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Archival description
Diversa Cancellariae (Various documents registered at the Chancellery)
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Diversa Cancellariae (Various documents registered at the Chancellery)

  • HR-DADU-15
  • Fonds
  • 1282-1286, 1295-1297, 1305-1306, 1312-1314, 1320-1323, 1325-1330, 1333-1337, 1341-1345, 1347-1352, 1354-1356, 1362-1377, 1381-1418, 1422-1452, 1454-1815

The fonds covers the period from the end of the 13th to the beginning of the 19th centuries and contains the data on public legal and judicial affairs and also on those private legal affairs for which the Public Notary was otherwise in charge. Thus, just like the fonds Diversa Notariae, this fonds is an excellent source of information on all aspects of political, economic, cultural, public and private life in the Republic of Dubrovnik.


The fonds is, therefore, very important for the research of the history of the Jewish people. It provides relevant data on business and private connections of Jews in Europe, mostly Southeast Europe, then in North Africa and the Middle East, in the period from the 14th to the beginning of the 19th centuries. The earliest reference found so far dates from 1368, when David from an Albanian city of Durrës, in the presence of witnesses Moshe, the son of Matthew, and Solomon, also from Durrës, registered a declaration of receipt of a financial deposit from a certain Venetian (vol. 21, ff. 71v, 72). A few more examples from earlier times illustrate well the diversity and relevance of this fonds. Astruch, the son of Jacob, called "Bonaventura", found his runaway son-in-law, Joseph Farrer from Padua, in Dubrovnik in the year 1400. They both signed an agreement at the Public Notary, in which it was stated that Joseph must return to his wife Astrucha within seven months. If he failed to do so, he would have to pay a fine of 20 perpers, and 10 perpers of this amount would be paid to Astruch (who found him). In the same document, Joseph also pledged to reimburse his father-in-law for the costs of the search. Witnesses to the agreement were Vives, the son of Astruch and Moshe, the son of Joseph (vol. 33, f. 183). In 1414, a medical examiner Samuel, signed a contract with a blind Ragusan Pripko Kaličević. The contract states that if the doctor managed to cure Pripko's eyes, he would be awarded 10 golden ducats, and if he failed, he would get nothing (vol. 40, f. 27v). The fonds also references other prominent and well-known people from that time such as: Abner Alfarin, Isac Ergas, Daniel Rodrigues, Nehemia Hia Haion, Solomon Oef, David Pass (Passo), Didacus Pyrrhus and some members of a highly respected Dubrovnik Jewish family, the Coens. Some members of Dubrovnik Jewish families Ambonetti, Campos, Fermo, Levi Mandolfo, Luzzena, Maestro, Pardo, Russo, Terni, Tolentino, Valenzin, Vitali were also referenced many timesare mentioned a lot. There are also many references to Jews who remained in Dubrovnik for a very short time, or to those who only passed through it or even never came directly but did business through the city with the help of intermediaries. One will was also registered in the books of this fonds. It is the will of Moshe Alfandrino, which was composed in 1584 in Venice. Two years later, Mira Alfandrino, Moshe's widow, also registered her will at the Public Notary in Dubrovnik (vol. 174, ff. 21v-22v a tergo).

Chancellery of the Dubrovnik Republic