Ius supremi patronatus regis and the Hungarian Holy Rulers in the Liturgical Books of Zagreb’ s Bishops around 1500

Sa？etak Depictions of the Hungarian rulers in various media are among the most important iconographic constants in the Zagreb (arch)diocese. Before the Battle of Mohács (1526), the Church of Zagreb printed more liturgical books than any other centre in the Hungarian Kingdom except Esztergom: two breviary editions, a Missal, and a Diurnale (Book of Hours). This paper analyses those liturgical books of Zagreb produced during the late 15th and early 16th centuries that contain depictions of the saintly rulers Stephen, Ladislas, and Emeric. By commissioning these images, the bishops of Zagreb expressed their loyalty to the Hungarian Kingdom, and Bishop Luka specifically to the current Hungarian king W？adys？av II. Jagie？？o. One important reason for this accent was the ius supremi patronatus regis – the traditional privilege of the Hungarian rulers to organize the Church and appoint ecclesiastical dignitaries in their territories. Illustrations on the incipit page of the manuscript Missal of Juraj de Topusko indicate the loyalty of Zagreb’ s bishops at the time in which the Ottoman incursions seriously threatened the safety of the diocese and refer equally to all three domains of power: heavenly, ecclesiastical, and secular