Era
Vol. 4: A 1209 usque ad 1300
Date
February 4, 1243
Place
Regestum

The people of Pula, united in the general assembly, formally ratify the treaty signed between the representatives of their commune and Venice on January 21, 1243 (doc. 1243_PP).

Source
A = Venice, Archivio di Stato di Venezia, Miscellanea atti diplomatici e privati, busta 3, doc. 120; originally adorned with the hanging seal of the commune which subsequently fell off and is nowadays lost.
P = Venice, Archivio di Stato di Venezia, Pacta e aggregati, Pactorum Liber IV, fols. 128r–130v; a 14th-century simple copy of B.
Previous Editions
Pietro Kandler, Notizie storiche di Pola (Poreč 1876), pp. 282–289; based on A and edited together with the entire text featured in A.
FIM Edition
Diplomatic edition based on A. P is ignored as directly deriving from A.
Transcription

(SN) In Christi nomine.

Anno Domini millesimo ducentesimo qudragesimo tercio, indictione prima, die quarto intrante februarii, presentibus dominis presbitero Ugone, Iohanne de Spago et Henrico canonicis Polensibus, domino Vitaliano iudice et presbitero Albertono de Padua, Mancafava de Este, domino Ottolino filio condam domini Iohannis Novelli de Vicencia, domino Raynerio Arinensi, dominis Papone et Petro de Iustinopoli et Daniele Greco de Venetiis et aliis pluribus.

Ibique nobiles viri Nassinwerra potestas regalie Polensis, Hengelpretus Aldini, Iohannes Mulus, Theodorus, Luterius et Cesarius, Odoricus condam domini Menesclay, Mengossus condam domini Albrici Caprarie, Ugolinus condam domini Adhelgerii, Mikael domine Denne et Iohannes de Honorada marici portarum civitatis Pole in pleno Consilio et concione cum campanis et preconibus more solito congregatis, verbo et auctoritate ipsius Consilii et concionis, ad sancta Dei evangelia corporaliter iuraverunt et promiserunt Petro notario, sindico et procuratori domini Iacobi Theupoli illustris ducis Veneciarum, recipienti pro ipso domino duce et Comuni Veneciarum, attendere atque observare pacem et concordiam noviter initam inter predictum dominum ducem et suum Consilium, nomine suo et Comunis Veneciarum, ex una parte et Ugonem presbiterum atque Iohannem de Spago subdiaconum canonicos Polenses, nuncios et procuratores, sindicos et actores predictorum potestatis et Comunis Pole, nomine et vice ipsorum, ex altera, et contra non venire aliquo modo vel occassione, ipsam pacem et concordiam una cum dicta concione in omnibus et per omnia laudantes et approbantes. Tenor cuius pacis atque concordie talis est: [seq. doc. 1243_PP; premite hic ut id ostendat].

In eterni Dei nomine, amen.
Anno ab incarnatione domini nostri Iesu Christi millesimo ducentesimo quadragesimo secundo, die undecimo exeunte mense ianuarii, indictione prima.
Cum Ugo presbiter et Iohannes de Spago subdiaconus canonici Polenses, nuncii et procuratores, sindici et actores nobilium virorum Nassinwerre potestatis regalie Pole et Galvani, Pencii et Carstoli consolum et Comunis civitatis Pole, sicut apparebat publico instrumento manu Raymondi sacri pallatii notarii confecto, cuius tenor inferius continetur, ad presentiam domini Iacobi Theupoli incliti Veneciarum ducis accessissent, supplicantes ac petentes humiliter et devote, vice et nomine predictorum potestatis, consulum et Comunis, pacem, concordiam et reconciliationem domino duci et Comuni Veneciarum, placuit domino duci et suo Consilio ipsos misericorditer recipere et ad pacem et concordiam cum eis devenire, que inter dictum dominum ducem suumque Consilium ex una parte, nomine suo et Comunis Veneciarum, et predictos nuncios, sindicos et procuratores, nomine predictorum potestatis, consulum et Comunis Pole, ex altera tractata est et firmata in hunc modum:
[1] Inprimis, quod omnes homines dicte civitatis Pole et eius districtus debent iurare fidelitatem domino duci predicto suisque successoribus secundum consuetudinem hactenus observatam et pacta.
[2] Item civitas Pole tollet potestatem de Veneciis pro anno futuro dabitque ei salarium consuetum.
[3] Item obsides dicte civitatis Pole stabunt in Veneciis omnibus expensis Comunis Pole, tam custodiarum quam domorum et aliarum expensarum, a die quo dictus potestas de Venetiis exierit iturus ad regimen civitatis Pole. Tamen dominus Papus debet relaxari in concambio unius filii predicti domini Nassinwerre, quem dominus dux duxerit eligendum.
[4] Preterea omnia dampna data hominibus Veneciarum per Comune vel homines Pole vel data occassione dicte civitatis et hominum Pole ab aliis personis aliquo modo vel occasione, et commendarias imprestita hominum Veneciarum facta hominibus vel Comuni Pole et deposita apud eosdem in commendatione, et omnia bona Venetorum intromissa pro Comuni Pole et hominibus dicte civitatis debet restituire Comune Pole ipsis hominibus Veneciarum, excepto dampna data hominibus Veneciarum in eadem civitate Pole ab exercitu galearum Veneciarum quando nuper mense octobri preterito fuit combusta civitas Pole per exercitum suprascriptum. Que omnia restitui debent a dicto Comuni Pole usque ad festum Sancti Mikaelis proxime venturi, omni remota occasione, vel ante, si potestas predicta de Veneciis poterit, bona fide.
[5] Item quod Polenses sive Comune Pole non reedificabunt vel facient muros dicte civitatis nec construent maceriam vel aliquam municionem versus mare sine speciali licencia et parabola domini ducis et Comunis Veneciarum.
[6] Ad hec Polenses sive Comune Pole attendent et observabunt omnia pacta et promissiones hactenus factas dominis ducibus et Comuni Veneciarum, et specialiter pactum et promissionem quod et quam Polenses seu Comune Pole olim fecerunt tempore illustris domini Dominici Mauroceni ducis Veneciarum, quibus promiserunt et tenentur dare duo miliaria de oleo, unum in opere sancti Marci et aliud pro luminaribus annuatim in Nativitate Domini. Et si ad dictum terminum Comune Pole non solverit et dederit oleum supradictum, liceat procuratoribus sancti Marci et clericis eiusdem ecclesie cum parabola domini ducis pignorare Polenses, et de bonis pignoris Polensium se integre solvere de oleo supradicto.
[7] Et hec omnia predicta consules, Consilium et omnes homines Pole quilibet per se, a quatuordecim annis supra et a septuaginta infra, iurabunt attendere et observare et contra non venire aliquo modo vel occassione. Et quod potestas, consules sive rectores eiusdem civitatis, qui pro tempore erunt, in introitu sui regiminis annuatim iurabunt omnia suprascripta attendere et observare et contra non venire aliquo modo vel occassione. Et quod simile sacramentum tollent suis successoribus in exitu sui regiminis cum eorum successores intraverint in regimine. Preterea iam dictus potestas, civis Venetus qui debet tolli pro anno futuro ad regimen dicte civitatis Pole, similiter in introitu sui regiminis iurabit omnia ea, que superius dicta sunt, attendere et observare et specialiter restituere et solvere Venetis suprascriptis omnia sua, sicut superius dictum est et specificatum, omni occassione remota. Et quod successori suo de omnibus predictis observandis et attendendis tollet simile sacramentum.
[8] Insuper convenerunt et promiserunt prenominati sindici et procuratores, quod hec omnia facient laudare et approbare in publica concione et inde fieri publicum instrumentum per predictos Nassinwerram, consules et Comune civitatis Pole infra octavum diem postquam Polam applicuerint, et civitas sive Comune Pole hec omnia perpetuo attendent et observabunt et non venient contra.
[9] Imprestita vero et commendationes omnes que habent Veneti de hominibus Pole restituantur eisdem, excepto dampna data in ipsis rebus et bonis in combustione et dampnatione dicte civitatis Pole tempore suprascripto mensis octobris.
[10] Item omnia bona que habet Comune Veneciarum in se de hominibus dicte Pole que fuerunt ablata tempore combustionis predicte civitatis Pole restituantur eisdem, excepto ligna currencia. Tamen predicta bona apud Comune Veneciarum remanebunt donec omnia bona Venetorum fuerint Venetis plenarie restituta.
Tenor autem sindicatus et procurationis predictorum Ugonis presbiteri et Iohannis de subdiacono talis est: [seq. doc. 1242_SP; premite hic ut id ostendat].
In Christi nomine.
Anno Domini millesimo ducentesimo quadragesimo secundo, indictione quintadecima, die octavo exeunte decembris, presentibus presbitero Albertono Paduano, domino Maregnano canonico Asilii, Dominico de Castiliro, Plantavigna et Girardino Belestariis et aliis pluribus.
Ibique domini Nass(inwerra) potestas regalie Polensis, Galvanus, Pencius et Carstolus consules ipsius in pleno Consilio et concione cum campanis et preconibus more solito congregatis eorum verbo et actoritate nec aliquo contradicente fecerunt, constituerunt et ordinaverunt presbiterum Ugonem presentem et subdiaconum Iohannem de Spago absentem canonicos Polenses suos et tocius Comunis Pole certos missos et procuratores, sindicos et actores ad pacem et concordiam pertractandas cum inclito domino duce Veneciarum et suo Consilio, vel cum illis quibus hoc commissum est vel fuerit ad tractandum, ita quod ipsi procuratores valeant tractare atque perficere ipsam pacem et concordiam, et obligare se nomine et vice Comunis Pole, et promissiones et generaliter omnia facere que ad hoc necessaria et oportuna fuerint facienda, ut veri syndici et procuratores.
Promittentes dicti potestas et Consules pro se atque nomine et vice tocius Comunis, de consensu Consilii et concionis, perpetuo firmum et ratum habere et tenere quicquid predicti procuratores in predictis duxerint faciendum.
Actum est hoc in platea iuxta castrum Polense.
Ego Raymondus sacri pallatii notarium interfui et iussu dictorum potestatis, consulum, Consilii et concionis rogatus scripsi.
Actum est hoc Veneciis in palacio Ducatus in Rivoalto, urbe felici.
Testes autem ad hec rogati: nobiles viri Marcus Geno, Petrus Gradonicus, Iohannes Barocius, Marinus Donato, Marcus Contareno, Antolinus Dandolo, Marinus Gisi, Iulianus de Lasevole de Veneciis, Benedictus de domino Mauro de Pola et alii quamplures.
(SN) Ego Gabriel Paulinus notarius et ducalis aule Veneciarum cancellarius predictis interfui et rogatus scripsi, complevi et roboravi.

Hec sunt nomina illorum hominum de Pola qui dictam pacem et concordiam iuraverunt et promiserunt attendere et observare et contra non venire aliquo modo vel occassione, insuper fidelitatem iuraverunt predicto domino duci suisque successoribus:

Inprimis Nassinwerra potestas regalie Pole, Theodorus, Iohannes Mulus, Hengelpretus Aldini, Luterius, Odoricus condam domini Menesclay, Cesarius, Mengossus condam domini Albrici de Capraria, Mikael domine Denne, Ugolinus condam domini Adhelgerii et Iohannes de Honorada marici prenominati. Item Roçerinus, Romeus filius Girardi, Iohannes de Ferata, Petrus de Moscardino, Petrus de Çurto, Iohannes Petaculus, Papo frater Fasane, Ançelus de Mesazo, Martinus de Melo, Martinus Calegarius, Andreas Becarius, Petrus de Monteclino, Iohannes Dentus, Dominicus Parentinus, Çermanus, Martinus de Magrano, Bertolus faber, Marcus filius Blasii, Dominicus Ystrianus, Facina, Vulcicus, Almericus de Cadulo, Sigemarius, Leonardus, Armannus filius Iohannis Blanci, Redulfus de Lisignolo, Iohannes de Denna, Andreas Gariço, Casina, Luterius notarius, Iohannes calegarius, Pasqualus, Altemannus, Albertus Longus, Maynetus, Marcus, Conradus Magalote, Andreas de Marçana, Rosignolus sartor, Dominicus Geda, Blasius, Petrus de Vicencia, Castolus domini Mauri, Hengotolus, Iohannes Farina, Boso, Marinus, Botigla, filius Palme, Dominicus de Insula et eius filius, Iohannes de Remedia et eius frater, Thomacolus Aquileg(ensis), Bernardus spaderius, Martinus, Regenoltus, Dominicus Trafolus, Iacobus de Tegenço, Oliverius calegarius, Iohannes Gariço, Iohannes Balbus, Thoma de Stignono, Redulfus calegarius, Scheronus, Leonardus Bratosa, Dominicus barberius, Iohannes becarius, Iohannes barberius, Andreas de Selvestro, Phylipus domini episcopi, Dominicus piliparius, Marcius calegarius, Iohannes de Andriana, Warientus becarius, Pertolus becarius, Petrus Bocanigra, Mikael de Anna, Dominicus de Gruero, Mengoldus, Iohannes becarius, Iacovellus, Andreas Pezapanus, dominus Blasius castellanus, Iohannes Longus, Andreas barberius, Manfredus Peturutus, Odoricus Criblarii, Finus, Martinus de Çeno, Marinus filius Carniçe, Grimaldus calegarius, Çustus Balbus, Mangagna, Martinus Sclavus, Caroglus piliparius, Lançonella, filius Petri Monteclini, Papo de Foscho, Dominicus de Dulciano, Dominicus Pancera, Marcus de Bertoldo, Andreas de Mitilla, Pasqualinus, Mikael de Oleo, Pelegrinus calegarius, Macharius domini episcopi, Dominicus calegarius, Menesclaus, Martinus de Grimilda, Pelegrinus, Venerius, Andreas de Selvestro, Anconinus, Andreas Garardus, Blasius de Vilico, Lombardus, Mengol de Voiolo, Girardus tabernarius, Iohannes de Dobriça, Matogna, Martinus de Valle, Andreas eius cognatus, Bernardus de Antonina, Iohannes de Sergia, Robacellus, magister Petrus, Papo de Do(m)mo , Dimiter calegarius, Dominicus iudex, Mignossus, Iohannes de Formina, Andreas de Dulciano, Pertolus de Aldino, Pençolinus, Redulfinus calegarius, Andreas Veglesanus, Andreas Scheronus, Betolus de Portacarata, Grimolfus de Gripo, Orsus salinarius, Odoricus boteclarius, Artoycus de Fanocla, Simon de Bugla, Iohannes Schirsus, dominus Sclavus, Amicus eius filius, duo Sclavi, Chastolinus, Gretolus, Ionathas, Iohannes spaderius, Petrus filius Çeni, Dominicus Andree Pauli, Lubiço, Stephanus filius Almerici, Bonefacius medicus, Andreas de Mesaço, Iohannes sartor, Mikael, Iohannes Paterna, Iacobus faber, Dominicus Piun, Balegantus, Andreas Lugarus, Iacobus salinarius, Paulus de Vegla, Compagnia Forlanus, Iohannes de Honorada, Girardus Lançonella, Amicus domini Mauri, Mikael de Bonefacio, Martinus Dominici Ancontani, Leo quondam Iohannis vilici, magister Warientus, Petrus de Çurto, Vivianus Venetus, Petrus de Lavera, dominus Manuellus, Andruzolus Calicenus, Martinus de Golço, Martinus de Troço, Augustus de Prezafa, Iohannes de Furno, dominus Pencius, Paganinus, Thoma de Marchisina, Çaninus de Aldierna, Brincha, Iohannes Sacco, Iohannes Mulettus, Botolus, Filius Pancera, Iohannes de Beletruda, Menesclavus, Ardeçonus de Scharana, Petrus textor, Gironus piscator, Iohannes de Capite, Avennantolus, Bosus piscator, Andreas Fastagla, Venerus Martini Conigle, Thoma salinarius, Dominicus Piva, Andreas de Rosa, Petrogna, Iohannes de Marçana, Albertus boteclarius, Iohannes de Squimosa, Grimolfus, Mengolus de Voglolo, Almengerius et eius filius, Iohannes de Selvagno, frater Iohannis de Ravarigo, Benedictus de Lisignolo, Tomasinus de Iustina, Andreas de Valvina, Thoma becarius, Iohannes de Valtino, Iohannes de Torengino, Dominicus de Belisima, Iohannes Sipolinus, Andreas de Vegla, dominus Vivanus, Pelegrinus calegarius, Donatus de Çavra, Adam murerius et duo eius filii, Galvanus frater dicti Nass(inwerre) potestatis regalie Pole.

Actum est hoc in platea iuxta castrum civitatis Pole.

‡Ego‡ Raymondus sacri palacii notarius predictis interfui et verbo atque precepto dicti Nass(inwerre) potestatis, Consilii et tocius concionis rogatus scripsi. (SP D)

Selected Bibliography
Bernardo Benussi, Nel Medio Evo: Pagine di storia istriana (Poreč 1897), p. 715.
Camillo de Franceschi, Il comune polese e la signoria dei Castropola (Poreč 1905), pp. 41–44, 95–96.
Bernardo Benussi, Povijest Pule u svijetlu municipalnih ustanova do 1918. Godine, trans. Tatjana Peruško (Pula 2002), p. 174.
Editor's Notes

Just as the Treaty of Rialto stipulated (doc. 1243_PP, article 8), the pact was officially and ceremoniously ratified by the universal assembly of the Commune of Pula, producing the hereby edited document. Preserved in the original, the charter was originally adorned with a hanging seal, surely of the Commune of Pula, which was, unfortunately, not preserved.

The leaders of the Commune of Pula are named first, both in the opening of the charter’s text and in the lengthy list of signees appended to the end of the document: these were Nascingwera I of Pula, the potestas regalie Polensis, and the ten marici portarum of the city. These marici portarum were the heads of the city’s districts elected by the communal Great Council (De Franceschi, cited above) tasked with keeping public order in their respective neighborhoods. As testified by the document, Pula was partitioned into ten such districts, one per each gate.

The Treaty of Rialto was ratified in the general assembly of Pula, uniting all the heads of households. The appended list of “signees” shows that there were 242 persons in the arenga. Multiplying this number by five (thus estimating five persons per household) and adding another five percent for the clergy and the marginals, the population of Pula in 1243 can be estimated at circa 1300 people. The same methodology is used for the list of signees featured in the 1202 Venetian treaties with Trieste (doc. 1202_PT) and Muggia (doc. 1202_PM). Thus, the population of Trieste was estimated at circa 1900 (ratified by 361 heads of households) and the population of Muggia at around 1100 (ratified by 204 heads of households).

However, as correctly noted by De Franceschi (cited above), Pula’s population was immensely reduced at this point due to the siege and the destruction caused by the Venetian military conquest of the city in October of 1242. Therefore, the population of 13th-century Pula, especially before the disastrous Fall of 1242, must have been closer to the population of Trieste than Muggia.

Benussi’s interpretation (1897, cited above), that the “Sclavi” mentioned in the list denote unfree persons is utterly erroneous, channeled by the historian’s anti-Slavic element. These are not markers of one’s status of (un)freedom, but ethnonymic names and bynames. Any attempt to infer some “ethnic relations” in medieval Pula or Istria by way of this list is bound to fail, primarily due to the lack of primary sources of sufficient quality and quantity necessary for such analysis, but also because ethnicity was not conceptualized in the Middle Ages according to modern-day standards. What can be inferred, however, is that the Slavs were an ethnic minority in the city of Pula, as there would be no point in stressing the ethnonym as a means of identification if they were the majority. For similar conclusions regarding 13th-century Piran, see Darja Mihelič, “Die Bezeichnung der Slawen und Romanen in Istrien,” in Personennamen und Identität: Namengebung und Namengebrauch als Anzeiger individueller Bestimmung und gruppenbezogener Zuordnung, ed. Reinhard Härtel (Graz 1997), pp. 375–376.

Note on the number of persons who ratified the pact: The list is structured in seven rows and each personal name is usually followed by a dot. There are, however, some irregularities and inconsistencies. For example, there is a dot after “dominus Blasius” followed by “castellanus” without a dot. There is also a “Botigla” followed by a dot and then “filius Palme” followed by a dot. In cases such as these, I have edited the two parts divided by a dot as a single unit: thus “dominus Blasius castellanus” and “Botigla filius Palme”. I have also counted as two individuals the “duo Sclavi” (so rudely left unnamed), the “Dominicus de Insula et eius filius”, the “Iohannes de Remedia et eius frater”, the “Almengerius et eius filius” and as three persons the “Adam murerius et duo eius filii”. This is perhaps why I have reached a slightly different number of 242 persons instead of 244 persons as counted by Camillo de Franceschi.

How to Cite
First citation: Josip Banić (ed.), Fontes Istrie medievalis, vol. 4: A 1209 usque ad 1300, doc. 1243_LP, fontesistrie.eu/1243_LP (last access: date).
Subsequent citations: FIM, 4: doc. 1243_LP.