Századok – 2009

TANULMÁNYOK - E. Kovács Péter: Zsigmond császár megkoronázása Rómában VI/1323

truce for five years was issued in Rome. An important role in the course of the negotiations was played by pope Eugene IV himself. The Republic seems to have paid a lot of money for those who mediated between the parties. Of course the imperial administration dealt with other affairs too during its stay in Rome. It is more difficult to establish the exact number of the imperial entourage. The sources generally speak about 1000 to 1500 people. The number of the Hungarian followers was estimated upon the basis of the supplicationes handed into the various papal offices. Yet both the published abstracts and the original volumes furnished further names. Fortunately, the volumes of the Repertórium Germanicum relating to the age of Eugene IV have already been published. The relevant volumes of the Deutsche Reichstagakten and the Regesta Imperii offer further important information upon the problem of numbers. What seems certain is that the entourage was made up mostly of Hungarians. But Bohemians, Germans, Italians and Englishmen also accompanied Sigismund to Rome. It should be emphasised, however, that only a fraction of the imperial entourage could be reconstructed, and the list is accordingly unfit for any general conclusion. Moreover, since the coronation was a unique act, we can never know whether a given individual accompanied Sigismund during the entire Romzug or only joined him for the ceremony in the spring of 1433. And finally, what were the costs that the papal court had to meet on this occasion? It is certain that the pope had to spend a lot in order to meet the emperor's expectations. During his stay in Rome Sigismund seems to have received altogether 17 972 florins from the papal treasuiy. The Roman days ended on 13 August 1433. Sigismund was one of those rulers who looked upon their father for a model. In this respect he was fortunate, for he was able to follow in the footsteps of Charles IV as regards both his „profession" (Roman emperor) and its principal attribute (coronation in Rome). We have every reason to believe that he was really content when reflecting upon his sojourn in the Eternal City.