The Old Polish Themis in nuncio Claudio Rangoni’s reports of 1604
Temida staropolska w relacji nuncjusza Claudio Rangoniego z 1604 roku

Summary/Abstract: The historical-geographical description of the Republic of Poland at the beginning of the 17th century, which was included by Nuncio Claudio Rangoni in his Relacje o Królestwie Polskim z roku 1604 (Relations About the Kingdom of Poland of the Year 1604) was enriched with characteristics of the polity of the state, issues of the domestic and foreign policy, as well as the institution of public life, including judiciary. Taking into account its volume and detailed character, Rangoni’s presentation of the Polish judiciary at the beginning of the 17th century clearly distinguishes his work among other known reports left by Nuncios of the Holy See. The aim of the present work is to introduce, into the scientific circulation, the valuable source relating to the judiciary of the noblemen’s Republic of Poland. Besides offering detailed characteristics of the institution of judiciary of individual rungs, Rangoni’s work provides information on the course of court’s procedure and the most important institutions of the Old Polish legal procedure. The description of courts of the Republic of Poland at the beginning of the 17th century contains also a diagnosis of the condition of the then noblemen’s administration of justice, preceded by a retrospective analysis of the 16th-century projects of reform of the Polish system of administration of justice, especially the circumstances which accompanied the establishment of the Crown Court in 1578.

• Details
• Contents