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Copyright of Istorijski časopis is the property of Istorijski Institut and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Istorijski časopis is the property of Istorijski Institut and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Istorijski časopis is the property of Istorijski Institut and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Istorijski časopis is the property of Istorijski Institut and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Having been involved into the fierce conflict between Sandalj Hranić, Bosnian duke, and Đurađ II Balšić, rouler of Zeta, the five sons of Radoslav Paštrović (Andrija, Nikolica, Aleksa, Ostoja and Radič), moved from the region Paštrović family possessed into Kotor and became citizens of the forementioned town. They have probably been incited to act consequently, after Kosača left the battle field, by fear of Balšić' revenge. Some time later, Aleksa, Ostoja and Radič moved from Kotor into the region of Trebinje where they acquired some land properties, due to the support Sandalj offered to them. The inhabitants of Dubrovnik „honored“ them as close and dignified neighbors by having issued citizenships to them; they also donated to them certain sums of money on a number of occasions, but, nevertheless, the „ungreatful“ newcomers often stole the cattle from the peasants of Astarea of Dubrovnik and robbed merchants' goods in the hinterland. However, the members of the Paštrović family became, above all, widely known as diplomats staying at the courts of the most prominent Bosnian lords (Kosača and Pavlović), and of the kings Tvrtko II Tvrtković and Stefan Ostojić. Duke Radosav Pavlović used, most likely, to pay the largest sums of money for the obtained favours; due to this, Aleksa moved to Pavlović' court, having left Sandalj and Tvrtko II, and became the main „expert“ for resolving the issues concerning his part of Konavle with Dubrovnik. Upon coming to Pavlović' court, he found his younger brother Ostoja there, who has already built up the image of an unordinary and controversial diplomat, through his senseless efforts employed to prove to the sultan and to his viziers by means of lies, bribe and corruption that his master did not sell, but only put under hypothecation Konavle to the inhabitants of Dubrovnik, who refused to give the region back to him, after having effectuated the payoff of their debts. The youngest brother Radič has also been active in the diplomacy field, but not as much as his older brothers (Aleksa and Ostoja). He stayed at Pavlović' court until the duke lost the region of Trebinje in 1439, and was afterwards „nominated“ nobleman and diplomat of the Duke and Herceg Stefan Vukčić Kosača. After approximately a decade spent in Kosača's service, he got into the prison of Dubrovnik under unknown circumstances in the middle of the 1450's, and thus anticipated the disappearence of Paštrović family, the „wandering knights“ from the historical stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the archivistic material, both published and unpublished, originated in the Archives of Kotor and Dubrovnik, as well as the literary works, the life and work of Petar Katena was portrayed, serving as an example of the man of affairs, typical of the maritime region in the late Middle Ages. We made notice of his entering the scene of the business and public life in Kotor; successful in managing his credit affairs with his compatriots and his nearest neighbors (inhabitants of Dubrovnik, Ulcinj, Skadar and Drač), as well as with merchants coming from Florence and other Italian towns (Florence, Osimo); simultaneous investment of the gained capital into the expanded commercial and credit affairs as well as into the real property (houses and lands) in Kotor, Dubrovnik and Serbia; engagement in public office activities in Kotor (as a judge and an auditor) and in the church life likewise; his familiar circumstances and the state of property; the particularities of the relation between the community of Kotor and Petar Katena, its most prominent inhabitant (credit affairs). The economic and social activity of this outstanding merchant from Kotor has served as a basis for the research of the social and economic history of Kotor in the first half and in the middle of the XIVth century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The written sources (judiciary-notarial documents issued by the community of Kotor), the relics of the saints and the preserved religious artefacts allow the possibility of investigating the different aspects of the plague phenomenon, ranging from the ways the disease spread its impact on the quotidian inhabitants' behaviour, to the changes occurred in the religious practice of the believers. The contents of the testaments are proved to be the sources of the utmost utility for the exploration of this issue due to the fact that they offer the means to comprehend the specific mentality of the inhabitants of Kotor faced with the fear of this disease and their consequently altered piety. The most common pattern of manifesting one's religious devotion, induced by this fear of morte cruda di peste was to be observed through the addressing to the saints-protectors for help. Saint Sebastian, Saint Rock, Saint Christopher and Saint Vincent Ferrer were venerated in particular as saints-protectors from the plague in Kotor. These cultic solemnities in Kotor have been examined on the grounds of the material provided by the sources and consequently analysed from the viewpoint of the environmental specificities. Saint Christopher was particularly venerated as the protector of travellers, pilgrims and sailors in the busy commercial town of Kotor. After the plague epidemics began spreading, people started to believe that he also had the power to offer protection from this disease. In the mid XIVth century his image was depicted in giant proportions on the front of the Saint Anna's church. The inhabitants of Kotor put their greatest hopes in the intervention of Saint Sebastian and Saint Rock from the XVth century onwards. The cult of Saint Sebastian was cherished by Stefan Kalođurđević, canzellarius sclavus communitatis Catari, who built the church that bore the saint's holy name in his garden outside the South citywalls. The image of Saint Sebastian was also depicted in Kalođurđević' church consecrated to Saint Lady in Mržep dating from 1451. The cult of dominican preacher, Vincent Ferrer, started to flourish in Kotor briefly after his canonization took place in the year of 1455. By the end of the XVth century, a small church just aside the dominican monastery of Saint Nicolas was erected in Kotor and consecrated to the aforementioned saint. The inhabitants' beliefs concerning St. Vincent's protection from the plague can be traced in the XVIth century narrative from the life of the Blessed Osanna of Kotor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]