# Clavibus intortis urbem hac tutabor....



## Nerino

Clavibus intortis urbem hac tutabor ab hoste perpetuo
hæc claves quod venerata meas

Hi everybody,
it is my first post on the Latin forum. The sentence above is engraved on the side façade (which is actually the main façade) of the cathedral in my home town, Lecce, in southern Italy. I studied Latin for 7 years at both  junior and senior high school, however, the best I could come up with refers to the first part, namely, something along the lines of:

"with entwined keys I will thus protect the town from the eternal enemy....",

but, no matter how I try, I can't find a suitable solution for the last part. Here is a link to a picture of the said inscription:

http://rete.comuni-italiani.it/wiki/Lecce/Lapide_latina_sul_Duomo_dell'Assunta

I will appreciate any help, thank you!


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## CapnPrep

Nerino said:


> Clavibus intortis urbem hãc tutabor ab hoste perpetuo
> hæc claves quod venerata meas


So "I will protect _this city_". And the second part means "because she has venerated my keys" (_quod haec [urbs] venerata [est] meas claves_).


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## Nerino

Thank you so much for your reply, CapnPrep, it appears to be the right solution, but, in order to be "this city", should it not be "urbem hanc"?


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## CapnPrep

Nerino said:


> but, in order to be "this city", should it not be "urbem hanc"?


It is _urbem hanc_. In the photo you can see a suspension mark above the word HAC, indicating that it should be read as HANC.


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## Nerino

I did not know about these suspension marks, I am very grateful for your help, CapnPrep, regards!


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## Ben Jamin

CapnPrep said:


> So "I will protect _this city_". And the second part means "because she has venerated my keys" (_quod haec [urbs] venerata [est] meas claves_).


Why is the verb (venerata est) in passive mood here?


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## fdb

veneror is a deponant verb (passive in form, active in meaning).


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