The Importance of the Name: the Institution of Adoptio in Hereditatem in the Modern Age

By means of the testament of a Trentino nobleman, Ludovico Luchini, who died at the beginning of the 17th century, this paper investigates the adoption procedure of an adoptio in hereditatem, or adoption by testament, which was primarily used to secure oneself a heir. In his last will, the nobleman assigned the task of singling out a young citizen to whom he could bequeath his goods – providing that the young man would agree to adopt the coat of arms and the name of the house of Luchini – to the Confraternita della Misericordia of Trento. In due course, the brotherhood held an adoption contest, in which a dozen fathers and one mother participated by sending a letter urging the nomination of their respective sons. The qualities of the candidates displayed in these documents – above all an aptitude for the humanities – shed light on the ideal profile of a young man suitable for continuing the family line.