A Latin document by Vlad Dracula
The Guardian British newspaper recently published a photograph by Gleb Zilberstein of “a letter written by Vlad Dracula in 1475 to the people of Sibiu informing them he would be taking up residence in their town”. The photograph was posted and discussed on Reddit r/ArtefactPorn. Though the resolution of the photo is not enough to allow reading the whole text, I could identify a few words and search for a complete translation that I found on siebenbuergenurkundenbuch.uni-trier.de.
The document is written in Latin. It says nothing about the Voivod taking residence in Sibiu. It is instead a receipt for a tribute of 200 florins paid by that town. Below you can find a slightly edited transcription based on the one I linked above and my English translation.
Transcription: Nos Ladislaus Dragkwlya vaivoda partium Transalpinensium notificamus et recognoscimus / publice per praesentes quibus incumbit universis, quomodo spectabilis vir magister Thomas / Altemberger magister civium civitatis Cibiniensis in sua et aliorum civium civitatis / praedicte et Brassowiensis personis ad rationem arendationis vigesimae ad literatorium / mandatum gratiosissimi domini nostri regis ducentos florenos Vngariales effective nobis / dedit et assignavit. Super quibus ducentis florenis dictum magistrum civium et consules / praedictarum civitatum liberos reddimus et per omnia absolutos harum nostrarum vigore / et testimonio literarum mediante. Datis in Bolkach in festo Colomani martyris, anno domini / Mo CCCCo LXXV.
Translation: We, Vladislav Dracul, voivode of the Transalpine regions, publicly notify and recognize / by the present witnesses, who are all responsible, that the illustrious master Thomas / Altemberger, master of the people of the town of Sibiu, for himself and the other people of / said town and of the town of Brașov, in order to pay the twentieth-part [tax] as by written / command of our gracious lord and king, effectively gave and allotted to us two hundred / Hungarian florins. About those two hundred florins, we free the said master and the consuls of the / aforementioned towns, making them unencumbered and entirely released by the power and / testimony of this document. Written in Bălcaciu, in the day of St. Coloman martyr, in the year of the lord / 1475.
The king mentioned in the text is Matthias Corvinus. This Romanian blog post provides a transcription of the royal written order to Thomas Altemberger mentioned in the previous document.
Transcription: Mathias dei gratia rex Hungariae, Bohemiae et cetera. Prudens et circumspecte fidelis nobis dilecte. Mandamus tibi, quatenus statim receptis praesentibus de pecuniis tricesimalibus vel de proventibus camerae Offenbanya fideli nostro Drakwlye ducentes florenos pro subsidio dare debeas ad rationem nostram Et aliud sub nostra gravissima indignatione facere non praesumpmas. Praesentes autem, quas etiam pro maiori securitate tua propriae manus nostrae scripto signavimus, facta restitutione eorundem ducentorum florinorum pro tua expeditione apud te conserves. Datum Budae in festo beati Mathei apostoli et evangelistae, anno et cetera LXXmo quinto, regnorum nostrorum Hungariae et cetera anno XVIImo, Bohemiae vero septimo. Mathias rex manu propria. (ANS, UII, Nr.361)
Translation: Matthias, king of Hungary, Bohemia etc. by the grace of God. Dearest, prudent, careful and loyal to us. We command you, as soon as you receive the present message, to give to our loyal Dracul two hundred florins from the thirtieth tax or from the income of Baia de Arieş (Offenbanya) by our order. Do not dare to do anything different or you will face our serious indignation. After delivering those two hundred florins, you shall keep this document, which for your greatest security we signed with our own hand. Written in Buda, in the feast of Matthias apostle and evangelist, in the year etc 75th, the 17th of our reign on Hungary etc, the 7th upon Bohemia. King Matthias by his own hand.
