Miles tutus fuit – Venator interiit

The Tomb of Major Johann Collet in the Roman Catholic Church Anthony of Padua in Szigetvár

Abstract

The study deals with the history of a tombstone found at the archaeological excavations in the Franciscan church of Szigetvár in the winter of 2020. Th e archaeological find is remarkable in several respects. Its unique character is provided by the fact that its upper surface is covered not only with a coat of arms, but also with a lengthy Latin text. An investigation of the inscription revealed that the deceased, a certain Major (Supremus Vigiliarum Praefectus) Johann Collet, died in 1703 during a hunt in the vicinity of Szigetvár. The study briefly presents the historical context of the case: the situation of Szigetvár in the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries, the use of the church by the Franciscan order, as well as the most important moments of the 2020 archeological excavation.