Podvisoki

Podvisoki (Cyrillic: Подвисоки) was a medieval settlement, a castle town (in Serbo-Croatian: podgrađe, lit. 'under-town'), as part of wider area just beneath of the fortress Visoki, located on the Visočica hill above modern-day Visoko, Bosnia and Herzegovina.^[1]

Podvisoki
pod gradom Visoki
Plateau where Podvisoki podgrađe once stood
Location	Visoko
Coordinates	43°58′38″N 18°10′27″E
Formed	cca. 1402
Governing body	Commission to preserve national monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Owner	state
Location of Podvisoki in Bosnia and Herzegovina

History

Podvisoki served as the primary trading center for much of the medieval history of the Bosnian state from the mid-14th century onwards. Its first recorded mention was in 1363. The town was situated along the Fojnica river, at the foothills of Visočica hill in the Bosnia region, and was considered one of the early examples of medieval urban settlements in the area.^[2]

Podvisoki was home to a colony of Ragusan merchants, who remained there until the 1430s when they moved to Fojnica. One notable local merchant from Visoko in the 14th century was Milaš Radomirić.

According to Ragusan sources, the biggest caravan trade between Podvisoki and Ragusa occurred in 1428. On August 9 of that year, Vlachs committed to delivering 1500 modius of salt with 600 horses to Ragusan lord Tomo Bunić. The delivery was meant for Dobrašin Veseoković, and the Vlachs' price was half of the delivered salt.^[3]

In the late 14th century, merchants from Podvisoki were involved in the slave trade. Historical records indicate that in November 1389, a man named Bogovac Vukojević (also known as Bogaueç Vochoeuich Bossinensis de Souisoch) traded a young Bosnian boy named Milko for 4 ducats.^[4]

See also

• Visoko during the Middle Ages
• Old town of Visoki
• Mile, Visoko

References

1. "Old Visoki fortress, the historic site". old.kons.gov.ba (in Bosnian and English). Sarajevo: Commission to preserve national monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina. 2 March 2004. Retrieved 28 October 2021. Designation No: 05.1-2-1047/04-2
2. Pavao Anđelić, Srednji vijek – Doba stare bosanske države, „Visoko i okolina kroz historiju I, Visoko 1984, 160-162
3. „Crainich Miochouich et Stiepanus Glegieuich ad meliustenendem super se et omnia eorum bona se obligando promiserunt ser Thome de Bona presenti et acceptanti conducere et salauum dare in Souisochi in Bosna Dobrassino Veselcouich nomine dicti ser Thome modia salis mille quingenta super equis siue salmis sexcentis. Et dicto sale conducto et presentato suprascripto Dobrassino in Souisochi medietatem illius salis dare et mensuratum consignare dicto Dobrassino. Et aliam medietatem pro eorum mercede conducenda dictum salem pro ipsius conductoribus retinere et habere. Promittentes vicissim omnia et singularia suprascripta firma et rata habere et tenere ut supra sub obligatione omnium suorum bonorum. Renuntiando” (9. August 1428), State archive, Ragusa Republic, Series: Diversa Cancellariae, Number: XLV, Foil: 31 verso.
4. „Ego quidem Bogaueç Vochoeuich Bossinensis de Souisochi confiteor quod sponte et ex certa scientia dedi, vendidi et tradidi magistro Johanni condam magistri Marchi de Papia unum meum seruum puerulum etatis annorum nouem vel circha nomine Milcho de genere et nactione Bossinensium, pro precio ducatorum auri quatuor, quos confiteor integre recepisse” (9. November 1389.), State archive Ragusa Republic, Series: Diversa Notariae, Number: X, Foil: 77.

Literature

• Pavao Anđelić, Srednji vijek – Doba stare bosanske države, „Visoko i okolina kroz historiju I, Visoko 1984.
• Redžić, Husref (2009), Srednjovjekovni gradovi u Bosni i Hercegovini (in Bosnian), Sarajevo Publishing, ISBN 978-9958-21-511-7