While in Cracow most
tourists go to the museum of Czartoryski family. It was an
aristocratic family of collectors of art and not only art. The best
known object in the museum is the picture of a lady with an ermine by
Leonardo, but there are some things for calligraphy freaks there as
well.
There are royal
charters there given in the end of 14th century and beginning of 15th
century by kings Ludwik (a king of Poland and Hungary) and Jagiello
(a king of Poland and Lithuania). The document called in Polish "Unia
Horodeska" was the document that started the united kingdom of
Poland and Lithuania, an union that lasted several centuries. All
these are excellent examples of chancery hand of that time. All
documents are written in Latin, which was official language of all
three kingdoms involved.
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| Charter of Koszyce, 1374 |
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| Union of Horodlo, 1413 |
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| Union of Horodlo |
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| Charter of Jedlna, 1430 |
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| Charter of Jedlna |
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| Royal grant to Czartoryski family, 1442 |
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| Royal grant to Czartoryski family |
There is a book available, based on this blog.
On the blog there is, so to speak, more room, one can show more illustrations there. Blogs, however, come and go, there is no certainty that it will be there ten years from now. The book, on the other hand, once you acquire it, will last, one can be sure of that.
