Apprentices from the Zeta Littoral in Late Medieval Ragusa

Abstract

This paper examines the arrival of apprentices from Zeta to Ragusa (today’s Dubrovnik) between 1360 and 1421, a period that coincides with the rule of the Balšić dynasty in Zeta. The research is mostly based on the analysis of unpublished original material from the State Archives in Dubrovnik and relevant historical literature. The first part of the paper presents a general overview of data on crafts and the presence and activity of Zetans in Ragusa, lists the economic benefits of migration to the city, and sheds light on how young men started their apprenticeships. In the second part, archival material allows us to reconstruct the microhistory of the arrival of young men from the settlements and areas of Budva, Bar, Ratac, Spič, Pilot, Ulcinj, Shkodër, and the wider Zeta region to Ragusa. The details include the names of the young artisans, the frequency of their arrivals, and the duration of their apprenticeships. The paper also explores the status of these young men who migrated to the city and analyses their migratory movements by interpreting sources from the State Archives of Dubrovnik.

Keywords

• apprentices
• artisans
• zeta
• ragusa
• late middle ages