The Right of Shipwreck in Medieval Serbia

Abstract

The paper represents the first attempt to specifically and comprehensively explore the right of shipwreck (ius naufragii) in medieval Serbia. In the opening section, the wider comparative context is established through an overview of the presence of this legal custom in Europe and the Mediterranean during the ancient and medieval periods. This is followed by a discussion of the available information on its presence in Serbia, which spans the period from the early 14th to the mid-15th century and includes examples both of its exercise and of regulations by which it was abolished in regard to communities focused on maritime trade – Venice and Dubrovnik. The final section is dedicated to the examination of its status as a regal right of Serbian medieval rulers and the circumstances and mechanisms of its abolition regarding Venetian and Dubrovnik ships.