Ars heraldica. Heraldica lui Pápai Páriz Ferenc
Ars Heraldica. Ferenc Pápai Páriz’ Book on Heraldry

Summary/Abstract: Even though bearing a coat of arms was a frequent habit in Hungary from the XVth century onwards, the first book of a Hungarian author dealing with heraldry was published only in 1695. Printed in Kolozsvár, by Miklós Misztótfalusi Kis, Ferenc Pápai Páriz’s Ars heraldica was one of the notable examples for the new heraldic approach current in the XVIIth century. Though written in Latin, it is considered to be the first Hungarian book of heraldry.The work is divided into 16 chapters, out of which only three deal explicitly with coats of arms. The other chapters introduce topics of politology, archontology, genealogy and other auxiliary sciences of history. The heraldic part is well-documented and offers a significant amount of information to the reader.The aim of Pápai Páriz was to provide the nobility of Hungary and Transylvania with a handbook that could improve their knowledge in questions connected to offices, dignities, kingship and other characteristics accompanying the noble status.

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