Testament viteza Pribislava Vukotića i pravna kultura
Testament of the Knight Pribislav Vukotić and Legal Culture

Summary/Abstract: The subject of this paper is historical and legal analysis of contents of the testament of the knight Pribislav Vukotić, written in Padua in 1475. As a merchant, renowned diplomat and advisor to Herzeg Stjepan Vukčić Kosača, Vukotić acquired a considerable amount of property during his lifetime, which is the subject of his disposal. The testament is analyzed through the prism of medieval legal culture, establishing a link between the legal institutes contained in the testament and the actual legal system as determined by collective legal consciousness. It is common knowledge that in the European Middle Ages, the church played the most important role in spreading testamentary inheritance. The influence of the church, including the Christian spirit of the testator himself, dominates through Vukotić’s testament. It is clearly visible through prayers for his own soul, care for the family, including a child who has not yet been born, the presence of church people in the making of the testament, and a large amount of pro anima legata. In addition to observing church influences, the paper focuses on the institute of dowry and the institute of testament execution, attempts are made to identify influences of two legal cultures, the culture of the area from which Vukotić originated, and the culture within which the testament was written.

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