Belényesy Károly: Pálos kolostorok az Abaúji-Hegyalján (Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén megye régészeti emlékei 3. Miskolc, 2004)

PAULINE FRIARIES IN THE ABAÚJ HEGYALJA REGION

parts of estates were probably given as eternal alms to the Pauline community, but neither benefice related to the altar or burials within the monastery appear. The most respectable donátor of the Paulines at Regéc was Emerich Szapolyai who gave a curia in the village of Horváti in 1465. John Szapolyai, the Voivode of Transylvania, confirmed this act in 1509. Following the decline of the Regéc monastery, its properties were taken over by the vicariate of Újhely. The mansion, originally belonging to Regéc, remained the property of Újhely until the dissolution of the order (8 December, 1786). An inventory from that period reports a noble curia, two peasant plots, a mill with two wheels and two vineyards belonging to the Újhely monastery (Appendix 2).

225 At Göncruszka the donations of noblemen from Ruszka dominate. Before 1338, they founded the community and maintained them with the necessary goods. The steady relationship between the Paulines and the nearby settlement resulted - similarly to Regéc smaller donations including arable fields, vineyards or in some cases parts of mills. The numerous wills favoring the Paulines of Göncruszka reveal the relationship of the monastery and the community of donators (1418, around 1408, 1501, and 1523).

226 Two wills, dating from 1523 and around 1408,

227 include information about burials within the monastery. The relative abundance of donations - as compared to Regéc -is due to the political role undertaken by the noblemen of Ruszka in the noble county. The most frequent and at the same time the wealthiest donators came from the Ruszkai family, which at the beginning of the fifteenth century separated into the Kornis and the Kalondai branches.

228 The most prominent member of the family was Izsép Ruszkai's son Peter, who, being a noble retainer of the Bebek family and the castellan of Szokoly in 13 8 8,

229 was the most remarkable donátor among them. He benefited every monastery in the area by his will. Apart from the Franciscan friary of Kassa and the Gönc monastery, he left one hundred and fifty Forints, four pigs and a silver jar worth one hundred Forints to the Göncruszka monastery, and he was buried there. Among the members of the aristocracy, only Jacob Ónodi Czudar,

230 the conies of Abaúj county, gave DAP III. 150., Fol.: 150 There are some more data concerning the manor house of the Pauline monks of Regéc found in the documents of the monastery in Tokaj. DAP III. 29., 1023. 226 ZsO. V., 301-302., 1051. 227 Zsuzsa Bandi dates the will of Péter, son of Izsép Ruszkai to around 1430. Pál Engel argued that Peter died already in 1408, which is strengthened by a further document from 1418, saying that Bartholomew, son of John Ruszkai gave his donation for Peter, son of Izsép Ruszkai. See Engel, 1996, II. 207. 228 Engel 1996 II, 207, (Kalondai) and 133. (Kornis) 229 Engel, 1996 11,207. 230 Jacob's son (1425-70), bailiff of Abaúj (1448-53). - Engel, 1996 II, 46. donation to the Paulines (Kerel and Tófüz puszta). Last but not least there was a royal donation, too. King Matthias I gave the second half of a mill in Vilmány to the monastery that had already owned the other half (Appendix 3).

231 The donators of the Gönc monastery represent again the immediate environment of the Paulines. The fact that the community is mentioned in the will of Izsép Ruszkai's son, Peter, is exceptional. The mill donated by a smith called Paul Hejcei is also worth mentioning. Apart from these, Lawrence Pros and George Gerewen were the most important donators, whose social position and origin is unknown, but the documents report that they had their own noble retainers

232 (Appendix 4). Sources suggest that the monks of Gönc had close relationship with the German citizens of Telkibánya, which is supported by wills (1428 and 1438) as well as the handling of the St Catherine hospital.

233 Interestingly, no data survived about the donators. Still, the defectiveness of written sources is obvious from the fact that whereas in the wills there is no mentioning of benefices for the altar or burials in the monastery, another data from 1464 mentions seven standing altars in the church. The majority of the donations, similarly to the previously mentioned ones, comprises smaller arable fields, vineyards or parts of mills. The donation of a Telkibánya citizen, George Cuprar stands out from these, for he gave the village Chechuz (Csecses [?] - today unlocated),

234 (except for one plot remaining the donator's property

235

), with a vineyard and the mill connected to it. Later on these properties appeared in connection with the hospital of the town. The donation can be linked to the Cuprar family, namely George

236 (urburarius,

237 and later judge

238

), who played an active role in the founding of the institution and it can be supposed that he supported it by benefices. Therefore, the family took up the case of the hospital. 231 Concerning the Göncruszka monastery, the possibility of another royal donation can be proposed. Scholars argued that the Angevin tapestry, known as the oldest altar cloth from Hungary, today kept in the treasury of the cathedral of Esztergom, may have been a donation from Queen Mary to the Pauline monastery. Regrettably, it was reshaped between 1938-1948, therefore, it is only partly original. Since its medieval form is not known, its relationship with Göncruszka is hypothetical. Therefore, this study does not aim at going into details. See: Marosi, 1987, 228. and 479-498. 232 Bandi, 1985, 594., 35. 233 DAPI., 167., 249. 234 In 1444 it is already mentioned as a wasteland. See: Bandi, 1985, 590., 22. " ' His manor house might have stood here. After his death it descended on the Pauline monastery too. See: Bandi, 1985., 593., 32. 236 He is probably the father of George Cuprar mentioned in 1438. 237 Bandi, 1985. 582., I. 238 Bandi, 1985. 582., 2.