Original scientific paper
DEVELOPMENT OF THE MEDIEVAL OPERARIA – INSTITUTION FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE CATHEDRAL IN TROGIR
Irena BENYOVSKY LATIN
Abstract
Throughout the entire thirteenth century construction of the cathedral of St. Lawrence in Trogir was conducted by an institution that still was not completely developed. Consequently, at the beginning of the fourteenth century, with the help of apostle legate Gentil, this institution officially was organized as ecclesiastical Operaria. The chief goal of this institution was to accumulate all the necessities for the construction of the cathedral. However, these funds often were not assured on the regular basis since Operaria tried to collect them from various sources. Moreover, people from Operaria had to organize work on the construction field and to hire stone masons and architects. Still, since the funds for the cathedral were more than
substantial, the control over the Operaria caused various conflicts between the bishop and the communal authorities. Moreover, even the Chapter tried several times to gain control over this institution. Finally, they reached agreement that operarius (head of Operaria) should be one of the four noblemen that had been suggested by the city councils and then confirmed by the bishop. Therefore, even though the cathedral was an ecclesiastical property its construction
depended also on the decisions of the communal authorities. The similar case was with other sacral objects in the city, and their maintenance was closely connected with the abilities of the entire community. By the same token, the institution Fabrica, that conducted all the major construction sites within the city, was administrated by the city officials, and these Fabrica’s affairs also influenced the program of the cathedral’s construction. One has to admit that this institution of Operaria still is insufficiently investigated in the Croatian historiography, and this Operaria of Trogir was investigated on the basis of manuscript Operaria, quanto possiede,
da chi amministrata, con quali fondamenti, ragioni dela medisima, oblighi et incombenze, written by Paulus Andreis in 1650, which was up to now unknown in our historiography.
Keywords
Trogir; Middle Ages; cathedral of St. Lawrence; Operaria
Hrčak ID:
63669
URI
Publication date:
16.6.2010.
Visits: 2.555 *