Pope Alexander III confirms the metropolitan jurisdictions of the incumbent Aquileian patriarch, institutes a new suffragan bishopric in Koper, grants him the pallium, and corroborates all the possessions and titles of the Aquileian Church, including the "County, the March, the Duchy," the regalian rights and imperial privileges.
Alexander episcopus, servus servorum Dei, venerabili fratri Vulvinoa Aquilegensisb ecclesie patriarchec eiusque successoribus canonice instituendis ‡inperpetuum‡.
Licet omnium apostolorum par essetd dilectio, et omnes ligandi et solvendi eamdeme acceperint potestatem, iuxta verbum tamen beati Leonis velut quedam servata est interf eos distinctio dignitatis, et uni datum est, ut ceteris presideretg. In quem utiqueh modum in Ecclesia Dei officiorum facta est dignitatumque diversitas, et ad maiora ministeria exhibenda maiores sunt statute persone, que et prerogativa dignitatis eminerenti, et aliorumj curam habeant ampliorem.
Unam vero de dignioribus et nobilioribus ecclesiis occidentis ab antiquis temporibus Aquilegensem constat ecclesiam extitisse, que et excellencia dignitatis emicuit, et sacrosancte Romane ecclesie fideliter et devote noscitur adherere. Unde et Apostolica Sedes eidem ecclesie semper iura et dignitates suas conservavit attentius, et prelatos ipsius propensius honoravit, et iustas postulationes eorum benignius [admittere consuevit]k.
Eapropter venerabilis in Christo frater Aquilegensis patriarcha, tibi et per te sancte Aquilegensil ecclesie, cui auctore Deo precem dinoscerisn, ad exemplar predecessoris nostri bone memorie Adriani pape potestatem super sexdecim episcopatus, videlicet Polensem, Tergestinumo, Parentinum, Petenensem, Emoniensem, Concordiensem, Tervisiensem, Cenetensem, Bellunensem, Feltrenensem, Paduanum, Vicentinum, Tridentinum, Mantuanum, Veronensem, Cumanum, metropolitico iure concedimus.
Inp Iustinopolitana vero ecclesiaq, quam tibi et ecclesie tue nichilominusr confirmamus, sedem episcopalem de omnium fratrum nostrorum consilio instituimuss, ita quidem ut venerabilis frater noster Wernardus, nunc eiusdem loci episcopus, tam illam quam Tergestinam ecclesiam necnon et totum Episcopatum quamdiu vixerit debeat obtinere; et eo defuncto, liceat tibi de consilio suffraganeorum tuorum cum Sedis Apostolice auctoritate in utraque, si volueris et facultates earum ad hoc sufficientes agnoveris, sedem institueret pontificalem.
Abbatias quoque, scilicet Osiacensemu, Rosiacensem, Beliniensemv, Mosiacensem, Sextensemw, Pirensemx, sanctam Mariamy ad Organum, sanctam Eufemiam de Villanova, Siticensem, Oberenburgensemz, Aquileiea' unum monasterium sanctimonialium alterum in Civitate Austrie constructum in honorem beate Dei genitricis semper virginis Marie tibi tuisque successoribus duximusb' roborandasc', nichilominus vobis auctoritate apostolica confirmantes abbatias sancti Petri de Silvad' et sancti Michaelis de Lemine, preposituras Aquilegensem, Civitatenseme', Iunensemf', sancti Stephani, sancti Felicis, sancti Odalricig', ecclesiam sancti Georgii in urbe Veronensih' sitam iuxta episcopalem sedem cum omnibus pertinentiis suis.
Paleii' vero usum rationalis atque naccij', qui predecessoribus tuis pro ipsius ecclesie dignitate a nostris antecessoribus est concessus, nos tam tibi quam tuis successoribus confirmamus hiisk' videlicet diebus qui in ecclesie tue privilegio continentur. Sane, quocumquel' perrexeris crucem ante te et tuos successores deferendi licentiam, auctoritate beati Petri et nostra largimur.
Porro Comitatusm', Marchiam et Ducatum, regalibus seu imperialibus privilegiis ecclesie tue concessa nos quoque presentis decreti sanctione nichilominus roboramus.
Statuimus etiam, ut quascumque possessiones, quecumque bona Aquilegensis ecclesia in presentiarum iuste et legitime possidet, aut in futurum, prestante Deo, poterit adipisci, firma tibi tuisque successoribus et illibata permaneant, salvo nimirum in omnibus sancte Romane ecclesie iure acn' reverentia.
Decernimus ergo, ut nulli omnino hominum liceat prefatam ecclesiam temere, perturbareo' aut *p' possessiones auferre vel ablatas retinere, minuere, aut aliquibusq' vexationibus fatigare, sedr' omnias' integra conserventur eorum pro quorum gubernatione act' sustentatione concessa sunt, usibus omnimodis profuturau'.v'
Si qua igitur in futurum ecclesiastica secularisvew' personax' hanc nostre constitutionis paginam sciens, contra eam temere venire temptaverit, secundo tertiove commonita, nisi reatamy' suam congruaz' satisfactione correxerit, potestatis honorisque sui dignitate careat reamque se divino iudicio existere de perpetrata iniquitate cognoscat et a sacratissimo corpore ac sanguine Dei et domini redemptoris nostri Iesu Christi aliena fiat atque in extremo examine districte ultioni subiaceat.
Cunctis autema'' eidem loco suab'' iura servantibus sit pax domini nostri Iesu Christi, quatenus et hic fructum bone actionis percipiant et apud districtum iudicem premia eterne pacis inveniant. Amen.c''
a) sic B: pro Vulrico; Valrico ed. Ughelli; Ulrico ed. Lanza. b) Aquileiensis ed. Ughelli et Lanza et undique sic emendaverunt. c) ecclesie patriarche] ecclesiae patriarchae ed. Ughelli et Lanza et saepe sic emendaverunt. d) B’ et Ughelli; legi non potest B. e) eandem ed. Ughelli. f) iuxta ed. Ughelli et Lanza. g) B’ et Ughelli; legi non potest B. h) In quem utique] Inque eundem utique ed. Ughelli et Lanza. i) B’ et Ughelli; plene legi non potest B. j) aliarum ed. Ughelli et Lanza. k) legi non potest BB’; sic ed. Ughelli. l) Aquilegensis ed. Lanza. m) sic B: pro preesse, sicut B’ et ed. Ughelli et Lanza. n) sic B; dignosceris B’ et Ughelli et Lanza. o) Tergestinensem ed. Ughelli et Lanza et saepe sic (Parentinensem loco Parentinum, Paduanensem loco Paduanum, et cetera). p) item B’ et Ughelli et Lanza. q) Iustinopolitana—ecclesia] Iustinopolitanam—ecclesiam B’ et Ughelli et Lanza. r) nihilominus ed. Ughelli et undique sic. s) istituimus ed. Lanza. t) sic BB’; restituere ed. Ughelli et Lanza. u) Osciacensem ed. Ughelli et Lanza. v) Velamanensem ed. Ughelli et Lanza. w) Sexteniensem ed. Ughelli; Sextiensem ed. Lanza. x) Pritensem ed. Ughelli et Lanza. y) sanctam Mariam] sanctae Mariae ed. Ughelli; S. Marie ed. Lanza. z) sic B; legi non potest B’; Olvenburgensem ed. Ughelli et Lanza. a') seq. unitum add. B’ et sic ed. Ughelli et Lanza. b') duxerimus ed. Ughelli et Lanza. c') roborandam ed. Ughelli et Lanza. d') auctoritate apostolica—de Silva] om. Ughelli et Lanza. e') civitatem ed. Ughelli et Lanza. f') Tavensem ed. Ughelli et Lanza. g') Oldarici ed. Ughelli et Lanza. h') Venetiarum ed. Ughelli et Lanza. i') sic B; Pallii ed. Ughelli et Lanza. j') rationalis atque nacci] rationabili atque veraci ed. Ughelli et Lanza. k') sic B; his ed. Ughelli et Lanza. l') quacunque ed. Ughelli et Lanza. m') comitatum ed. Ughelli et Lanza. n') et Ughelli et Lanza. o') seq. et cetera posuit et seq. aut possessiones—usibus omnimodis om. Ughelli. p') eius om. BB’, add. Lanza. q') aut aliquibus] vel temerariis ed. Lanza. r') seq. illibata add. Lanza. s') seq. et add. Lanza. t') et ed. Lanza. u') seq. salva Sedis Apostolice auctoritate add. Ughelli. v') seq. salva sedis apostolicae auctoritate add. Lanza. w') secularisque ed. Ughelli. x') et cetera posuit et seq. hanc nostre—districte ultioni om. Ughelli. y') presumptionem ed. Lanza. z') digna ed. Lanza. a'') et cetera posuit et seq. eidem loco—premia eterne om. Ughelli. b'') eidem loco sua iura] prefate ecclesie vestre iura sua ed. Lanza. c'') seq. amen, amen. add. Ughelli.
“De contentis in primo scrineo: In primo namque scrineo sunt privilegia apostolica summorum Romanorum pontificum de concessione potestatis facta domino patriarche et successoribus suis super episcopatus XVII, videlicet Polensem, Tergestinum, Iustinopolitanum, Parentinum, Petensem, Emonensem, Concordiensem, Tervisinum, Cenetensem, Bellunensem, Feltrensem, Paduanum, Vicentinum, Tridentinum, Mantuanum, Veronensem et Cumanum necnon abbatias Osiacensem, Rosacensem, Bellinensem, Mosacensem, Sextensem, Pirensem, sanctam Mariam ad Organum in Verona, Siticensem, Obremburgensem, Aquilegense unum monasterium sanctimonialium alterum in Civitate Austria constitutus, ac sancti Petri in Silva, sancti Michaelis de Lemin et monasteria de Cizs et Giron, ac preposituras Aquilegensem, Civitatensem, Iunensem, sancti Stephani, sancti Felicis, sancti Vodalrici, ecclesiam sancti Georgii in urbe Veronensi, pallii usum, rationalis et nacti, et de licentia anteferendi crucem quocumque perrexerit.” – Thesauri claritas, opus saec. XIV, ed. Giuseppe Bianchi, Thesaurus ecclesie Aquileiensis (Udine 1847), pp. 3–4.
“Papa etiam Iustinopolitanam urbem, que tam diu kathedrali sede privata fuerat, ad suplicacionem ducis Venecie, cuius fideles erant, in integrum restituit et episcopum eis dedit.” – Andrea Dandolo, Chronica per extensum descripta, ed. Ester Pastorello, Rerum Italicarum scriptores, ser. 2, 12/1 (Bologna 1958), p. 248, fn.
Interrogation of priest John regarding the tithes of Izola and the dispute between St. Mary’s monastery in Izola and the Bishopric of Koper – Pietro Kandler (ed.), Codice diplomatico istriano, 2nd ed. (Trieste 1986), doc. 190 (soon to be edited here as well).
The papal confirmation is preserved only as a later copy, ordered by Patriarch Bertrand of Saint-Geniès in 1335 and corroborated by the appending of his hanging seal that is nowadays lost. This copy, however, lacks the entire eschatocol, including both the datatio chronica as well as the datatio topica. This leaves the question of the document’s date and place of issue widely open.
It was already Ughelli, the first editor of the charter, who hypothesized that the document had been issued during Pope Alexander III’s stay in Venice. Based on (near) contemporary narrative sources (Historia ducum Venetiarum, the Chronicle of Romuald of Salerno, and Cardinal Boso’s Life of Alexander III), the pope stayed in Venice between March 24/25 1177 and April 9, when he departed for Ferrara. He then returned to Venice on May 11 of the same year, where he remained until mid-October (see also, Philipp Jaffé (ed.) Regesta pontificum Romanorum ab condita Ecclesia ad annum post Christum natum MCXCVIII, 2nd ed., vol. 2 (Leipzig 1888), pp. 304–315). Thus, the document is usually dated to a period “after March 25, 1177”, but before October of the same year. Lanza, the second editor of the charter, proposed another dating: between August and October of 1177, that is, after the celebration of the famous “Peace of Venice” which took place in late July. However, it is also possible that the charter was issued during the pope’s first stay in Venice, between March 25 and April 9; it was during this period that Alexander III issued a confirmation charter to the Bishopric of Poreč (April 5, doc. 1177_PAP).
Doge-chronicler Andrea Dandolo mentions this pope’s reinstitution of the Bishopric of Koper together with an event that took place on May 13, 1166, crediting the doge of Venice for procuring this favor for the Capodistrians, his “subjects” (fideles), which they were still not at the time (cf. Medieval Recollections). This narrative, subsequently added to the chronicle by Dandolo, ought to be judged as untrustworthy.
Finally, there is a record of a legal process regarding the tithes of Izola, de iure under the monastery of St. Mary of Aquileia but at the same time forming part of Koper’s communal district. This process took place in 1201 and features the testimony of a certain priest John who states that he was personally present during the negotiations between the pope and the emperor in Venice when it was decided to hand over the newly instituted bishopric of Koper to the incumbent bishop of Trieste, a move that John describes as the “destruction” of the Bishopric as he harbored no love towards Bishop Wernher (cf. Medieval Recollections). According to this testimony, the charter must have been issued after July 24, 1177, and before October of the same year, just as Lanza dates it.
The 1335 parchment is badly damaged from water as the Veronese Chapter archive suffered a disastrous flood in 1882. The large part of the parchment is completely illegible due to the fading of the ink. However, with the help of the UV and transmitted light for reading watermarks, the kind staff of the Biblioteca Capitolare managed to take a number of photographs of the parchment, rendering the faded text almost completely legible. It was also discovered that the parchment is a palimpsest. The only part that remained illegible is the upper right corner where the parchment suffered a tear, but this part was reconstructed here on the basis of Ughelli’s edition. I hereby thank the kind staff of the Biblioteca Capitolare di Verona, especially dott.ssa Illaria Ferrari, for their effort and help.
Ughelli edited the charter based on the later, 17th-century copy in ms. Barberinus Latinus 3209, but he skipped an entire line between “nichilominus vobis” and “et sancti Michaelis de Lemine”, a mistake that was repeated by Lanza who relied too heavily on Ughelli’s flawed publication. Reading the full sentence, the pope confirmed the two monasteries in Istria, sancti Petri de Silva and sancti Michaelis de Lemine, and the priories (praepositurae) of Aquileia, Cividale, Eberndorf, St. Stephen, St. Felix and St. Ulrich as well as the church of St. George in Verona (not in Venice as was wrongly transcribed).
This papal confirmation was based on the one issued in 1132 by Pope Innocent II (edited here as doc. 1132_PI, cf. Editor's comments for the phrase “Comitatum, Marchia et Ducatus”, repeated in this charter as well) and the one issued by Pope Adrian IV which does not survive in any manuscript tradition.
The confirmation is widely considered as the introduction to the 1180 agreement signed between the patriarchs of Grado and Aquileia regarding their metropolitan jurisdictions, a treaty that finally ended the conflict that had started back in 607 (cf. doc. 607_HL; the 1180 treaty will be edited here shortly).
The facsimiles of ms. B have been procured by the kind staff of the Biblioteca Capitolare di Verona. The first is a picture of the parchment taken under standard lightning, showing the faded text that is in many places illegible. The second picture is taken with the help of transmitted light for reading watermarks, rendering many parts of the faded text legible.
We wholeheartedly thank our dear colleagues at the Biblioteca Capitolare di Verona for their invaluable help and support of our project.
Published with the permission of the Biblioteca Capitolare di Verona. The published facsimiles remain under the exclusive copyright of the Biblioteca Capitolare di Verona.