Safe-conduct

Passage allowed through a territory for peaceful purposes; it was often given to students, merchants, knights on their way to tournament , certain heralds & messengers, and pilgrims. Such safe-conducts could either be issued by the Prince of a region; these were general proclamations that bound the prince’s subjects to respect the passage. The other safe-conducts were offered by individual nobles , issued as sealed guarantees, where the noble himself extended their own protection to the holder of the safe passage. These writs named a specific recipient by name, the number of people in his party allowed to pass, the goods they could carry. Other goods carried were subject to confiscation--this was not an uncommon occurrence. Knights on their way to tournament were frequently given such safe conducts, they are specifically mentioned in several tournament declarations .&nbsp