Povelja kralja Tvrtka I Kotromanića (Žrnovnice, 10. april 1378. – Trstivnica, 17. juni 1378)

The coronation of the Bosnian ban Tvrtko I Kotromanić as the King of ”the Serbs, Bosnia and Pomorje“ in 1377 was one of the most significant events of the Bosnian medieval history. With this act, the Bosnian state elevated in the rank of kingdoms and its ruling dynasty, the Kotromanić family, entered the narrow circle of the noblest dynasties of the Medieval Europe. Unfortunately, contemporary sources about this event are scarce and very rare. Most of the information related to the point of view of the king Tvrtko himself to the coronation event can be found inside the charter issued to the prince, gentry and citizens of the city of Dubrovnik on 10th April 1378 in Žrnovnice, and confirmed again by the queen and the mother queen on 17th June of the same year. With regard to its content and its paleographical and diplomatic features, this charter represents a real milestone in the development of the Bosnian royal office. Despite the above mentioned facts, this charter has neither received its diplomatic analysis yet, nor has it been translated into the modern Bosnian language, which has resulted with a completely different interpretation of its contents. With this contribution, the authors would like to offer the first complete translation of this charter, along with a complete analysis of its diplomatic, topographic, prosopographic and conceptual details. Additionally, we will provide an overview of the broader historical context of the time at which the charter was created, so that we could better understand its significance for studying the act of Tvrtko’s coronation in 1377.