principal Researcher James Hamilton. A few highlights of the exhibition were Lelio Torelli’s Florentine Pandects of 1533 (one of the finest juridical works of the time and one of the greatest ornaments of the Western press); The story of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots by the Jesuit Nicolas Caussin, confessor of Louis XIII, as translated into Italian by the Jesuit Carlo Antonio Berardi and published as a separate book in Bologna and Milan; and De origine, moribus, et rebus gestis Scotorum libri decem, a history of Scotland by John Lesley, Bishop of Ross, the first book to contain a map of Scotland.
The visit was part of a broader initiative by the Italian Consulate to promote and foster good relations between Italy and Scotland and their legal professions.
