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Reformationes (Decisions of the Councils of the Dubrovnik Republic)

  • HR-DADU-01
  • Fonds
  • 1301-1306, 1311-1336, 1343-1353, 1356-1368, 1378-1392, 1395-1399, 1402-1404, 1407-1415

The fonds contains the decisions of the Major Council, the Minor Council, and the Senate, or of the three supreme institutions of government of the Dubrovnik commune. The books of the fonds date from the 14th and the beginning of the 15th century, and they contain various decisions on all aspects of the policy of the internal and foreign affairs of the Dubrovnik commune and are very important for the research of the earlier history of Dubrovnik.


The fonds contains very few mentions of Jewish people. The references found are from the first half of the 14th century, but they do not seem to be directly connected with the Jewish people. Namely, probably under the influence of church presentations and performances, the people of Dubrovnik would disguise themselves as Jews or Carbonos before Easter, blackening their faces and dressing up in a certain way. Disguised like this they would attack passers-by and use this as an opportunity to deal with their enemies. Authorities forbade them to disguise themselves in such a way, and the first ban under threat of a fine of 25 perpers dates to the time before Easter in 1319. Prohibitions of disguise to Carbonos or Jewish people were repeatedly issued in 1320, 1323, 1329 and 1335. In 1331, the authorities in the Republic allowed such a disguise.

Central offices of the Dubrovnik commune

Cancellaria Capetanatus de Zaptat (Chancellery of the captaincy in Cavtat)

  • HR-DADU-72
  • Fonds
  • 1690-1695, 1625-1626

There are no references to Jews in the fonds.
The fonds consists of registers of the Chancellery of the captaincy in Cavtat from the 17th century. The registers mainly consist of so-called documents for various purposes, among which there are primarily written texts of public proclamations, notices, evidentiary proceedings for court investigations and judgments.

Chancellery of the captaincy in Cavtat

Praecepta rectoris (Rector's Provisions)

  • HR-DADU-05
  • Fonds
  • 1278-1280, 1299-1301, 1387-1392, 1420-1423, 1426-1428, 1455-1457, 1571-1577, 1613-1618, 1621-1764

The fonds contains the decisions of the Rector of the Dubrovnik Republic in the period from the 70s of the 13th century to the beginning of the 14th century, and from the end of the 14th century to the 60s of the 18th century. The reference to the title “Rector” can be traced back to the 12th century. When the Venetian rule in Dubrovnik ended in 1358, the election of the Rector became the jurisdiction of the Major Council. The candidates for the Rector had to be at least 50 years old and members of the Senate. The Rector’s mandate lasted only one month. With the strengthening of the institutions of the Dubrovnik commune, his role was reduced to a predominantly representative role, and there were hardly any decisions he could make independently. His duties were: to represent the Dubrovnik Republic before the Dubrovnik commoners and before the representatives of foreign states, to preside over the Minor Council, the Major Council, and the Senate, to keep and protect the seal of the Republic and the keys to the city gates. Since the Rector had a central position in the judicial council until the middle of the 15th century, the first volume of this fonds contains records related to various criminal and civil proceedings. In later times, the Rector's decisions mainly dealt with taxations (Cro. gabela) paid for wine production in the territory of the Dubrovnik Republic, decisions related to the amount of rent of real estate in the Republic and cases of the defendant's intentional absence from trial (Lat. contumacia).


The fonds contains only limited information on Jews that mainly relates to their renting of business and residential premises. For example, the names of Joseph Azubi, David Coen, the Lumbroso brothers and Samuel Maestro are referenced in the 20s of the 17th century, related to conflicts over the right to run stores in front of the ghetto, on the main street in Dubrovnik, named Placa, while Aron Coen and Samuel Maestro were referenced to in the records of 1631 since they were in conflict with a nobleman who had rented them a house with a garden in the eastern Dubrovnik suburb of Ploče (vol. 12, f. 24). There is also a brief entry about Esther, the widow of Solomon Luzzena, who in 1680 paid the debt of her late husband to Luka Stella (vol. 14, f. 89v).

Office of the Secretary of the Dubrovnik Republic

Officium Salis Stagni (Salt Office in Ston)

  • HR-DADU-71
  • Fonds
  • 1566-1806

There are no references to Jewish people in the fonds.
The fonds consists of registers containing documents from the 60s of the 16th centuries till the early 19th century, recording the following items: costs of maintenance of the Salt Office, costs of management of the salt basin and costs for the production of salt, costs of the shipping of salt to Dubrovnik and to the sales point in Gabela. The fonds also contains data on the sale of salt, as well as various data on salt that was delivered from other places to Ston to be sold.

Salt Office in Ston

Depositi (Deposits)

  • HR-DADU-46
  • Fonds
  • 1599-1806

The content of this fonds has not been fully researched so far. It contains three volumes, and the first volume is completely empty, and it does not contain any documents. The remaining two volumes cover the period from 1778 to 1815 and contain entries of cash deposits made at the Chancellery. These deposits represent payments of debts and settlements of various bills. The data also indicate that only persons whose names were written on the receipts as recipients, could collect the money at the Chancellery. According to the information available, the debtor would deposit the money at the Chancellery in situations when it was necessary for the other party to perform a certain action before receiving the money.


The fonds contains very little information about Jewish people, and the data found primarily refer to various aspects of their business at that time. References to certain members of various Ragusans Jewish families such as Costantini, Janni, Luzzena, Maestro, Pardo, Terni, Tolentino can also be found. For example: in 1804, Daniel Tolentino deposited 154 Ragusan ducats and 24 grossetti at the Chancellery to pay his debt to Sabato Terni, and Terni was also obliged to settle all accounts, or all his debts to Tolentino, before collecting the money deposited (vol. 2, f. 224v).

Chancellery of the Dubrovnik Republic

Acta Consilii Maioris (Decisions of the Major Council)

  • HR-DADU-02
  • Fonds
  • 1415-1808

The fonds contains the decisions of the Major Council, the supreme body of power, in which all male adult nobles were assembled. Although the Minor Council and the Senate eventually assumed certain responsibilities of the Major Council, the Major Council retained supreme authority until the fall of the Republic (1808). The Major Council passed regulations of a permanent nature (laws), had the last word in decision-making in the most important state affairs, granted pardon and amnesty, as well as elected the Rector, members of the Senate and the Minor Council, and other state officials.


The granting of Isaac Jeshurun’s appeal is most likely the only mention of Jewish people in this fonds. In 1622, Jeshurun ​​was accused of ritual murder of a girl and, during his interrogation, was subjected to torture. When the real killer was discovered, investigations into Jeshurun's alleged complicity in the murder continued. At the end of 1622, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison. In January 1625, the Senate accepted Jeshurun's petition for pardon and forwarded the petition to the Major Council, as this was the only authority that could make decisions on pardons. The record shows that all petitions or pardon would be presented every year before the Major Council, at a session that used to be held before Easter, on Wednesday, during the Holy Week. On March 26, 1625, the Major Council accepted Jeshurun's proposal to change his prison sentence to life-time exile from the Republic (vol. 34, ff. 200v, 201).

Office of the Secretary of the Dubrovnik Republic

Punctaturae; Punctature (Penalties to nobility)

  • HR-DADU-06
  • Fonds
  • 1534, 1540, 1576, 1591-1592, 1599, 1632-1808

One part of the fonds is related to the collection of fines for nobles who were unjustifiably absent from the sessions of the councils (vols. 1-3, 5, 14, 14b). Other volumes contain proposals for debates submitted to the Senate by the Minor Council (vols. 4, 7-13; 1591-1592, 1673, 1694-1808). The topics of these debates are mostly related to the internal affairs of the Dubrovnik Republic. If the motion for a debate is crossed out, the date on the margin of this entry indicates when this debate was held in the Senate. Nevertheless, that does not necessarily mean that the debate was de facto recorded in the Senate registers.


There are not many references to Jews in this fonds. Approximately, in one volume of the fonds, there is an average of 2 to 4 entries concerning Jews (e.g., vol. 10, ff. 14v, 29, 42, 75v; vol. 12, ff. 47, 49; vol. 13, pp. 63c). For example, a proposal to discuss the bankruptcy of Solomon Vitali, and his son and brother, was entered on 25/7/1772. The proposal was crossed out and a note on the margin indicates that the debate was to be held in Senate on the same day (vol. 11, f. 47). However, there is no record of that debate in registers of the Senate.

Office of the Secretary of the Dubrovnik Republic

Assembleae et Consulatus maris; Assemblee e Consolato di mare (Maritime consulate)

  • HR-DADU-55
  • Fonds
  • 1629-1811

There are no references to Jewish people in the fonds.
The Maritime Consulate recorded statements about damage at sea caused by natural disasters, and attacks by pirates and corsairs. Testimonies were given by captains, crew members and passengers of both Dubrovnik and foreign ships, whose first port of call after the accident was Dubrovnik. Based on these statements, cases of a property-legal nature were resolved, primarily due to the need to collect maritime insurance. The fonds covers the period dating from the 20s of the 17th centuries to the beginning of the 19th century.

Maritime consulate of the Dubrovnik Republic

Acta Gallica (French administration)

  • HR-DADU-76
  • Fonds
  • 1808-1814

The fonds is sorted by years and contains files and documents of the French authorities concerning finances, accounting, public health, maritime affairs, trade, military affairs, police matters, private and public construction work (especially road developments), management of food supplies, education, local administration, administration of state-owned property, taxes, courts, church matters and different aspects of cultural life.


The fonds is important for researching all aspects of the life of Ragusan Jews during the French administration between 1808 and 1814. At that time, the Jews of Dubrovnik were mostly involved in business affairs connected with trade and crafts. They participated in the purchase of food supplies for the area of Dubrovnik (mainly of cereals, salt, and oil (F XIX / 4, no. 3666). Archival data show that they were also active in monetary transactions (investing capital in ship construction and exporting raw materials such as wax, cotton, leather, and wool). Furthermore, thanks to the preserved archival material, it is possible to reconstruct the functioning of Jewish religious fraternities, synagogues, ghettos, and schools in the area. The fonds contains references to many Ragusan Jewish families such as Ambonetti, Ascoli, Costantini, Levi Mandolfo, Maestro, Pardo, Terni, Tolentino, Valenzin, Venturra predominate in the fonds.

French administration

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