Parish (Chapter) Archives of Barban, with reference to the information on Canon Petar Stanković

Abstract

The author of the paper speaks of the concern of the heads of the Catholic Church to preserve the archives and of the importance of the church archives. He lists various types of church archives and talks about their importance in facilitating the study of history. The author speaks about the preservation of the archives of the Barban chapter or parish archives and the importance of some of its parts, emphasizing the importance of the book of letters, the book of last wills, the book of various contracts, the book of chapter’s leases and various records, which need to be arranged, reviewed in detail and recorded. He also gives basic information on the listing of church archives in the area of Poreč and Pula Diocese, which was carried out jointly by the Archives of Pazin and the Poreč and Pula Diocese. Specifically, he cites some information from the book of the contents of last wills, the book of the register of letters and the registers of births, marriages and deaths, especially from the registers of deaths. Based on the very valuable book of the contents of last wills, he lists information about old Barban surnames, which are mostly Croat and, to a lesser extent, Italian. Special mention is made of the Book of the register of letters, kept by Canon Peter Stanković, citing some of their contents, in particular those related to Stanković’s reports of the population, teachers, cemeteries, etc. He brings several entries on the death of various canons and other priests recorded in the registers of deaths. He particularly addresses the famous Barban priest, canon and scientist Petar Stanković, giveing various information recorded in the registers about this canon, his immediate and extended family, revealing some new facts. He gives a list of all children born to Petar’s parents, Antun Stanković and his wife Notburga née Martinić, and information about Antun’s second marriage more than twenty years from after the premature death of Notburga. He also mentions details about the married couple Aleksandar d’Elletti, the chancellor of Barban, and Andrijana, born Stanković, the sister of Petar, and provides information about their children. Finally, the author adds two appendices in the original and in the translation: a church consecration charter and an inventory of church furniture and vestments from 1750.