Letters of foundation of Pécs and Veszprém, Bonipert

Pécs - Cathedral
Esztergom - Gisela chapel
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The letter of foundation of the Pécs bishopric

One of St Stephen's three more or less authentic Latin charters (later it was changed, and rewritten). With this charter issued on 23 August 1009 in Győr, the King founded the Pécs bishopric with the Pope's approval, and he also fixed the borders of it in the presence of Bishop Azo, the papal legate and some dignitaries. He appointed the first bishop: Bonipert, who was in correspondence with Fulbert, Bishop of Chartre. The text of the charter was rewritten many times, it survived in the 1404 form, which was made in the convent of Somogy. Its author might have worked in a German chancellery earlier, probably under chancellor Egilbert, but he was not identical with the writer of St Stephen's Pannonhalma charter.

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The letter of foundation of the Veszprém bishopric

According to the preserved text in 1009, according to earlier views in 1002, in the charter of Sóly from county Veszprém King St Stephen subordinated the castle districts of Veszprém, Székesfehérvár, Kolon and Visegrád together with all the church institutions in them to the bishopric of Veszprém and Bishop Stephen. Thus he defined the territory of the new church district. He presented new possessions to the new church district: in county Veszprém the village of Cari, in county Fehér Ausi, Cari and Bergen, and in the territory of county Kolon, Visegrád and Hurhida one village each was presented. The text of the charter survived only in transcripts: Béla IV 's one form 1257 (a forgery), and that of the Tihany convent from around 1295, which was authentic. Only the forgery contains dates. During transcriptions mistakes were made in the text, but essentially the original version was preserved. It might have been composed by a North-Italian author, based on its Latin terminology.

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Bonipert

He was the first bishop of Pécs, who was in office from 1009 to 1036. From 1036 bishop Mór became his successor. The reason why he gave up his position as a bishop, or transfered to another place is unknown. Based on his name, he might have originated from Lombardy. He might have been a clerk of Peter, bishop of Como ( the chancellor of Otto III, then Arduin, Italian king), and before 1009 he may have come to Hungary as the intermediator in the marriage of St Stephen's sister and the Venetian doge. It was supposed that he composed the letter of foundation of the Veszprém bishopric, which shows north-Italian characteristics. He was in correspondence with Fulbert, bishop of Chartres, according to whose reply-letter Bonipert asked for Priscianus's Grammar, one of the most popular Latin grammar-books of the Middle Ages. The Pozsony year-book dates his death to 1042.

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