Supetar cartulary or Sumpetar cartulary () is a 12th-century cartulary which contains charters from the years 1080 to 1187. Although the cartulary itself just lists the possessions of the monastery of St. Peter in Selo on the territory of the Republic of Poljica,

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

and the ways through which they were acquired (such as purchase or grants), it also contains a few important historical notes. It is preserved in its original form. In its basis, the cartulary is actually a chronicle of the Benedictine monastery which was founded around 1080 by a Croatian dignitary and slave owner Petar Crni (Peter the Black). Today, it is kept in the treasury of the Cathedral of Saint Domnius in Split.

Description

The cartulary traces the foundation of the ''monastery of Saint Peter'' on the territory of the Republic of Poljica, near the hamlet of Sumpetar (located in today's Jesenice) on October 11, 1080, during the reign of king Demetrius Zvonimir. It was founded by a local nobleman Petar Crni, son of Gumaj, and his wife Mary. The document represents an important insight into the social and economic situation and circumstances in 11th-century Croatia and Dalmatia. It chronologically lists land exchanges, and more importantly, the acquisition of

slave Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...

s, which had been a profitable trade in the region. It contains rich onomastics material. Apart from personal names of Slavic, Roman and

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

origin, it also contains vernacular nicknames such as ''Platichlebi'' (plati + hleb, "buy bread"), Tilstacossa (Tusta kosa, thick hair), Urascana (Vraškonja) and so on.Novak-Skok, p. 259.

Later addendum

The cartulary also contains a later addendum, with information on the political situation in late 11th century Croatia, naming six

feudal Feudalism, also known as the feudal system, was a combination of legal, economic, military, cultural, and political customs that flourished in Middle Ages, medieval Europe from the 9th to 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a way of struc ...

noble families ( Čudomirić, Kačić, Kukar, Mogorović, Snačić, Šubić) from which bans (viceroys) of Croatia, Bosnia, Slavonia, Požega, Podravina, Albania and Srijem were elected from and others which were eligible for being elected as

župa A župa, or zhupa, is a historical type of administrative division in Southeast Europe and Central Europe, that originated in medieval South Slavs, South Slavic culture, commonly translated as "county" or "parish". It was mentioned for the first t ...

ns and states that in the case that the reigning king of Croatia dies without an heir a new king is elected by the bans, giving primacy to the bans of Croatia, Bosnia, and Slavonia. However, the specific writing about bans is dated to the late 13th and early 14th century, and was constructed for political purposes.

Description

Later addendum

References

Further reading