MARTIN OF TROPPAU (Oppaviensis). - Dominican chronicler, also improperly called M. Polono, perhaps because he belonged to the Polish religious province, d. at Bologna in 1278.

He entered the Dominican Order at Prague, where he was also ordained a priest. Master in theology and inquisitor. He was very probably also in France. It is unknown when he entered the pontifical Curia, but certainly under Clement IV (1260) he had exercised the offices of penitentiary and chaplain, offices which he also exercised under the subsequent pontiffs down to Nicholas III, who in 1278 elected him archbishop of Gniezno in Poland. He did not, however, reach the see, since he died on the journey and was buried at Bologna.

He wrote various works: Tabula decreti, a brief juridical summa called Martinian; Sermones de tempore et de sanctis; De diversis miraculis; but his name is linked above all to the Chronicon pontificum et imperatorum, very widely circulated already during his lifetime, and of which he himself prepared various editions, written perhaps by order of Clement IV. Its value is quite slight, inasmuch as it often lacks critical sense in the evaluation of sources and readily accepts fables and legends.

Bibliography3 works

BIBL.: The Chronicon was edited with a critical introduction by L. Weiland, in MGH, Scriptores, XXII, pp. 397-475; P. Champion, Chronique martiniane, Paris 1907; Quétif-Echard, I, p. 361.

Alberto Ghinato

@incollection{ec8_martino_di_troppau_oppaviensis, author = {Ghinato, Alberto}, title = {Martino di Troppau (Oppaviensis)}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {VIII}, pages = {232--233}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1952}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/martino-di-troppau-oppaviensis} }

One of some 20,000 entries brought back from the twelve printed volumes (1948–54). Spotted something? Help us improve it.

Martin of Troppau (Oppaviensis)

About this entry