Animperial count palatine (Latin:comes palatinus caesareus,German:Kaiserlicher Hofpfalzgraf) was an official in theHoly Roman Empire with quasi-monarchical ("palatine") powers. In all, over 5,000 imperial counts palatine were created between the 14th and 18th centuries.[1] The office was hereditary in perpetuity in the legitimate male line.[2]
The office originated in theLombard kingdom in Italy (c.575–774), where the kings appointed officials with the titlecomes palatii (count of the palace) and power to act in the king's absence. The office was retained in Italy under theCarolingians after 774 and under theOttonians after 961. The EmperorOtto III is known to have appointed a large number of counts palatine.[2]
The title for a count palatine gradually grew in length, fromcomes sacri palatii (count of the sacred palace) tocomes sacri Lateranensis palatii (count of the sacred Lateran palace) tocomes palatinus sacri Lateranensis palatii (count palatine of the sacred Lateran palace). The connection to the actualLateran Palace inRome was merely symbolic. The Lateran was a former imperial palace under theRoman Empire and was the chief residence of thePopes in theMiddle Ages. Its use in the title of a count palatine underlined his imperial and universal commission. This could occasionally be explicit, as in Benedetto Porcellini's title in a 1519 notarial act:comes palatinus et sacri Lateranensis palatii apostolicis et imperialis (count palatine of the sacred Lateran apostolic and imperial palace).[2]
The office of imperial count palatine was hereditary and the emperors seem to have used it to create an Italian aristocratic class loyal to the empire. In 1357, the EmperorCharles IV added the power of conferring licences and doctorates of civil law to those of the counts palatine. Later on, they acquired the power to confer doctorates in general.[2]
In some cases where parties willingly submitted their petitions to them, the imperial count palatine possessed jurisdictional authority (comitiva) to settle the matter. Such cases included: the legitimizing children born out of wedlock; appointing guardians for minors; confirming that a minor had come of age; certifying adoptions; attesting documents such as wills; authorizingpatents of nobility andcoats of arms; conferring academic honors such as doctorates; appointing ofnotaries public and judges; andlaureating poets.[1][2]
The procedure for receiving a doctorate from a count palatine was less onerous and, since it involved fewer people that needed paying, less expensive than receiving a doctorate from a university. A doctorate from a Counts Palatine also generally required fewer years of study, with the examination simpler and the ceremony of conferral less solemn. In Italy,Protestants andJews preferred to receive their degrees from counts because counts did not require an oath of allegiance to theCatholic Church.[2]
While the emperor appointed imperial counts palatine for individual territories, from time to time the territorial princes themselves would bestow this honor withcomitiva major (GermanGroßes Palatinat), that is with the power to transact these enactments on their own initiative.
The appointment as an imperial count palatine was a lucrative post, because the office bearer could levy fees for the execution of official acts.
The imperial count palatine gradually lost its importance, and the office ended with thedissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806.
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