SERBIAN MEDIEVAL ТOWN AND MONASTERY: MONASTIC TRADE AND MINING INCOMES AND CHURCH PROPERTIES IN URBAN SETTLEMENTS (XIII – XV CENTURIES)

Abstract

During the Middle Ages, monasteries represented not only religious and cultural centres in Serbia but also significant factors in economic life. They had estates, incomes and immunity rights assigned at the time of establishment, as well asin subsequent donations. Medieval charters and documents show that a part of these properties and revenues was related to the Serbian medieval cities and towns. These properties consisted of houses, palaces, stases; revenues from mining; rights to revenues from trade fairs and market days; town churches with their properties and incomes. Monasteries were also given certain people residing in cities (i.e. income from them). Revenues from trading during market days, with land estates, represented the economic basis of almost all monastic communities. Monasteries, whose founders were rulers had income from some major fairs in cities like Prizren and Skopje, while the smaller monasteries were granted local markets. Some of these small settlements gradually developed into towns. During the 14th and 15th centuries mining became one of the basic production activities in the Serbian areas of the Balkans. A part of revenues from mining and related industries, especially those from Novo Brdo, the largest Serbian mining town, was granted to the most important monasteries in Serbia and Mount Athos. Beside rulers, individuals and groups involved in mining operations were also founders and donors of some monasteries. During the 15th century a part of the Serbian nobility was engaged in mining, as was the case in other parts of Europe. One of the most important entrepreneurs and leading church benefactors in Serbian Despotate was great čelnikRadič, who had vast estates and important shares in mining and smelting plants. On the other hand, a significant number of Catholics, mainly tradesmen from Adriatic, supported and donated Catholic churches and monasteries in cities like Novo Brdo, Rudnik and Srebrenica.