Original scientific paper
“Catalogus episcoporum et archiepiscoporum urbis Jadertinae” of Archdeacon V. Ponte
Zvjezdan Strika
Abstract
Today the Scientific Library in Zadar stores three chronotaxes of Zadar bishops and archbishops whose author must have been Valerius Ponte (1603–1679): Ms 865, folio 32–38, designated here as Catalogus A, then Ms 865, folio 43–44a, here designated as Catalogus C and Ms 112, folio 31–35, here mentioned as Catalogus D. The names of the bishops and the archbishops have been taken from Ponte’s Historia ecclesiae Iadrensis, Ms 112, folio 15a–27a, which is designated as Catalogus B in order to facilitate the reading. When listing the bishops all the said chronotaxes are almost identical, listing twelve bishops. When archbishops are in question they differ to a large extent which only shows that Ponte could not have been the author of all of them. Ponte is the author of only the first chronotaxis (Catalogus A). This series is the author’s working copy, it was written after 1637 and it was completed during the time of archbishop Teodor Balbo; alongside the names of the bishops it mentions 48 archbishops. The other two chronotaxes differ, catalogue C mentioning 50 archbishops and Catalogue D 53 archbishops; the Nin bishop Marko Loredan is mentioned alongside them as the apostolic administrator (Catalogue A makes no mention of him). Both chronotaxes conclude with the name of the archbishop Karaman. The above mentioned Catalogus B lists alongside the bishops 48 archbishops and the series is completed with the name of the archbishop Proli and it explicitly calls upon Ponte’s argument in The History of the Zadar Church, when they record the facts concerning the archbishop Jacob de Fuligneo. This fact is obvious evidence that an unknown hand compiled and worked upon Ponte’s text. Today the contribution to historical knowledge made by Valerius Ponte cannot be underestimated nor should it be deprecated but rather it has to be positioned within the context of 17th century historiography. With his labors he paved the way for modern historiography pointing out the significance of archival material dispersed throughout various archives; today for the most part this has been stored in the State Archive in Zadar and in the Archive of the Zadar Archbishopric. Ponte’s labor has not passed unnoticed but historiography has valued and values his contribution to a better knowledge of the past of Zadar. Ivan Lucius Lučić who was his friend up to the time of his death was the first to use his findings and afterwards he had a special influence on Daniel Farlati. In the fifth volume of his Illyricum sacrum the latter refers to Ponte’s arguments. Valerius Ponte also influenced the later Zadar historians in the 18th and the 19th century: Ivan Zanotti-Tanzlingher and Carlo F. Bianchi are only the two most influential individuals. The greatness of Ponte’s work and of his chronotaxes of Zadar church fathers consists in the fact that he was amongst the first to try to purify the Medieval chronicles by mentioning only reliable persons whose authenticity could be proven by available sources. In this chore he had great success and his attempt represents a huge step forward which can be looked upon with envy even by contemporary Church historians.
Keywords
Zadar; bishops; archbishops; Valerius Ponte
Hrčak ID:
11883
URI
Publication date:
5.9.2006.
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