The Agreement between the Patriarchate of Grado and the Patriarchate of Aquileia Regarding the Metropolitan Jurisdiction over Istrian Bishoprics (24 th of July, 1180): New Critical Edition of the Charter

Abstract

The paper analyzes, critically edits, and translates a treaty signed between the Patriarchate of Grado and the Patriarchate of Aquileia in 1180 whereby the former relinquished to the latter all the claims over Istrian bishoprics, mainly the metropolitan rights, the patriarchal treasury, and some other possessions in the vicinity of Aquileia, thus ending a dispute that plagued the relations between the two patriarchates for centuries and provoked several armed conflicts. As such, the document presents one of the most important historical sources in the context of medieval Istria and the Patriarchate of Aquileia, but the charter itself was never critically edited according to modern ecdotical standards. The authors aim to change this by critically editing the charter, both the treaty as well as the subsequent papal confirmation, and translating this seminal document into English in an effort to make it more accessible to a wider range of professional and non-professional audiences.