Colloquia Maruliana ..., Vol. 4 , 1995.
Original scientific paper
Marulić, the Balistrilićs and Meštrović at Nečujam
Cvito Fisković
Abstract
It was as early as 1950 that the author of the present article, in his contribution to Marulić’s biography, corrected some earlier erroneous opinions relating to Marulić’s sojourn in the cove of Nečujam, in the island of Šolta near Split. By that time it had been taken that the poet retired to the local monastery. Yet, the author has proved that the assertion does not correspond to the facts, simply because there was no monastery in Nečujam. However, the poet’s stay in the cove, which he records in a beautiful Latin epistle in verse, still remains a subject-matter of great attraction for all those interested in his life. The article brings forward some new data from the Ar-chives of Split, all of which corresponds to what Marulić writes in the mentioned epistle, inviting Frane Božičević Natalis and other Split friends to join in and share with the poet the serene atmosphere of the island, and the healing beauties of its nature.
According to these newly found data the family of Balistrilić, from which was descended Dujam Balistrilić, Marulić’s sponsor and the person to whom the poet dedi-cated his epic in Croatian Judita (Judith), had the patronage of the church of St. Peter at Nečujam. The testament of one of the members of the family lists an estate with a house, a well and a chapel dedicated to St. Peter, the gardens and a plot planted with fruit-trees and vineyards. This, on one side, corresponds to the poet’s description while, on the other, it proves that there was no monastery at Nečujam.
In the fifties the local authorities decided to erect a monument in memory of the poet’s stay at Nečujam. Since the famous sculptor Ivan Meštrović had already made a bust of Marulić, they asked his the permission for the use of the casting. The author of the present article puts forward an extract from his correspondence with Ivan Meštrović. It is a passage from the letter in which Meštović consents to the making of the casting and gives some further suggestions concerning the project as a whole.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
9823
URI
Publication date:
22.4.1995.
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