Уговор о веридби Владислава II Немањића и Констанце Морозини
The Betrothal Contract between Vladislav II Nemanjić and Constanza Morosini

Summary/Abstract: The original of the betrothal contract between Vladislav (II) Nemanjić and Constanza Morosini, written in Serbian and Latin, has not been found since, at least, 18th century. The document was, however, published several times on the basis of various copies, all of which stemmed from the same source – a translation from Serbian into Old Italian vernacular. It represents the only surviving documentary evidence of this (pre)marital union of the Serbian dynasty and the Venetian patrician family of Morosini, linked directly to the Hungarian dynasty of the Árpáds. It is also considered to be the document that contains the first mention of the Serb orthodox bishopric of Bosnia. However, the identification of that bishopric is still elusive which makes it a subject of open debates in historiography. The Old Italian translation of the contract is currently to be found in at least four known manuscripts, all of which are kept in Venice. This article discusses the preserved copies and their mutual links, Italian tradition concerning the personality of Constanza Morosini, historical background of the contract and the relevance and validity of the data contained in it. It also gives the analysis of the inner structure of the document and critical edition (with translation in modern Serbian language) based on the earliest extant copy – the autograph of Marino Sanudo the Younger (the first book of his work The Lifes of Doges).

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