Jan Filipec and his Pontificale

Antonín Kalous

Philosophical faculty, Palacký University, Olomouc

18 February 2010, Esztergom

Jan Filipec(1431–1509)

• b. Prostějov• Olomouc• Hungary –

Esztergom, Felhévíz, Várad, Buda

• travels: Italy – Milan, Rome, Venice, Ferrara, Naples

Career in royal service

• Matthias Corvinus• royal chancery + ecclesiastical

benefices (royal patronage right: Esztergom, Felhévíz, Várad)

• diplomacy• internal matters of Matthias’s

Kingdom of Bohemia (in Moravia, Silesia)

• privy chancellor• death of the king → life in

seclusion (OFM)

Diplomacy• diplomatic service• Italy

– 1476 Venice – Ferrara – Naples – Manfredonia – Chioggia – Ferrara – Venice

– 1481 Venice (?)– 1482–1483 Rome– 1487 Venice – Ferrara – Venice – Milan – France –

Milan• France• Austria, Germany, Bohemia• political service in Hungary and other lands of

Matthias Corvinus

Matthias & Milan• friendly relations• 1473 cooperation treaty

(against Venice)– signed by Jan z Rabštejna,

a Czech humanist in the service of Matthias

• 1487 wedding of John Corvinus & Bianca Maria Sforza– Filipec active – wedding act

per procuram– big promises (also in

Czech lands)– Giovanni Francesco

Marliani’s Epithalamium– finally not successful

Ecclesiastical service

• specific situation in Hungary (patronage right)• Esztergom – 1474 provost, metropolitan chapter• Felhévíz – 1475 provost, collegiate chapter

– close to the royal court• Várad – 1476 bishop

– resigned in Esztergom– wealthy bishopric– traditionally related to diplomacy and service in the privy

chancery• Olomouc – 1483 administrator

– conflicts of concepts– conflict with the Papal curia (from originally ‘heretical’ family)– various candidates

• 1490 resignation of all → Franciscan friar

Filipec’s Pontificale

• one of the liturgical books• bishop’s office in liturgical

terms – description of and instructions for all his duties

• Filipec’s book– created in Buda, late 1470s

or early 1480s– many illuminations– owned by Filipec, later by

István Podmaniczky, bishop of Nitra; 19th c. – cardinal János Simor, archbishop of Esztergom

Pontificale• benedictions• ordinations• coronations

Coronations

• this book mentioned in connection to the coronation of Vladislav II (II. Ulászló) (1490) and Ferdinand I (1527) as Kings of Hungary

Coronation of Vladislav/Ulászló

• sources

• Bonfini × Pontificale– Antonio Bonfini, Italian humanist historian– drawing heavily on the pontificale, when

describing the coronation

• ideal coronation…

• description of rituals

Other coronations • pope• emperor• queen

Cultural context

• Buda (later Vienna) court of Matthias Corvinus• Italian connection HU• Beatrix of Aragon (from Naples), wife of Matthias

– many Italians in her court (scholars, humanists, artists, diplomats, churchmen)

• transmission of ideas, concepts and art– Italy – Hungary – Czech lands– Humanism?– Renaissance?

• diplomatic service – very much developed

Thank you for your attention.