Era
Vol. 3: A 1077 usque ad 1209
Date
Between 1150 and 1152, traditionally dated to 1150.
Regestum

Five Istrian communities – Pula, Rovinj, Poreč, Novigrad and Umag – pledge their fealty to the doge of Venice and his successors, promising military support, a variety of symbolic tributes to St. Mark, the patron saint of Venice, and to the doges, guaranteeing the safety of all the Venetians in their jurisdictions and abolishing all the dues for Venetian traders.

Source
The original is lost; the text survives in the following manuscript traditions:
P1 = Venice, Archivio di Stato di Venezia, Pacta e aggregati, Pactorum Liber I, fol. 140v–142v; a copy made in 1217 and authenticated by notary Vivianus with the following certification, copied also in P2 with some emendations: ‡Ego Vivianus‡ scriptor, notarius et iudex domini Henrici Dei gratia invictissimi domini Henrici Dei gratia invictissimi [sic iter. P1] Romanorum imperatoris autenticos instrumentos cum tribus sigillis cere [cereis P2] sigillatis [sigillatos P2] et unum sigillum [uno sigillo P2] de plumbo posito per prememoratum ducem vidi nec addidi nec minui nisi quod in eis inveni, ideoque fideliter in libro isto exemplavi et propria manu mea firmavi atque subscripsi. The first oath has the following heading added in red ink: Privilegium pacti et concordie Pole.
P2 = Venice, Archivio di Stato di Venezia, Pacta e aggregati, Pactorum Liber II, fol. 158r–159r; a simple copy based on P1 made in 1292. The first oath has the following heading in red ink: Privilegium pacti et concordie Pole.
P4 = Venice, Archivio di Stato di Venezia, Pacta e aggregati, Pactorum Liber IV, fols. 126v–127v; a simple copy made in the first half of the 14th century.
M = Venice, Archivio di Stato di Venezia, Miscellanea atti diplomatici e privati, busta 4, doc. 131; a simple copy, based on the handwriting, most probably from the 13th century.
R = Venice, Archivio di Stato di Venezia, Miscellanea atti diplomatici e privati, busta 2, doc. 65/66; a simple copy that was once part of a register, based on the handwriting, most probably from the 14th century, with the following title, added by another hand at the upper right corner: Pactum vetus Pole. At the very end of the transcription of this group of Istrian oaths, the manuscript adds the final part of the 1211 charter issued by Doge Pietro Ziani, granting the jurisdictions on Crete to his Venetian subjects: Ego Iacobus Marignoni—Ego Nicolaus Girardo presbyter et notarius Ducatusque [sic: pro ducalisque] aule cancelarius conplevi et roboravi, a part that has nothing to do with the hereby edited document (cf. Tafel–Thomas, Urkunden zur älteren, vol. 2, (Vienna 1856), pp. 129–136).
Previous Editions
Flaminio Corner, Ecclesiae Venetae antiquis monumentis nunc etiam primum editis illustratae ac in decades distributae, decas 13/1 (Venice 1749), pp. 215–217.
Gian Rinaldo Carli, Appendici di documenti spettanti alla parte quarta delle Antichità italiche (Milan 1791), pp. 29–33; reversing the order Pula–Rovinj–Poreč–Novigrad–Umag into Poreč–Rovinj–Umag–Novigrad–Pula, and adding Vivianus’ certification at the end of each oath (= Pietro Kandler, “Codice diplomatico istriano,” L’Istria 7 (1852): ad annum 1150, for some reason excluded from the 2nd ed. of Codice diplomatico istriano = Ivan Kukuljević Sakcinski (ed.), Codex diplomaticus regni Croatiae, Dalmatiae et Slavoniae, vol. 2 (Zagreb 1875), docs. 59–63, pp. 41–44 with the order Umag–Poreč–Rovinj–Novigrad–Pula).
Pietro Kandler, Notizie storiche di Pola (Poreč 1876), pp. 275–277; based on M.
All the other editions are either partial or in regesto or in extracto, or some weird combination of both.
FIM Edition
Since all the oaths are always recorded together in exactly the same order (Pula–Rovinj–Poreč–Novigrad–Umag, which makes sense geographically as well, going from the south northwards), they were most probably originally recorded together and authenticated by the seals of three communities (three wax seals and one lead seal added by the doge, as per Vivianus’ certification, which would mean that two communities had no seals of their own, most probably Rovinj and Umag, which were not bishoprics as Pula, Novigrad, and Poreč). For this reason, the five oaths are edited here together.
The following is thus a collated edition of all five oaths based on P1P2P4MN, generally following P1, the oldest copy and the only one certified and based on the nowadays lost sealed originals. P2 is an emended version of P1, although it cannot be known whether the scribe of P2 had the source of P1 before him as he copied; P4, M, and R all stem from the same source, a nowadays lost copy, and are independent of P1P2. The copies in Codex Trevisaneus (fols. 212r–215r) all stem directly from P1P2 and are therefore ignored in this edition. The title of each oath is added in P1 and P2 and these titles are given here in red font (similarly to how they appear in P1P2, although these exemplars have an extra title at the beginning of the first oath, as reported above, which is not included in the main text of the critical edition).
Transcription

Pactuma et concordia civium Pole quod fecerunt domino D(ominico) Mauroceno inclito duci Venecie et eius successoribus per D(ominicum) Maurocenum filiumb suum et M(arinum) Gradonicum stoli capitaneos

Nos quidem Andreas de lo[co]positoc et Adam filius eius, P(etrus) Sclaod cum Arpo filio suo, Pulianuse, I(ohannes) Marescolusf filius Adam, Brunus de Milianog, Amicus de Valle cumh filio suoi Orriverto, Ursus Maior, Engelpretusj da la Porta, Bertramusk, P(etrus) de Ascarano, Engilfretusl, Waltramusm, cum consilion episcopi nostri omniumque nostrorum civium maiorum ac minorum, in presenciao D(ominici) Mauroceni filii ducis et M(arini) Gradonici capitaneorum stoli Venecie et multorum sapientum Veneticorump in ipso stolo iuravimus fidelitatem D(ominico) Mauroceno inclito duci Venecie eiusque successoribus imperpetuumq.

Et iurantes iuravimus et stabilientesr stabilivimus, quod omnes nostros homines a XII anniss in antea eandem fidelitatem prefato domino nostro duci facere compellemus et omnibus successoribus eius usque in perpetuum.

Nos omnes, sicut inventi fuerimus, simili modo fidelitatem facere debemus.

Et omnes Veneticit salvi et securi et sine omni datione in omnibus nostris districtisu in mariv et in terra esse debent.

Et aw prima Nativitate Domini quam expectamus in antea per unumquemque annum duo miliariax de oleo, I in opere Sancti Marci et alia [pro]y illuminaria, persolvere debemus.

Et si a Medolinoz usque Ruignumaa aliquem latronem in mari senserimus, eum, si possumus, capere debemus et cum tota naveab domino nostro duci mandare debemus.

Et si Venecia per comune stolum fecerit a XV galeisac etad supra, unamae galeam cum ligno Venecie facere debemus, si nobis imperatum fuerit.

Et si Venecia fecerit osteaf usque Iadram vel usque Anconam, nos, sicut una civitas eius fecerit, facere debemus.

Hec omnia suprascripta usque imperpetuum adimplere promittimus.

Sacramentum episcopi Poleag

Egoah quidem Warneriusai episcopus Pole iuro supra sancta Dei quattuoraj evangelia quod amodo in antea consiliumak et auxilium dare debeam domino D(ominico) Mauroceno inclito duci Venecie et eius successoribus sine fraude et malo ingenio, ut omnia suprascripta eial compleantur a civibus Pole.

Iste sunt ville quęam iuraverunt retinere honorem beati Marci apostoli et evangeliste et obedire domino duci Venecie:

Inprimis Medolinuman, Pompinianumao, Lisinianumap, Quornianumaq, Sisanumar, Nornianumas, Barbolanum, Tortilanum, Orines, Cipiclirioneat, Areanum, Pomariumau, Açanum, Tavianav, Urcinianumaw.

Sacramentum fidelitatis Ruiginensiumax

Nosay quidem omnes de Ruygnoaz – Pençoba etbb Bertaldus, Techyçobc, Carlo, Dominicusbd, Andreas, Iohannes de Cresenço, Michilbe de Gaudiabf, D(ominicus) de Beco, Andreas, Basilius, Alberto, Rapoto, D(ominicus) iudex, Leo de Gruariabg, Martinus de plebano, Elitifredusbh de Vitobi, Martinus Deçobj, D(ominicus) de Blasiobk, I(ohannes) Despectus, I(ohannes) de Blasiobl – per consensum omnium vicinorum nostrorum maiorum ac minorum iuravimusbm supra sancta Deibn quattuorbo evangelia amodo in antea obedire beato Marco et fidelissimibp permanerebq domino nostrobr Dominico Mauroceno inclito duci Venecie dum vixerit, et ei qui post eum venerit similiter iurare et fidelitatem retinere debemus.

Insuper omni anno quinque romanatos ad operambs Sancti Marci deliberarebt debemus.

Et omnes Veneticosbu salvos et securos et sine omni datione in omnibus partibus nostris retinebimus vel manutenebimusbv.

Sacramentum hominum omnium de civitatebw Parentiebx

Nosby quidem omnes de Parentio, scilicet ego archipresbiter et Roçus gastaldus et Martinus de Natalibz et I(ohannes) de Papo, Iacobus et Iohannes de Melenda, D(ominicus) de Anto, per comunemca consensum et collaudat(ionem) omnium vicinorum nostrorum, maiorum scilicet atque minorum, in presentia D(ominici) Mauroceni, filiicb ducis Venecie, et M(arini) Gradonici capitaneorum stoli Venetie et multorum sapientum et nobilium Veneticorum incc ipso stolo, supra sancta Dei quattuorcd evangelia iuravimusce fidelitatemcf domino nostro D(ominico) Mauroceno Dei gratia gloriosissimo duci Venecie, Dalmatie atque Chruaciecg et totius Hystriech inclitoci dominatori, et eius successoribus usque in perpetuum fidelitatem similiter facere et observare promittimus.

Beato vero Marcocj apostolo et evangelistęck per unumquemque annum XV libras olei procl luminariacm dabimus.

Et omnes Veneticos salvos et securos sine omni datione in omnibus partibus nostriscn sicut nostros concives habere et manutenere debemus.

Domino vero duci in omni anno XX arietes dare promittimus et eius successoribus similiter.

Et insuper, si Venecia per comuneco stolum fecerit ad Iadram vel ad Anconam, nos vobiscum stolum facere promittimus, nisi per vos remanserit.

Et a duodecim annis et supra omnes fidelitatem domino duci et eius successoribus facere debemus, et sacramentum singulis ducibus renovandocp usque in perpetuum observare et adimplere promittimus.

Sacramentum fidelitatis Civitatis Novecq

Noscr quidem omnes de Civitate Nove iuravimus supra Dei quattuorcs evangelia fidelitatemct beato Marco evangelistecu et domino nostro Dominico Mauroceno inclito duci, et eius successoribuscv imperpetuumcw similiter facere et observare promittimus.

Beato vero Marco apostolo per unumquemque annumcx XXXXcy libras olei procz luminaria dareda promittimus.

Et omnes Veneticosdb salvos et securos sine omni datione in nostris partibus habere debemus.

Et stolum vobiscum facere promittimus da Anconadc ad Iadramdd, nisi per vos remanserit.

Sacramentum pacti et concordie civitatis Umagide/df

Pactumdg et concordia civitatisdh Umagidi quoddj fecit domino Dominco Mauroceno inclito ducidk Veneciedl etdm eius successoribus per V(italem) Michael legatum suumdn:

Quoddo omnes hominesdp de Umagodq iuraverunt supra sancta Dei quattuordr evangelia fidelitatemds beato Marco apostolo etdt evangelistaedu/dv et domino Dominico Mauroceno inclito duci et eius successoribusdw imperpetuum, et sacramentumdx singulis ducibus renovare promittimus.

Et omnes Veneticosdy salvos et securos habere debemus in cunctis nostris partibus sine omni datione.

Et ostedz facere promittimus da Venecia usque ad Anconamea et Iadrameb.

Et domino duci proec omniqueed annoee in mense septembrisef romanatos duos persolvere debemus et eius successoribuseg.

Critical apparatus

alitteris capitalibus P1; spatium vacuum pro capitali littera initiali rel. P2P4.  biter. R.  c) loposito P1P2P4MR; em. Banić iuxta doc. 1145_PP.  dsic P1P2P4MR: pro Sclavus, sicut in doc. 1145_PP.  e) Pulisanus P4MR; cf. Polianus Odiberti filius in doc. 1145_PP.  f) Magescolus R.  gP4MR; Milano P1P2.  hadd. sup. l. P4.  i) filio suo] inv. R.  j) Engelprectus P4M.  kP4MR; Bertraimus P1P2.  l) Elgilfretus P4M.  m) Viltrammus P4; Waltramanus M; Valtramus R.  n) conscilio R.  oP4MR; persona P1P2.  p) Venec cum sign. abbr. P2P4R.  q) in perpetuum P2.  rP4MR; stabilitatem P1P2.  sP2; anno P1P4M; ann cum sign. abbr. R.  t) Veneti P4MR.  uP2P4; destretis P1R; distretis M.  vP2P4MR; mare P1.  wom. P4.  x) mill cum sign. abbr. MR.  yom. P1P2P4MR; em. Banić.  zP4MR; Melolino P1P2.  aa) Ravignum R.  abP4MR; naute P1P2.  acP2P4MR; galeas P1.  adseq. inde add. P2.  aeP2P4MR; una P1.  af) oste P1P4MR: pro hostem; exercitum P2.  ag) Sacramentum episcopi Pole] om. P4MR.  ahspatium vacuum pro capitali littera initiali rel. P2.  ai) Narnerius P4; Varnerius R.  aj) quatuor et undique sic P2P4; om. MR.  ak) conscilium P4.  al) eius P4.  am) que P2P4MR.  an) Modolinum MR.  aoMR; Popinianum P1P2; Ponpinianum P4.  ap) Lisianum MR.  aq) Ornianum P4.  ar) Sissanum P4MR.  as) Mornianum P4.  at) Cimelinione P4; Cimelimone MR.  au) Pomarinum R.  av) Tavianum P4MR.  aw) Urcivanum P4MR.  ax) Sacramentum fidelitatis Ruiginensium] om. P4MR.  ayspatium vacuum pro capitali littera initiali rel. P2.  azMR; Ruygio P1P2; Ruigno P4.  ba) Ponço P4MR.  bbom. R.  bc) Techiço P2P4MR.  bdseq. et add. P4MR.  be) Michel R.  bf) Agudia P2.  bg) Groaria P4MR.  bhMR; Ditifredus P4.  bi) Martinus de plebano, Ditifredus de Vito] P4MR; om. P1P2.  bjP4MR; Deyo P1P2.  bkP4MR; Plasio P1P2.  blP4MR; Plasio P1P2.  bmP2P4MR; iuramus P1.  bnadd. sup. l. P4.  bo) quatuo M; quatuor et undique sic R.  bp) fidelissime P2.  bqP4MR; permaiorem P1P2.  briter. P2; seq. domino add. P4.  bsP2P4MR; ad opera add. al. man. sup. l. P1.  bt) delibare R.  bu) Venetos P4.  bv) vel manutenebimus] om. P4MR.  bwP2; civitatis P1.  bx) Sacramentum—Parentie] om. P4MR.  byspatium vacuum pro capitali littera initiali rel. P2.  bz) Natal cum sign. abbr. P1P4MR; Natalis P2.  ca) comune P4.  cbP4MR; scilicet P1; scilices P2.  ccom. R.  cd) IIII MR.  ceseq. de canc. R.  cf) fidelitate R.  cg) Chroacie P4R.  ch) Ystrie P2R; Istrie P4.  ciP2P4MR; incliti P1.  cj) Marcho et saepe sic P4.  ck) evangeliste P2P4MR.  clP2; om. P1P4MR.  cmex lumia corr. R.  cnP4MR; om. P1P2.  co) commune P4M.  cpseq. et add. R.  cq) Sacramentum fidelitatis Civitatis Nove] om. P4MR.  crspatium vacuum pro capitali littera initiali rel. P2; pro nos P4M; per nos R.  cs) IIIIor R.  ct) fidelitate MR.  cuP2; evangelista P1P4MR.  cvP2R; successorum P1P4M.  cw) in perpetuum P2.  cxP2R; anno P1P4M.  cy) XL P2R.  czP2; om. P1P4MR.  daom. P2.  db) Venetos P4.  dc) da Ancona] R; d Ancona P1P2P4; d Amcona M.  dd) ad Iadram] R; a Iadra P2P4; a Iadara P1; a Iadera M.  de) Humagi P2.  df) Sacramentum—Umagi] om. P4MR.  dglitteris capitalibus P1; spatium vacuum pro capitali littera initiali rel. P2; seq. omnes add. M; per pactum R.  dhP2; civitas P1P4MR.  di) Umago P1P4MR; Humagii P2; em. Banić.  djP2; que P1P4MR.  dkP2P4R; dux P1M.  dl) Veneciarum P2.  dmP2P4; om. P1.  dnseq. scilicet add. P2.  do) quidem R.  dpP4M; om. P1P2.  dq) Humago P2.  dr) quatuor M; IIIIor R.  dsP2; fidelitate P1MR.  dt) apostolo et] om. MR.  dusic P1; evangeliste P2R; evangelista M.  dv) fidelitatem—evangelistae] om. P4.  dwP2P4R; successorum P1M.  dxP2; sacramento P1P4MR.  dy) Venetos P4.  dz) oste P1P2P4MR: pro hostem.  eaP2P4; Ancona P1M; Anam R.  ebP2P4R; Iadera P1M.  ecP2; per P1P4MR.  ed) omnesque R.  ee) annos P4MR.  efP2P4MR; september P1.  egP2P4R; successorum P1M.

Medieval Recollections

“HEIC IACET DOMINVS DOMINICVS MAVROCENO QVONDAM DVX VENETORVM CVM SOPHIA VXORE SVA DVCISSA. QVI DVX FVIT BONVS, ET PRYDENTISSIMVS, PLENVS FIDEI ET VERITATIS. AMATOR PATRIAE. ISTE FVIT PRIMVS EXPVGNATOR TYRI. TEMPORE ISTIVS REDEMTA EST HISTRIA ET POLA CVM L GALEIS. DE QVIBVS GALEIS ERANT CAPITANEI DOMINICVS MAVROCENUS FILIVS EIVS ET MARINVS GRADONICVS. […]” – The inscription on the tomb of Doge Domenico Morosini, as edited in Emmanuele Antonio Cicogna, Delle inscrizioni veneziane, vol. 1 (Venice 1824), p. 240.

The oath of fealty pledged by the Commune of Poreč to Venice in 1205 – edited here as doc. 1205_PV.

“Postea dux anno IIIo galeis quinquaginta bene paratis Dominicum Maurocenum eius filium et Marinum Gradonico capitaneos esse decrevit, illosque contra Polam et aliquas urbes Ystrie marinis latrociniis deditas mittens, primo Polam obsederunt. Incole autem primis insultibus resistentes postea fidelitatis promisse memores humiliter veniam postularunt. Qua optenta, renovata fidelitate, uberius duo milliaria oley pro illuminacione ecclesie beati Marci singulis annis solvere promiserunt. Cumque Rubinum postea pergerent, venerunt municipes et humiliter perpetue fidelitatis iuramentum Venetosque inmunes habere et romanatos V operi ecclesie sancti Marci annuatim solvere capitaneis ducali nomine promiserunt. Parencium autem cum accessisent incole optenta venia perpetuo fideles esse et hostem mittere a Iadra et Ancona infra cum dux miserit et operi sancti Marci libras XV oley et arietes XX duci anuatim solvere et Venetos inmunes habere policiti sunt. Postea ab Emonie civibus eadem clade infectis fidelitatis et solucionis XL librarum oley beato Marco annuatim et exercitus, ut predicitur, destinandi cum immunitate Venetorum promisionem receperunt. Dehinc Vitali Micaeli Umagum misso opidani duos romanatos singulis annis duci dare et reliqua omnia que ceteri Ystrienses facere promiserant et ipsi adimplere contenti sunt. Quibus gestis stolus cum triumpho repatriavit.” – Andrea Dandolo, Chronica per extensum descripta, ed. Ester Pastorello, RIS, ser. 2, 12/1 (Bologna 1958), p. 244.

“Huius etiam tempore [ducis Dominici Mauroceni], anno Domini MCLI, galee L bene fulcite in Veneciis parate fuerunt, quibus bene armatis dux dominos Dominicum Mauroceno natum eius et Marinum Gradonico in earum capitanei esse constituit illosque mittens contra Polam et aliquas urbes Ystrie maritimas latrociniis deditas. Qui primo Polam applicuerunt, quam in obsidionem ylico posuerunt, sed denique Polenses nequientes contra dictum exercitum prevalere se preffactis capitaneis subdiderunt veniam humiliter postulantes. Qua concessa et fidelitate uberius renovata, duo miliaria olei pro illuminatione Sancti Marci annualiter solvere pepegerunt. Deinde Rubinum capitanei accedentes Rubinenses similiter se dederunt et Comuni Veneciarum fidelitatem humilime iuraverunt, necnon omni anno romanatos V operi sancti Marci ecclesie promiserunt. Cum igitur Parentium applicarent, Parentini obtenta venia spoponderunt, si casus guere occurerit maritime, videlicet quod Veneti armatam facerent ab Ancona vel Iadra infra, Venetis prebere auxilium et favorem et ultra hoc ecclesie sancti Marci libras XV olei et duci arietes XX omni anno solvere gratiose. Deinde Hemoniam applicatis Hemonnienses, iurata fidelitate, libras XV olei beato Marco annuatim et exercitum mittere in auxilium Venetorum, ut supra, similiter promiserunt. Dehinc domino Vitale Michaele supracomito exercitus Humagum transmisso, incole dicti loci duos romanatos dare sublimo duci annis singulis promiserunt. Quibus gestis victoriosus exercitus cum triumpho repatriavit et tunc Ystricoli dicto duci sic scribebant ultra titulum consuetum: ‘atque Ystrie dominatori’. Et dux dicta tituli additione cum suis civibus et fidelibus fruebatur.” – Venetiarum Historia vulgo Petro Iustiniano Iustiniani filio adiudicata, ed. Roberto Cessi and Fanny Bennato (Venice 1964), pp. 111–112.

“El terzo anno dil suo ducato el doxe fece armar 50 galìe, capetanio Domenego Morexini fiol dil doxe, chi dice cuxìm, et l’altro Marin Gradenigo, la qual armada partida dil porto andò a Puola et quella prese et recuperoe la rebellióm fata, la qual perhò si rese venendo a dimandar perdom di l’eror fato, e li fo perdonato con questo i désseno ogni anno a la chiexia di san Marco miera do di oio et per il simile fece quelli di Ruigno che promesse di dar ogni anno a la dita chiesia orne do di oio et cinque remanati per fabrichar la chiesia di san Marco, etiam quelli di Parenzo patizòno di dover andar a Zara et in Ancona, dove vorà il doxe, senza soldo, et lire 25 di oio a la chiesia di san Marco et al doxe XX montoni di tributo ogni anno; altri dicono solum 15, poi quelli di Citànuova promesseno dar lire 40 di oio bon e andar in exercito o in armada dove li sarà comandato, e cussì promesseno di far quelli di Humago, siché queste terre di l’Histria che haveano rebellato si ritornorono sotto il dominio di Venexia et cussì la dita armada ritornò a Venexia.” – Marin Sanudo, Le vite dei dogi, ed. Giovanni Monticollo, RIS, ser. 2, 22/4 (Città di Castello 1900), pp. 232–234.

Selected Bibliography
Bernardo Benussi, Nel Medio Evo: Pagine di storia istriana (Poreč 1897), pp. 656–662.
Beranrdo Benussi, Povijest Pule: u svijetlu municipalnih ustanova do 1918. godine, trans. Tatjana Peruško (Pula 2002), pp. 132–137 (interpretation bordering on pure fiction).
Walter Lenel, Die Entstehung der Vorherrschaft Venedigs an der Adria (Strasbourg 1897), pp. 28–30.
Adolf Schaube, Handelsgeschichte der romanischen Völker des Mittelmeergebiets bis zum ende der Kreuzzüge (Munich–Berlin 1906), pp. 684–685.
Camillo de Franceschi, Il comune polese e la signoria dei Castropola (Poreč 1905), p. 7.
Giovanni de Vergottini, Lineamenti storici della costituzione politica dell'Istria durante il Medio Evo, 2nd ed. (Trieste 1974), pp. 68–70, 73.
Guido Posar-Guiliano, “Origini del dominio di Venezia nell’Istria,” La porta orientale 10 (1940): pp. 233–237 (nugatory).
Giovanni de Vergottini, “L’Impero e la ‘fidelitas’ delle città istriane verso Venezia,” Atti e memorie della Società istriana di archeologia e storia patria 53 (1949), pp. 92–93.
Gerhard Rösch, Venezia e l'impero 962-1250: I rapporti politici, commerciali e di traffico nel periodo imperiale germanico, trans. Carla Vinci-Orlando (Rome 1985), pp. 164, 200–201, fn. 40.
Giorgio Ravegnani, “Morosini, Domenico,” in Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani, vol. 77 (Rome 2012), online, dating the events to April 2, 1150, based on an erroneous equation with doc. 1153_PP.
Darko Darovec, “I giuramenti di fidelitas delle città istriane nel XIIº secolo,” in Atti del convegno internazionale Venezia e il suo Stato da mar / Venice and its Stato da Mar Venezia / Venice, 9-11 marzo / March 2017, ed. Rita Tolomeo and Bruno Crevato-Selvaggi (Rome 2018), pp. 28–30, 46–49.
Editor's Notes

The series of oaths of fealty that the Istrian communities pledged to Doge Domenico Morosini as they were confronted by the Venetian fleet has sparked much debate in historiography.

The biggest problem is the fact that the entire document – which consists of the records of five oaths pledged by the citizens of Pula, Rovinj, Poreč, Novigrad and Umag, respectively – is originally not dated. By looking solely at the document and comparing it to other surviving charter evidence, Walter Lenel reached a relative dating of “after 1148 and before 1152”, the terminus post quem being the election of Doge Domenico Morosini, the terminus ante quem the appearance of Bishop “R.” in Pula in April of 1153 (doc. 1153_PV), that is, Bishop Wernhard’s successor (Lenel, cited above). Rösch went a step further and narrowed the relative dating further to “between 1150 and 1152”, leaving Lenel’s terminus ante quem, but moving the terminus post quem to 1150 because, in May of 1149, an Anfredus is recorded as a bishop of Pula in a charter issued by King Conrad III (MGH DD K III, doc. 198), Wernhard’s predecessor. Thus, Bishop Wernhard of Pula, whose oath is recorded in the document, becomes the key to dating the document.

This relative dating surmised by Rösch is not in dissonance with the dating ascribed to these events by Doge-chronicler Andrea Dandolo, who dates the pledging of these five oaths to the third year of Domenico Morosini’s reign, which would give 1149/1150. It is not known on which sources and information Andrea Dandolo based this dating, but it is clear that he had (a version of) the document in front of him as he narrated these events. For these reasons, the entire expedition and the pledging of these five oaths are traditionally dated to 1150, a dating which is taken over here as well, although the readers should be aware that, if Dandolo’s account is ignored, the methodologically most sound dating remains the one proposed by Rösch.

Another topic of debate is the presumed military nature of the expedition. The document itself does not contain any evidence of military confrontations or even of any prior hostilities between Venice and the coastal communities of Istria visited by the Venetian fleet. It is only Andrea Dandolo who narrates the story of Istrian “sea piracy” against the Venetians which provoked the “triumphant” retaliation of the mighty Venetian fleet, comprised of fifty ships, that ultimately defeated Pula and, as spoils of war, received the five oaths of fealty (see “Medieval Recollections” above).

This Dandolo’s narrative fueled the interpretations of Benussi, De Vergottini, Schaube, and pretty much everyone else writing on these events (cited above). Benussi went by far the furthest in his extremely creative interpretations, seeing two opposing parties in Pula, the pro-imperial lead by Bishop Wernhard leading the uprising against Venice only to be utterly destroyed by the victorious Venetian fleet with dire consequences for the entire city (2002, cited above).

These interpretations rest mainly on Dandolo’s mid-14th-century account, a narrative that purposefully glorifies Venetian history. More importantly, however, in narrating this episode from 1150 and the pledging of oaths of fealty of five Istrian communities, Dandolo mixes and homogenizes two separate documents: this one, undated, and featuring Bishop Werhnard; and the second one, issued in Pula in 1153 and featuring Bishop Rudolph, Wernher’s successor (edited here as doc. 1153_PP).

This second document from 1153 indeed narrates the story of a violent conflict between Venice and Pula, of a fleet fifty ships strong that crushed the resistance in the city, took hostages, seized goods, and forced the citizens to pledge anew their oath of fealty to the doge and the people of Venice.

Based on these two documents alone (the five oaths hereby edited and doc. 1153_PP) Darko Darovec (cited above) proposed a novel interpretation: the 1150 journey of the Venetian fleet helmed by Domenico Morosini, the doge's son, and Marino Gradenigo from Pula to Umag was not motivated by any previous hostilities; this was not a military expedition, and no battles were fought during this voyage. Instead, argues Darovec, the expedition was of an entirely different nature and motivated by something else. Namely, King Conrad III was personally present in Pula in April of 1149 and traveled across the peninsula all the way to Aquileia during this month (see doc. 1149_CP). These events surely bolstered the pro-imperial sentiments in the region which might have clashed with Venetian interests. The Venetian fleet was thus dispatched to Istrian communities as a “reminder” that they owe fealty and allegiance to the doge and the people of Venice as well, and not only to the Empire. The war and the siege of Pula took place only later, in 1153, and the battle ended with Venetian victory, as per the new pact signed between Pula and Venice in 1153. There are problems with this bold interpretation.

Namely, the 1153 document was edited only partially by Kandler, and until the FIM edition no in extenso version of the charter has been published. This led to many wrong interpretations of the 1153 charter which is in fact a document of settlement: with that charter, the people and the clergy of Pula ended all their disputes with Venice, acknowledged that they alone were to blame for the military operations undertaken against them, and promised not to ask for any further recompense or institutions for the damage they had suffered at the hands of the Venetian armada (see doc. 1153_PP). Does this document, as Darovec and many others read it, refer to a war waged after the five communities of western Istria had already pledged their oaths of fealty, or does it refer to the military operations undertaken by the very fleet dispatched in 1150 and helmed by Domenico Morosini, the doge’s son, and Marino Gradenigo, the same fleet that received the oaths of fealty from five Istrian cities?

Benussi and De Vergottini (cited above) argued that Venice waged war against Pula on two different occasions: in 1150 and in 1153. Darovec argued that the only war that was waged was the one in 1153, as per the 1153 charter. However, the most logical interpretation and the one most in tune with all the surviving primary sources and Dandolo’s narrative account as well, is the one argued by Lenel and Schaube (cited above), who concluded that the events described in the 1153 document refer to the war waged by the fleet commandeered by Morosini and Gradenigo, the same fleet that triumphantly returned to Venice with five oaths of fealty as its main spoils of war. This is judged as the best interpretation of these crucial events.

Thus, the entire undertaking that resulted in the pledging of these five oaths of fealty to Venice by Pula, Rovinj, Poreč, Novigrad and Umag was, in fact, a military expedition, the mighty armada of fifty ships being dispatched by Doge Domenico Morosini to bring the coastal communities of Istria back in line and remind them that they owe their fealties not only to the Empire but to the doge and the Commune of Venice as well. The anti-Venetian sentiment that was brewing in Istria was surely a consequence of King Conrad III's visit, who travelled from Pula to Aquileia across Istria (by land) in the summer of 1149 (see doc. 1149_CP).

Regarding the contents of the document, all five oaths have markedly similar articles. All communities swore to be faithful to Venice and to pledge their oaths of allegiance to all the future doges to come. All communities also promised the security of the Venetians in their territories and the complete exemption from all the dues. For Pula, this meant that even the portaticus, the only duty that the Venetians had to pay as per the 1145 treaty (doc. 1145_PP), was now abolished as well.

Moreover, all the communities but Rovinj promised some sort of military aid for Venetian campaigns in the Adriatic: Pula swore to protect the coast from Medulin to Rovinj and to deliver the captured pirates and bandits to Venice; in addition, the city renewed the promise of arming a galley for any sort of Venetian military campaign requiring fifteen or more galleys (identical to article 2 of doc. 1145_PP); finally, Pula promised to personally assist any Venetian military campaign in the northern Adriatic basin, this time somewhat reduced to a territory between Venice, Ancona and Zadar (the 1145 treaty defines it as Venice, Ancona, Dubrovnik, article 2 of doc. 1145_PP); Poreč, Novigrad, and Umag only promised the military aid in the triangle Venice–Ancona–Zadar.

Lastly, all the Istrian communities promised a symbolic tribute for St. Mark, the patron saint of Venice. Again, Pula promised the most: two thousandweights of oil a year, one for the construction and the other for the illumination of St. Mark’s basilica; Rovinj promised five romanati and Umag two romanati a year (romanatus is a term for the gold coin of Emperor Romanus III (1028–1034), but it is later used as unit of account, which is probably its meaning here, thus, they promised five and two solidi (shillings) of gold coins, respectively); Poreč promised fifteen pounds of oil for the illumination of St. Mark’s basilica and an additional tribute of twenty rams to the doge; Novigrad promised forty pounds of oil for the illumination of St. Mark’s basilica.

The bishop of Pula is the only high ecclesiastic to swear the oath, probably because the bishops of Poreč and Novigrad were not in their cities at the time (an archpriest is the first signee in Poreč). The fact that the bishop of Pula swore the oath does not ipso facto mean, as Benussi interpreted it, that he was also the secular count of Poreč.

Following Bishop Wernher’s oath, there is a list of fifteen villages forming Pula’s comitatus, that is, its district. These toponyms survive in contaminated forms, making them difficult to ubicate. To the best of my ability, and with the kind and generous help of prof. Ivan Jurković, the fifteen villages mentioned in the document would be the following:

Medolinum = present-day Medulin,
Pompinianum = Pumpinjan between Medulin and Ližnjan,
Lisinianum = present-day Ližnjan,
Quornianum = present-day Vrnjani,
Sisanum = present-day Šišan,
Barbolanum = Barbolan by Medulin,
Tortilanum = present-day Turtijan,
Orines = most probably a contaminated form for Ovinanum, which would be Ovinjan by Šišan,
Areanum = Aran by Pomer,
Pomarium = present-day Pomer,
Açanum = Azan north of Pomer,
Tavian = Tajban between Šišan and Turtijan,
Urcinianum = Vrčevan between Ližnjan and Medulin.
Nornianum could be a contaminated form of Mormianum, as recorded in P4, which would then be equated with Mimijan, present-day Štancija Lodeš.
Regarding the ubication of the toponym Cipiclirione / Cimelinione / Cimelimone, I was forced to declare it a loss.

These fifteen villages of Pula's district should not be confused with the so-called villae regaliae centered around Vodnjan (see doc. 1280_IURA for their ubication).

Finally, regarding the title that the citizens of Poreč gave to the doge – totius Histrie inclitus dominator – this did not modify the standard title of Venetian doges in any way, as per the so-called Justinian’s chronicle (quoted above). Instead, this was only ever used by the citizens of Poreč and on two occasions only, this one and in 1205 when the entire oath of 1150 was verbatim repeated (doc. 1205_PV).

As was the case with the 1145 treaties with Koper and Pula, this batch of oaths of fealties opened wide the door for Venice’s further growth of power and influence in the region, a process that Pula would try to resist (see doc. 1177_PP).

How to Cite
First citation: Josip Banić (ed.), Fontes Istrie medievalis, vol. 3: A 1077 usque ad 1209, doc. 1150_FV, fontesistrie.eu/1150_FV (last access: date).
Subsequent citations: FIM, 3: doc. 1150_FV.
Facsimile
Image Source and Info

The publication of the facsimiles of manuscripts hereby dubbed P1 and M (Venice, Archivio di Stato di Venezia, Pacta e aggregati, Pactorum Liber I, fol. 140v–142v, and Miscellanea atti diplomatici e privati, busta 4, document number 131) is granted free of charge by Archivio di Stato di Venezia by way of the “simplified procedure” of publishing archival facsimiles (La circolare della Direzione generale archivi n. 39 del 29 settembre 2017: procedura semplificata: pubblicazioni online che perseguano finalità scientifiche o pedagogiche, non beneficino di inserzioni pubblicitarie o commerciali e non siano soggette ad accesso a pagamento).

Photos of P1 by Archivio di Stato di Venezia. Photo of M by the editor.

The digital facsimiles remain under the exclusive copyright of Archivio di Stato di Venezia.