The Role of Dristian Priests as Notaries and Judges during the Middle Ages

Authors : Teuta SHALAPELİ

Pages : 608-614

Doi:10.21551/jhf.924011

View : 14 | Download : 5

Publication Date : 2021-06-22

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Drisht insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(Latin: Drivastum); was a small medieval city located in northern part of Albania. The settlement of Drisht is known to have existed before the tenth century AD. During the ages Drisht became point of confrontation between Ragusian, Serbian, Albanian and Venetian rulers. Definitively Drisht was conquered by the Ottoman Empire in 1478. In this article, as far as the gathered data allowed us, we have presented some of the secular services provided by Drisht priests in and outside the city during the medieval period. The involvement of the Drisht priests in various secular services was an indication that they had exercised a strong influence on secular power. If analysing their secular-civil character activities, it appears that Drisht priests were involved in many directions: in the field of judiciary either as a judge or a participant in an ecclesiastical or secular trial; as a notary; in politics – signing political agreements, as it was the event of 1442 when Drishti came under the Venetian rule. Furthermore, they provided even notorious services outside of Drisht, as it was the case of priest Andrea, who in the early XIV century was mentioned as a notary in the island of Lagosta.
Keywords : Drishti, Middle age, priests, notary, judges