Aquileian Patriarch Ottobono and the Commune of Venice agree that the dispute regarding the jurisdictions in Istria will be left to the arbitrational sentence of the future pope.
In Christi nomine, amen.
Anno a nativitatea Eiusdem millesimo trecentesimo quartob, secunde indictionis, die venerisc decimo octavod intrante mense septembrise.
Cum super iurisdictione et iuribus provincie Ystrie inter venerabilem patrem dominum Ottobonumf Dei gratia sancte sedis Aquilegensis patriarcham ex parte una et illustrem dominum Petrum Gradonico Dei gratia Venecie, Dalmacie atque Chroacie ducem et dominum quarte partis et dimidie totius Imperii Romanie et Commune Veneciarum ex parte altera questiones, controversie et discordie verterentur, ipse dominus Ottobonus patriarcha Aquilegensis pro se et Aquilegensi ecclesia ex una parte et nobiles viri domini Phyophyusg Maurecenus et Nicolaus Quirino procuratorh sancti Marci de Veneciis, sindici et procuratores predictorum domini ducis et Communis Veneciarum – plenum ad infrascripta habentes mandatum prout continetur in instrumento publico inde confecto sub anno Domini millesimo et indictione predictis, die vigessimoi nonoj augusti per Iohannem quondam Marchesinik publicum imperiali auctoritate notarium etl Ducatus Veneciarum scribam et predicti domini ducis bulla plumbea pendenti munito – sindicariis et procuratoriis nominibus pro ipsis domino duce et Communi Veneciarum ex altera parte, volentes, intelligentes et consentientes communiter et concorditer de omnibus questionibus, controversiis et discordiis que sunt et esse possunt inter eosdem dominum patriarcham et ecclesiam Aquilegensem ex una parte et dominum ducem et Commune Veneciarum ex altera super iurisdictione et iuribus predicte provincie Ystriem compromiserunt in sanctissimum patrem dominum papam creatum seu creandum et in eius successores ecclesie Romane summos pontifices tamquam in arbitrum, arbitros, arbitratorem et arbitratores, amicabiles compositores et communes electos, ita quod ipse arbiter et arbitrator seu arbitri et arbitratores cognoscat seu cognoscant et simul et semel diffiniat seu diffiniant, tam de proprietate quam de possesionen vel quasi dicte iurisdictionis et aliorum dictorum iurium per arbitrationem, per arbitrium, per rationemo, laudationem, ordinationem et amicabilem compositionem alte et basse sicut ei seup eis videbitur in omni terra et loco, die ferriataq et non ferriata, presentibus et absentibus partibus dum tamen citatis seu una parte presente et altera absente tamen citata, huiusmodi compromisso durante usque ad diffinitionem obtinendam et utraque ipsarum partium teneatur mittere a creationem proximi creati seu creandi summi pontificis usque ad duos menses deinde proximo venturos ad Romanam curiam ad presentiam domini pape et successorum suorum sindicum et procuratorem legittimum et ibidem legittime comparere ad protedendum et petendum procedi per ipsum dominum papam super hoc presenti compromisso et super hiis que continentur in eo, sub pena infrascripta.
Promittentesr predictus dominus patriarcha dicto nomine pro sua parte et dicti procuratores et sindici dicti domini ducis et Communis Veneciarum pro parte altera sibi invicems ett una pars alteri solemniu stipulatione interveniente se firmum et ratum habituros quicquid per aliquos de predictis summis pontificibus arbitris, arbitratoribus et amicabilibus compositoribus, ut est dictum, sententiatum, diffinitum, arbitratum, laudatum, ordinatum, declaratum seu amicabiliter compositum fuerit inter partes eiusdem in predictis, de predictis et circa predicta vel aliquid predictorum non contrafacere vel contravenirev, sub pena mille marcharum auri hinc inde et inter ipsas partes et per unam versus alteram solemniterw promissa et stipulata, medietas cuius pene cedat Romane ecclesie et altera medietas cedat parti observanti predicta.x
Actum in Utino in patriarchali palacio in camera ubi dormit idemy dominus patriarcha, presentibus honesto viro domino Albertino plebano Artenee, dominis Petro de Utino, Renoardo castri Utini habitatoribus, Maynardo de Aquilegia, Anselmo da Karisaco et aliis testibus ad hoc specialiter vocatis et rogatis.
(SN) Ego Iohannes Laurencii imperiali auctoritate notarius et scriba Ducatus Veneciarum predictis omnibus presens interfui et rogatus a predictis partibus scripsi et publicavi.z
a) a nativitate] nativitatis B. b) millesimo trecentesimo quarto] MCCCCIV sed lect. dub. B. c) om. B. d) decimo octavo] XVIII sed lect. dub. B. e) intrante mense septembris] mensis septembris sed lect. dub. B. f) O. B. g) Phyofius B. h) sic P; procur cum sign. abbr. B; procuratores ed. Cameli. i) sic P. j) vigessimo nono] XXVIIII B. k) Marchisini B. l) B; om. P. m) B; Istrie P. n) B; posse P. o) seq. et canc. B. p) ex vel corr. sup. l. B. q) feriata et undique sic B. r) B; promittentetes P. s) adinvicem B. t) B; om. P. u) B; solempni P. v) B; venire P. w) B; solempniter P. x) des. P. y) ex predi corr. B. z) Actum—publicavi] B; om. P.
The ratification of the treaty by the Chapter of Aquileia, as read from the appointment of the Chapter’s plenipotentiaries on November 16, 1304 (Carli, Appendice, pp. 91–92, soon to be edited here as well).
This is the first of a total of three documents issued in Udine on this fateful day, all regulating the relationship between Venice and the Patriarchate of Aquileia, especially regarding the jurisdiction over the Istrian communities subjected to Venetian authority. First, with the hereby edited document, the parties agreed to leave the final decision regarding the jurisdictional status of the Istrian communes under Venice to the arbitrational sentence of the Roman pope, whomever elected following the death of Pope Benedict XI († July 7, 1304). With the second document (edited here as doc. 1304_VP2), the patriarch relinquished to Venice the jurisdictions over their communities in Istria in exchange for a yearly tribute of 450 marks, but only until the pope pronounces his binding arbitrational sentence. These two documents essentially confirmed the relevant articles of the 1300 treaty signed between the Commune of Venice and Patriarch Peter of Ferentino (soon to be edited here as well). Finally, marquis Azzo of Este was communally elected as the arbitrator in all the other disputes plaguing the relations between Venice and the Patriarchate of Aquileia (to be edited here as doc. 1304_VP3).
The three documents were meant to usher in a new era in the Veneto-Aquileian relationship, but the newfound friendship would not last. Patriarch Ottobono would eventually seek to raise the price of lease from 450 to 500 marks and the two dominions would even wage war against each other in 1309 before signing a nowadays lost peace treaty in June of 1310 (Paschini, Storia del Friuli, p. 433–434).
The facsimiles of ms. hereby dubbed B stem from the official web pages of Biblioteca civica “Vincenzo Joppi” di Udine where they are freely available for consultation.
All images remain under the exclusive copyright of their respective institutions.