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Debita Notariae pro Comuni (Debts to the Dubrovnik commune registered at the Public Notary)

The series contains data on various debts and other types of obligations of individual citizens towards the Republic, which were registered in the period from the middle of the 15th to the beginning of the 17th century.


The only reference to Jewish people in this fonds dates to 1503. Benedict Levi, Aron Alemanus and Abraham Alemanus confirmed in this document that they had received 126 and 3/4 of gold Venetian ducats from the Rector of the Dubrovnik Republic and the Minor Council as the equivalent of 130 ducats (gold coins) they had previously lent to the Dubrovnik archbishop John (de Sacchis) (vol. 1, f. 110).

Aptai de misericordia; Aptagi de misericordia (Promissory notes of mercy)

Aptai de misericordia is a very interesting institution of law that is specific to the Dubrovnik Republic. References to Aptai can already be found in 1272, in the Dubrovnik Statute. The term itself stands for a specific tribunal fee collected by the Rector. Later, the meaning of the term itself changed and aptai started to indicate a civil court proceeding in which that fee had to be paid. Finally, in the second half of the 14th century, the term aptai started to stand for a mode or process that was used to ensure the fulfilment of the debtor's obligation. That obligation was made, i.e., signed in the Chancellery, and it became official after the expiration of the deadline entered in the document. Based on the evidence, it is therefore clear that the entries in the books of the Aptai de misericordia had the power of a judgment and that there was no need to pursue further legal action against the debtor. The entries contain the following information: name and surname of the donor of the charity promissory note, name and surname of the recipient of the charity promissory note, and payment deadline. Valuable items nominated by the borrower to be mortgaged were also sometimes indicated, together with the details of instalment payments. In the margin, along with singular entries, data on debt repayment, were specified. Most of the records in this series follow this model: Jacobus d'Abram Pardo hebreus dedit aptaii de misericordia supra Vitum Michaelis, Andream Pasqualis Vuchotich, et Demetrium Mihailovich calceolarius presentibus simul et in solidum de ducati sexaquinta de g. totius summae (vol. 4, f. 14).


The series gives relevant data for the research of credit transactions of Dubrovnik Jews, who mostly are referenced in the documents of the series as donors, or providers of charity. All the Jews referenced to in this series were permanent residents of Dubrovnik. The first references to their names in the documents date to the end of the 16th century, and many more Jewish names can be found in the documents since the middle of the 17th century. The names of some members of Jewish families such as Abeatar, Abenun, Amadio, Azubi, Coen, Danon, Franco, Israel, Maestro, Oef (Ohev) and Tobi were recorded. Some of them very often cited as creditors, or those who lent money, and the names of Solomon Maestro, and a well-known Dubrovnik merchant Raphael Coen especially stand out among those names. Other Jews that should also be pointed out for their importance are two brothers: Jacob Coen de Herrera (Martin de Marchena), a brother of a famous Jew Abraham Coen de Herrera (Allonso Nuñes de Herrera). The records show also references to other Jewish people of that time, such as: Ambonetti, Ascoli, Asser, Baraffael, Bueno, Cagli, Campos, Coen, Costantini, Forte, Gaon, Levi, Levi Mandolfo, Luzzena, Maestro, Nachas, Navarro, Pappo, Pardo, Russi, Saralvo, Terni, Tolentino, Valenzin, Vitali.

Legata (Legati/Legacies)

There is no reference to Jewish people in the series.
The series includes legacies from the late 15th century and in the period from the mid-16th century to the early 17th century. Volume 4 is entitled: Indice di legati fatti da diverse persone ad Comune, while volume 5 concerns a legacy by Zamagna from the end of the 17th century.

Proclamationes venditionum Cancellariae (Declaration of sales registered at the Chancellery)

There is no reference to Jewish people in the series.
The series contains declarations, or public announcements of the sale of real estate and personal property. These declarations were publicly shouted by the municipal crier, who would announce the names of the sellers, the subject of the sale and the price of the property sold.

Registrum citationum de foris (The register of summons to a court hearing or to a court discussion sent to addresses outside of the Dubrovnik Republic)

The series contains invitations from consuls (civil law judges) which, at the request of the plaintiff, were addressed to persons (defendants) outside the Dubrovnik Republic. These persons were asked to come to Dubrovnik for a court hearing or a court discussion within a certain period, usually 2 or 3 months. The registers of this series date the 30s of the 15th centuries, and from the period from the beginning of the 17th century till the beginning of the 19th century.


The series contains a small number of records concerning Jews, and the data in the series are relevant for the analysis of the Jewish business network in the Balkans and in the Mediterranean. Some members of Dubrovnik Jewish families are referenced to in the series, as well as some members of Jewish families living in Italian (Ancona) and Ottoman cities (Sofia, Sarajevo). The records show references to the following families: Abeatar, Azubi, Barnathan, Benvenisti, Campos, Coen, Maestro, Oef, Pappo, Pardo, Usiel. For example, in April 1652, at the request of David Maestro, who was Solomon Oef's attorney, the consuls invited Achiva Barnathan from Sofia to come to Dubrovnik within two months' time or to send his representative. He was charged with a debt to the deceased Abraham Oef (vol. 4, ff. 56v, 57).

Lamenta de foris (Criminal charges concerning offences committed outside of the city of Dubrovnik)

  • HR-DADU-21-HR-DADU-21.2
  • Series
  • 1370-1373, 1410-1414, 1419-1430, 1432-1434, 1436, 1438-1451, 1453-1462, 1464-1476, 1480, 1482-1483, 1487-1489, 1491-1499, 1501-1524, 1526-1539, 1541-1542, 1544-1556, 1558-1565, 1567-1573, 1576-1581, 1583-1584, 1587-1591, 1597-1598
  • Part of Lamenta de criminali (Legal complaints concerning criminal offences)

There are no references to Jewish people in the series.
Criminal cases were initially tried by Curia Maior and Curia Minor and, starting with 1459, by the Criminal Court. Already around 1412, lawsuits began to be filed separately for acts committed outside the city walls. This is how the Lamenta de foris series originated. Each record consists of data on a lawsuit initiated by a private person or the state (ex officio). Witnesses are listed and, if necessary, their written testimonies are also added. The records in this series date from the period of the 70s in the 14th century to the end of the 16th century. The records relate to acts committed outside the city walls, as well as those committed outside the territory of the Dubrovnik Republic (if the victim or the perpetrator was a citizen of the Republic). Unlike the records for crimes committed inside the city walls, in the records of the fonds Lamenta de foris crimes such as theft and other property crimes prevail.

Liber dominorum syndicum (Books of syndics)

There are no references to Jewish people in the series.
The service of syndics, state officials for the supervision of offices that provided services for locals, was introduced in the 15th century. These officials would visit the area of Dubrovnik every spring to handle complaints from the population and investigate ex officio any issue they would consider relevant and necessary to solve. Upon their return, they were required to compile a report and submit this report to the Senate. The volumes of this series contain records made by syndics beginning in 1545.

Privilegia; Privilegi (Charters and documents issued by various rulers)

There are no references to Jewish people in the series.

The series consists of transcripts and translations of rulers’ charters and various other documents. These documents are mainly issued by Ottoman sultans. Other documents in the fonds are issued by the rulers of some states such as Spain or Hungary and the Papal States.

Office of the Secretary of the Dubrovnik Republic

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