Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.21857/yq32oh26n9
On the Kotor Statute printed in 1715
Miljan Gogić
; University of Montenegro, Historical Institut, Podgorica, Montenegro
Abstract
A collection of documents regarding Kotor and its relations with Venice and Perast was printed in 1715 in Venice under the title of “Statuta civitatis Cathari” comprising 38 pages. The documents which it contains were created in the period from the beginning of the 14th century to 1713. It consists of the norms from the Statute printed in 1616, or more precisely the ones adopted during the Serbian rule of the town, norms adopted in the period of Kotor’s independence, and acts from the time when Kotor accepted the sovereignty of the Venetian Republic. Apart from this, there are other ducali and terminazioni of the Venetian doges and provveditori generali, acts of other Venetian bodies and witness statements. The Statute also mentions acts related to medieval Budva. Several sections can be detected in the documents from this Statute in terms of the contents. The first one comprises documents which state the general readiness of the Venetian authorities to respect Kotor’s legal norms, Statute, traditions, privileges and benefits. This was also expressed in the acts which regulated their relations at the moment when Kotor accepted Venetian sovereignty. The willingness of the Venetian authorities to respect Kotor’s laws and traditions can frequently be found in documents from the 15th and the 17th century, which were adopted within the Statute.
The second section comprises documents which deal with the status of nobility. A statutory norm from the early 15th century introduces the prohibition of marriage between Kotor’s noblemen and common women, under threat of being banned from membership in councils. During the 15th century, this norm was observed. Still, sometime later, the Kotor and Venetian authorities allowed access to the Great Council to persons whose mothers had not been of noble ancestry. Kotor’s authorities did not grant access to the council to descendants of Perast women and Kotor noblemen, which caused dissatisfaction among the people of Perast. Their appeals were rejected by the Venetians, as reference was made to Kotor’s norms. The documents related to the relations between Kotor and Venice could be placed in a separate group. Among them stand out the provisions on the free disposal of church property, on the obligation of Kotor’s citizens to participate in the armament of galleys and other vessels, on envoys of the Kotor community. The Statute mentions some norms which stipulate the military duties of Perast citizens towards Venice. The Statute also states the financial responsibilities of the people of Perast They received remuneration for their service to the Venetian Republic. A norm was adopted which prescribed that judges and captains appointed by Kotor’s provveditori would adjudicate in cases involving people from Perast at first instance. In the early second decade of the 18th century, the autonomy of Perast was significantly reduced with the prohibition of freedom of assembly and the abolition of the right to adopt norms related to the community of Perast autonomously. The Statute also provides norms from the late first and the early second decade of the 15th century from the Statute printed in 1616. They are related to the manner of adopting decisions in Kotor’s councils; there are norms from the field of agriculture, contributions to priests, notaries, communication with the neighbouring population and church property matters. The documents in the Statute are often given in a short form. Documents dealing with matters concerning the status of nobility are mainly adopted in full form. Some parts of the text are written in capital or bigger letters to emphasise their importance.
Keywords
Kotor; Statute; Venice; Perast; nobility; privileges
Hrčak ID:
248494
URI
Publication date:
22.12.2020.
Visits: 2.115 *