PEČATE STOLÍC PREDIALISTOV OSTRIHOMSKÉHO ARCIBISKUPA

The study deals with the topic of origin and form of the seals used in the administrative practice of the Predialist Seats of the Esztergom Archbishop. Since the Middle Ages, Predialists were a special group of the military nobility in the service of important church institutions and high church dignitaries. Its members served their masters mainly as soldiers (nobiles exercituantes). As a reward for this service, they received various privileges, land in particular. Property granted this way was identified by the Latin word of praedium. Therefore, the noblemen living there were called the Predialists (praedialistae). The military administrative organisation of the Predialists was formed by the so called seats (sedes). Seals were used to verify the documents produced by their administration. Originally, four Predialist seats belonged to the archbishop of Esztergom. All of them were located in the territory of the today’s Slovakia, in particular around Vráble, Jur nad Hronom, Arcibiskupský Lél and Vojka nad Dunajom. Later on, the Seats of Vráble and Jur nad Hronom were merged into a single unit.