Institute of History
Topic
The Ritualization of Kingship
PhD. program
Slovak History
Year of admission
2026
Name of the supervisor
PhDr. Daniela Dvořáková, DrSc.
Contact:
Receiving school
Faculty of Arts, Matej Bel University
Annotation
The medieval ceremonial “arrival of the king” (adventus regis), performed on the occasion of a ruler’s entry into an important place—most often a town—was a ritualized demonstration of royal power. This dissertation will examine the phenomenon of adventus regis in medieval Hungary as a ritual of power, communication, and social structure. Its aim is to analyze how this ceremonial developed between the 13th and 15th centuries, what roles were played by urban elites, the Church, the nobility, and the court, and what legal, economic, and symbolic consequences these entries entailed (acts of grace, confirmations of privileges, gifts, banquets, punishments). The study will draw on narrative sources, charters, municipal books and accounts, iconography, and an analysis of routes and ritual sites. The outcome will be a typology of the Hungarian adventus regis and its regional specifics in a Central European comparative perspective.
Requirements: Latin, English, and the ability to work with medieval sources.
Requirements: Latin, English, and the ability to work with medieval sources.