Aquileian Patriarch Raymond della Torre and Count Albert I of Gorizia enter into a military alliance directed against Venice.
In nomine Christi, amen.
Anno a nativitate Eius millesimo ducentesimo octuagesimo tertio, undecime indictionis, in contrata sancti Clementis prope pontem Mugle sub quadam arbore olive, die dominico septimo intrante marcio, presentibus domino Ulvino episcopo Tergestino, domino Benvenuto episcopo Iustinopolitano et dominis Manfredo de la Turre preposito Sancti Odolrici, magistro Waltero scolastico Civitatensi, Wissemanno plebano de Buia, Guidone plebano de Zirchlach, Marquardo plebano de Lawanth, Bertoldo plebano Sancti Stephani iuxta Ghilam et Ghebardo de Eberstain notario domini Al(berti) comitis Goritie testibus et aliis multis.
Reverendus pater et dominus R(aymundus) Dei gratia sancte Aquilegensis sedis patriarcha pro se et ecclesia Aquilegensi et universis et singulis subditis, coadiutoribus et fautoribus suis ac vir magnificus atque potens dominus Al(bertus) comes Goritie pro se suisque heredibus et universis et singulis subditis, coadiutoribus et fautoribus suis, volentes se per vinculum societatis et federis convenire, firmaverunt inter se ac statuerunt:
[1] Contra Venetos et contra quoslibet eorumdem Venetorum fautores et coadiutores esse unum et idem ac contra eosdem facere vivam guerram et se adinvicem adiuvare toto conamine, toto posse, nec facere pacem vel treguam aut guerram recredentem, pacem vel concordiam aliquam cum dictis Venetis eorumque coadiutoribus vel fautoribus, nisi de predictorum dominorum patriarche et comitis processerit voluntate, consilio et assensu, salvo quod, si aliqui subditi dicti domini patriarche adherentes Venetis redire vellent ad gratiam ipsius domini patriarche, ipse possit eos recipere, dicto domino comite minime requisito; et e converso, dictus dominus comes de suis subditis possit facere illud idem.
[2] Item si contingeret quod aliqua civitas, castrum, villa vel locus per violentiam caperetur vel sponte rediret ad mandatum, ius predictorum dominorum patriarche et comitis semper sit salvum.
Ad que omnia attendenda et observanda in omni causa dominus Asquinus de Varmo in animam ipsius domini R(aymundi) patriarche et dominus Iacobus de Regonia in animam dicti domini comitis ad sancta Dei evangelia corporaliter iuraverunt.
[3A] Item iuraverunt ad sancta Dei evangelia corporaliter in animabus propriis ad mandatum et requisitionem predicti domini patriarche domini Benvenutus episcopus Iustinopolitanus, Manfredus prepositus Sancti Wolrici, Franciscus de Fonte Bono, Pilleus de Prata, Franciscus de Porcillis, Pertoldus de Casteliro liberi, et domini Asquinus de Varmo, Nicolaus de Budrio, Henricus de Portis de Civitate, Henricus de Clemona, Folkerus de Savornano, Meynardus de Flagonia, Rodulfus de Mels, Odolricus de Schorfemberch, Hector de Oxopio, Artuicus de Morutio et Fanta de Manzano ministeriales, quod, si prefatus dominus patriarcha non observaret et attenderet omnia et singula supradicta usque ad guerram finitam contra Venetos et coadiutores et fautores eorum, cadat in penam infrascriptam duorum milium marcharum Aquilegensis monete. Et omnes et singuli iuratores predicti domini patriarche, qui iuraverunt et qui iurabunt pro eo, teneantur et debeant assistere predicto domino comiti et eius heredibus usque ad predictam guerram finitam.
[3G] Item iuraverunt ad sancta Dei evangelia corporaliter in animabus propriis ad mandatum et requisitionem predicti domini Al(berti) comitis Goricie domini Iacobus de Regonia, Monalmus de Vinchemberch, Albertus de Grifenstain, Wolkerus et Wolricus fratres de Rifemberch, Wolricus de Flasperch, Rapoto de Pulcinia et Wlvinus de Gotenech, quod, si prefatus dominus comes non observaret et attenderet omnia et singula supradicta usque ad guerram finitam contra Venetos, coadiutores et fautores eorum, cadat in penam infrascriptam duorum milium marcharum dicte monete. Et omnes et singuli iuratores predicti domini comitis, qui iuraverunt et qui iurabunt pro eo, teneantur et debeant assistere predicto domino patriarche et ecclesie Aquilegensi usque ad finem guerre predicte.
[4] Item supradicti qui iuraverunt et qui iurabunt in animabus propriis pro domino patriarcha teneantur sub iuramentis prestitis, et qui iurabunt sub iuramentis prestituris, quod, si memoratus dominus patriarcha promoveretur ad maiorem dignitatem vel decederet, si quod absita, teneantur et debeant assistere predicto domino comiti et eius heredibus cum toto eorum exforcio, toto posse, usque ad finem guerre predicte. Et e converso, dictus dominus comes et eius heredes, et omnes illi qui iuraverunt et iurabunt pro eis, teneantur et debeant assistere Aquilegensi ecclesie et hominibus terre Fori Iulii usque ad adventum patriarche futuri, si tantum guerra duraret. Adveniente quoque patriarcha futuro, Capitulum Aquilegense, ac omnes qui iuraverunt et qui iurabunt, teneantur sub iuramento prestito dare opem et operam bona fide apud predictum patriarcham futurum, quod ipse universa et singula supradicta inviolabiliter observet et faciat a suis subditis observari usque ad finem guerre predicte. Que si patriarcha futurus facere recusaret, ipsi nichilominus teneantur et debeant predictis domino comiti suisque heredibus assistere toto posse. Et e converso teneantur et debeant facere dicti domini comitis heredes et ipsius iuratores, et qui iurabunt pro eo Aquilegensi ecclesie et hominibus terre Fori Iulii, si, quod absit, ipsum dominum comitem recedere contingeret de hac vita, usque ad finem guerre predicte.
[5] Item promisit dictus dominus R(aymundus) patriarcha dare operam bona fide, quod, infra mensem postquam proxime erit in terra Fori Iulii, Capitulum Aquilegensis ecclesie predicta omnia et singula approbabit, et quod venerabiles patres domini Folkerius Concordiensis et Ulvinus Tergestinus episcopi et domini Bernardus decanus Civitatensis, Philippus prepositus Sancti Stephani Aquilegensis, Artuicus de Castello, Dietalmus et Henricus fratres de Villalta, Artuicus de Porcillis vel Gabriel frater eius, unus illorum de Pulcinico, unus illorum de Strassolt, Gualteruspertoldus de Spinenberch, fratres de Varmo, fratres de Pinzano, Iohannes de Çuccula, Wolricus de Tricano, Guillelmus de Venzono, de communitate civitatis Aquilegensis Picossus, Razo et Olivettus, de communitate Civitatensi domini Girardinus, Iohannes Longus, Franciscus de Orzono et Conzius Birbizi, de communitate Utini Diossius, Pedrussius, Ozelluttus et magister Rizardus, de communitate Clemonensi Iacobus Basadonna et Çuttus Cirioli, de communitate Portusgruari domini Henricus Squarra, de communitate Sacili Tolbertus de Topalich et Apollonius iurabunt omnia et singula facere et implere que iuraverunt supradicti iuratores prefati domini R(aymundi) patriarche; et e converso illud idem teneantur facere qui adhuc iurabunt pro domino comite supradicto.
[6] Item promisit memoratus dominus patriarcha pro se, suo nomine et nomine Aquilegensis ecclesie, quod quandocumque predictus dominus comes ad petitionem et requisitionem predicti domini patriarche veniet vel mittet in eius et Aquilegensis ecclesie subsidium ad partes Istrie vel Fori Iulii contra Venetos supradictos et eorum sequaces, ipsi domino comiti et suis teneatur, prout melius poterit, in victualibus providere. Et idem dominus comes in partibus Istrie et Fori Iulii e converso teneatur facere illud idem dicto domino patriarche et suis, si eum in suum subsidium contigerit evocari.
Pro quibus omnibus attendendis et observandis predictus dominus R(aymundus) patriarcha pro se, suo nomine et nomine Aquilegensis ecclesie, et dictus dominus Al(bertus) comes Goritie pro se suisque heredibus ad penam duorum milium marcharum Aquilegensis monete se adinvicem sollempniter obligaverunt. Qua pena soluta vel non, predicta omnia et singula nichilominus obtineant plenum robur.
[7] Item predicti domini patriarcha et comes sic adinvicem fuere concordes: quod portus eorum omnes et aque debeant claudi, et quod quilibet ipsorum bona fide, sine fraude non debeat dare vel concedere mercatum aliquod in rebus aliquibus, quocumque nomine censeantur, predictis Venetis et eorum subditis et coadiutoribus vel fautoribus eorumdem neque per se neque per subditos suos per terras vel districtus ipsorum et e converso non recipere mercatum aliquod ab eisdem. Et si aliqua persona de terris vel districtu dictorum dominorum patriarche et comitis inventa fuerit dare vel concedere mercatum vel res aliquas Venetis supradictis aut subditis, fautoribus vel coadiutoribus eorumdem vel recipere ab eisdem, puniatur in omnibus rebus suis.
Ad maiorem autem huius rei evidentiam et etiam firmitatem memorati domini R(aymundus) patriarcha et Al(bertus) comes Goritie instrumentum presens fecerunt sigillorum suorum pendentium munimine roborari.
(SN) Ego Iohannes de Lupico Sacri Imperii publicus notarius hiis presens interfui et rogatus scripsi in formam publicam reducendo.
(SP D) (SP D)
a) si quod absit] sic A: pro quod absit.
“Anno Domini MCCLXXXIII, in principio martii, incepit dominus Raymundus patriarcha Aquilegensis cum domino Alberto comite, Tergestinis et Muglensibus impugnare Iustinopolitanos et Venetos werra, quia Veneti detinebant iniuste Iustinopolim et alias terras Istrie et iura spectantia ad ecclesiam Aquilegensem. Et ex tunc fuerunt clausi portus Venetis per dominum patriarcham in suo districtu et per Paduanos et Trivisanos in suis.” – Julian of Cavalicco, Civitatensis chronica, ed. Tambara, RIS, ser. 2, 24/14 (Città di Castello 1905), p. 15.
Signed “under an olive tree” in the district of Muggia, the military alliance against Venice marks a turning point in Istrian history. The failed attempt at a Reconquista of Venetian territories in Istria led to a strengthening of Venice’s position on the peninsula and, subsequently, towards the official recognition of Venetian sovereignty over parts of the partitioned Marchionatus Istrie.
The treaty is preserved in the original, but the notary, John of Lupico, an experienced scribe, did a pretty poor job in structuring its contents.
The charter opens with a standard protocol with an invocatio verbalis, datationes chronica et topica, and a list of witnesses.
The corpus opens directly with a dispositio, omitting both an arenga as well as a narratio.
The first article of the dispositio is the forging of the military alliance against Venice and Venetian allies by Patriarch Raymond and Count Albert I, whereby the parties agree to be united against their common foes, to wage active war against them, and to assist each other with all their power. Neither party is allowed to make peace or truce with Venice without the consent of both signatories, though each leader may independently accept the return of their own subjects who had previously sided with Venice.
The second article follows, detailing how any city, castle, village, or place captured by force (or that voluntarily submits to the signees’ authority) ought to remain within the traditional jurisdictional prerogatives of both the patriarch and the count.
At this point, a clausula obligativa disrupts the dispositio, detailing how Asquinus of Varmo swore on behalf of the patriarch and Jacob of Ragogna on behalf of the count that the contents of this treaty will be wholly observed.
Following this displaced final clause, two nearly identical articles follow, numbered here 3A for the Aquileian side and 3G for the Gorizian. Both articles detail the oath of the representatives of each side, respectively, that a fine of two thousand marks of Aquileian coins will befall a non-compliant party. In addition, the representatives of each side swear to support the other until the very end of the war.
The fourth articles spells out contingencies in case of death of either of the signees during the war effort or in the case of Patriarch Raymond’s promotion to a higher ecclesiastical dignity – in these cases, the supporters of the signees, the heirs of the count and the patriarch’s successors must endure in the war effort against Venice and uphold this military alliance.
Fifth, the patriarch promises that the Chapter of Aquileia will approve all the terms of this alliance within a month of his return to Friuli, and that numerous specified nobles (both freeman and ministerials), ecclesiastics, and representatives from six Friulian communities (Aquileia, Cividale, Udine, Gemona, Portogruaro and Sacile) will swear to fulfill the same obligations as the original oath-takers; the count’s supporters agree to do the same.
Sixth, the signatories promise each other support in the form of provisions to be sent to armed forces engaging the enemy in Friuli and Istria.
At this point, the dispositio is broken yet again and a sanctio temporalis is abruptly inserted, detailing the threat of a fine of two thousand marks of Aquileian coins.
After the sanctio, the dispositio continues with the final, seventh article, detailing economic measures against Venice through a comprehensive trade embargo. The article stipulates that all ports and waterways under control of both signatories must be closed to Venetian traffic; both the patriarch and the count are prohibited from engaging in any commercial activities with Venice, its subjects, allies, or supporters, whether directly or through their own subjects, under the threat of the seizure of properties.
Thus concludes the dispositio and a standard corroboratio follows, detailing the appending of the seals of the two parties.
The document closes with a notarial completio, including the signum notarile of notary John of Lupico.