Inscriptional Culture in Pentapolitana Cities in the Early Modern Period

This study examines the inscriptional culture of the cities of the Pentapolitana in the Early Modern period. The cultural development of these five free royal towns was also reflected in the epigraphic sphere. The strong influence of Humanism, the Renaissance, and the Protestant Reformation is evident from an early stage. One notable example is the depiction of Martin Luther accompanied by text in Levoča Town Hall as early as the mid-sixteenth century. The bourgeois character of inscriptional culture is logically reflected in the urban patriciate’s desire to assert its independence – including through the medium of inscriptions. This is exemplified by the inscriptions on Levoča Town Hall from the early seventeenth century. Throughout the Early Modern period, the dominant form of epigraphic expression was the sepulchral monument, which provides a wealth of prosopographical data. These monuments often include quotations from the Bible which are of particular value for ecclesiastical and theological research. In addition, they serve as sources of valuable literary works, mostly in the form of epicedia.