Niezwykłe małżeńskie życie codzienne w suplikach do Penitencjarii Apostolskiej z metropolii gnieźnieńskiej w XV wieku

Abstract

The Apostolic Penitentiary, besides clerical, Church and religious matters, also dealt with matrimonial matters. The jurisdiction of the Apostolic Penitentiary included mainly granting dispensations from matrimonial impediments, but also absolution when the marriage was contracted with the knowledge of the existence of an impediment and resolving doubtful or unclear cases. The most common marriage problem in the province of Gniezno was the impediment of consanguinity in 4th and 3rd degrees. However, among the marriage cases we also find stories of domestic violence, complicated arrangements between relatives, acts of bigamy and love stories. All this took place in relatively narrow groups of cousins and people related by affinity to each other.