Sotnica
 

Sotnica, sudsko – upravna i gospodarska zgrada – Babino Polje.

Benediktinci sv. Marije s Jezera u toj su zgradi obavljali sudbenu vlast sve do kraja XV. stoljeća, kad Dubrovnik posla na Mljet svoga prvog kneza. Redovnici benediktinske opatije u njoj su spremali i prihode u naturi koje su dobivali sa samostanskih zemalja, posebno vinograda iz Babina Polja i okolnih polja. U njoj su se vodile i knjige Mljetske kancelarije. Zgrada Sotnica prvi se put spominje 12. V. 1388. godine. Današnju zgradu Sotnice u Babinu Polju dao je sagraditi opat Andrija 1432. godine, a nalazi se uza staru zgradu Sotnice, danas bez krova. U njoj je stanovao mljetski kanceljer koji je vodio notarske spise, zapisivao testamente, različite ugovore, tužbe i žalbe Mljećana u notarske knjige Diverse, Vendite, Testamenti, Lamente.

Riječ Sotnica dolazi od romanske riječi soto (dolje, ispod), jer se zgrada nalazi dolje pod selom, u blizini crkve sv. Pankracija i crkve sv. Vlaha. U prošlosti je tu bilo upravno središte cijelog otoka.
Na zgradi Sotnice na balkonu je nadgrobna ploča, na kojoj je ispisan najdulji dosad poznati srednjovjekovni natpis na Mljetu:

VITALIS QVMVIIS CARMEN
SACERDOS... N
VOCIBVS CV VOBIS EX VIA
ERATIS
MATHEI BANI SIBIQ: PER OMNIA
CARI...
NOS QVOD PRESENS TEGIT
SIMVL QVE CERNIS HEV

U blizini se nalazi Knežev Dvor i crkva sv. Vlaha.

Od 1410. do 1493. godine knez Šipana i Otoka tijekom trajanja svog mandata tri puta je dolazio na Mljet gdje je boravio deset dana. U to je vrijeme s otočnim sucima dijelio pravdu u civilnim i krivičnim parnicama zajedno s opatom sv. Marije s Jezera i mljetskim sucima. Babino Polje je svake godine biralo četiri suca, a  ostala mjesta po dva. Prije napuštanja otoka birao je svoga zamjenika iz redova babinopoljskih sudaca koji je u njegovoj odsutnosti s opatom i ostalim sucima donosio presude pred crkvom sv. Pankracija ili u dvorištu Sotnice

EN

Sotnica, court - administrative and economic building - Babino Polje.

Benedictine Sts. Marija s Jezera exercised judicial power in that building until the end of the 15th century. century, when Dubrovnik sent its first prince to Mljet. The monks of the Benedictine abbey also prepared in-kind income from the monastic lands, especially the vineyards from Babin Polje and the surrounding fields. The books of the Mljet Office were also kept in it. The Sotnica building was first mentioned on 12 May 1388. Today's Sotnica building in Babin Polje was built by Abbot Andrija in 1432, and is located next to the old Sotnica building, today without a roof. It was inhabited by the Chancellor of Mljet, who kept notarial records, recorded wills, various contracts, lawsuits and complaints of the people of Mljet in the notarial books Diverse, Vendite, Testamenti, Lamente.

The word Sotnica comes from the Roman word soto (below, below), because the building is located below the village, near the church of St. Pankracija and the church of st. Blaise. In the past, it was the administrative center of the whole island.
On the Sotnica building, there is a tombstone on the balcony, on which is written the longest known medieval inscription on Mljet:

VITALIS QVMVIIS CARMEN
SACERDOS ... N
VOCIBVS CV VOBIS EX VIA
eratis
MATHEI BANI SIBIQ: PER OMNIA
MAGIC...
NOS QVOD PRESENS TEGIT
SIMVL QVE CERNIS HEV
VT HABEANT DICITE PARADISI
REQVIEM VITE

VT HABEANT DICITE PARADISI
REQVIEM VITE

Nearby is the Rector's Palace and the church of St. Blaise.

From 1410 to 1493, the prince of Šipan and Otok came to Mljet three times during his tenure, where he stayed for ten days. At the time, he shared justice with island judges in civil and criminal litigation along with Abbot St. Marija s Jezera and the judges of Mljet. Babino Polje elected four judges each year, and the other two seats. Before leaving the island, he elected his deputy from among the judges of Babinopolje, who in his absence, together with the abbot and other judges, passed judgments in front of the church of St. Pankracija or in the yard of Sotnica