Nobility and Written Culture in the South-Western Borderland of the Principality of Transylvania
Nobility and Written Culture in the South-Western Borderland of the Principality of Transylvania

Summary/Abstract: The South western territory of the Transylvanian Principality, nowadays Banat, was a true territory of nobility. These atypical elites, living in the towns of Caransebeş and Lugoj, were closely connected to the realities of written culture. Dozens of documents indicate that at least a part of the Banat nobility has access to literacy. On the first level, handwriting was usual for those noble able to produce literary or religious works (so called Banatian humanists). On a second level could be included all those capable to write an official or private correspondence or who managed to manifest themselves in writing by small notes on the back of documents. A final level can be observed at those nobles whose ability to write is limited to the simple reproduction of their name (manu propria).

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