The Resolution of Boundary Disputes between the Habsburgs and the Venetians in Istria by the Arbitral Decision of 1535. Beiträge zur Rechtsgeschichte Österreichs|Beiträge zur Rechtsgeschichte Österreichs Band 2 / 2020|

The Habsburgs’ estates and the Venetian communes had a long boundary in northern Italy and Istria. Because of the specific circumstances in which the inter‐state boundary was formed, it was constantly plagued by uncertainties and misunderstandings, which often resulted in local hostilities and violence. The escalation of boundary problems occurred at the beginning of the 16th century, simultaneously with the formation of the League of Cambrai and the war between its allies and Venice. The war incited the two political powers (and disputants) to search for a means of resolving the boundary disputes peacefully. For this, arbitration was arranged between them in Trento (Trident) in 1535, of which several archival sources have been preserved. The paper analyses the Trento Agreement of 1535 according to the manuscripts in the state archives in Venice and Vienna as well as some other fragmentary texts on local arbitration following the model of Trento. The author specifically examines arbitrations in which the boundary disputes were resolved in Istria