Fojnica Armorial


The so-called Fojnica Armorial is a prominent Illyrian armorial which contains South Slavic heraldic symbols, and expresses romantic nationalism and illyrism rather than historical accuracy. The manuscript is named after the Franciscan monastery in Fojnica where it was kept.

Dating

The manuscript is an important source of the classical heraldry of the Balkan Peninsula, alongside the Korenić-Neorić Armorial of 1595, and the "Illyrian Armorial" collected by Edward Bourchier, 4th Earl of Bath before 1637.

Roll

The manuscript contains a total of 139 coats of arms. It begins with a depiction of the Bogorodica, saints Cosmas and Damian, and Saint Jerome. There follows a title page, written in Cyrillic, which attributes the work to one Stanislav Rubčić, in honour of King Stefan Dušan, with the date 1340. The date of 1340 is result of pseudepigraphy. There is an added note in Latin, dated 1800, which testifies that the manuscript had been kept in Fojnica monastery "from time immemorial". Then there is as page showing a combined coat of arms consisting of eleven parts. After this, there are ten coats of arms of late medieval realms of the region, Macedonia, "Illyria", Bosnia, Dalmatia, Croatia, Slavonia, Bulgaria, Serbia, Rascia and "Primordia", followed by coats of arms of noble families.