The Commune of Novigrad elects Biaquin of Momjan and his heirs as their perpetual podestà, with the community promising to maintain this arrangement under penalty of one thousand marks of good silver and pledging all communal goods as security.
In nomine Dei eterni.
Anno nativitatis Eiusdem MoCCLVIIIIo, indictione IIa, die II intrante augusto, in Emonia in ecclesia sancti Iohannis Baptiste, in presentia dominorum Almerigoti de Humago et Petri Apolonii de Pirano et Pacis domine Elie et Petri filii Albini Sepe de Pirano et aliorum.
Ibique in publico et comuni rengo ad sonum campane more solito congregato Çugnus maricus Comunis Emonie et Oldoricus Vulpis, Iacobinus et Trigestus et Engaldeus et Facina notarius et Oldoricus eius frater et Marigna gastaldio et Monfloridus et Ticus et Rubeus et Ugo eius frater et Almericus Xoende et Porfiriasius notarius de plana et libera et spontanea eorum voluntate et de voluntate et consensu totius Comunis Emonie et omnium vicinorum concorditer et unanimiter elegerunt dominum Biaquinum de Mimuano et eius heredes in perpetuum in suum potestatem et rectorem.
Et ipse dominus Biaquinus propria voluntate per se et suos heredes in perpetuum dictam potestatem, ut dictum est, recepit.
Quam vero electionem omnes suprascripti pro se et suo Comuni ibi presentibus et consentinetibus et eorom heredibus et succesoribus perpetuo firmam habere et tenere promiserunt, et eam potestatem in perpetuo nulla occasione vel ingenio retractare presummet nec retractabit, sub pena M marchasa boni argenti, qua soluta vel non omnia predicta adimplere promiserunt.
Et pro sic attendere obligaverunt ad invicem omnia sua bona et dicti Comunis mobilia et inmobilia, presentia et futura, et dictam potestatem cum omni honore, salario et banno et ratione, sicut decetero ei dare in potestatem consueverunt.
Ego Gualfredus de Giullis imperialis aule notarius interfui et rogatus hoc scripsi.
a) seq. argenti canc. B.
Biaquin’s revocation of perpetual rectorship over Novigrad, issued on January 30, 1261 – edited here as doc. 1261_PE.
The first recorded establishment of a signoria in an Istrian community, the election of Biaquin of Momjan, de iure a ministerial of the patriarchs of Aquileia, was short-lived. Already in January of 1261, not two full years after the promulgation of this election, Biaquin’s title of perpetual podestà of Novigrad was revoked (see doc. 1261_PE). Unfortunately, due to the scarcity of surviving primary sources relevant to this episode, it cannot be deduced what forces governed this election and why (and under whose influence) Biaquin was removed as the lord of Novigrad.
The charter offers a rare insight into the development of communal institutions in Novigrad. As Jenko Kovačič (cited above) demonstrated, the Commune of Novigrad was even at this point, otherwise the golden age of Istrian (semi-)autonomous urban centers, still in its embryonic phase. The Commune of Novigrad was represented by the council of all male citizens – arenga – rather than the more exclusive communal council of civic elite; it was governed by a maricus – the elected official from precommunal phase vested with powers of control of security and the administration of iurisdictio simplex – and a gastald, a representative of the margrave.
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