Searching for Schiavone intellectuals

Three Four Cases from Korčula

Neven Jovanović / neven.jovanovic@ffzg.hr
University of Zagreb
Zagreb, 31 April 2017
This page: croala.ffzg.unizg.hr/marulus-roma-split/schiavoni.html

The Plan

Theory: "Schiavone" as a concept missing from Croatian literary history

Practice: Four intellectuals from Korčula in Rome

Conclusions

How is it possible that there are no Schiavone writersand texts, in the period from 1300 to 1900?

Ivan Polikarp Severitan (Ioannes Polycarpus Severitanus Sibenicensis), 1472 - after 1525

Franjo Niger (Pescennius Franciscus Niger Venetus Liburnus), 1452 - after 1523, born in Venice to a father from Senj, and a mother from Treviso

Four 16th century intellectuals from Korčula in the Illyrian confraternity in Rome

1826: Matej (Matteo) Kapor (1789-1842), a historian from the Croatian island of Korčula, compiles a list of members of the Illyrian confraternity, or congregation, connected with his island (the list was published from the manuscript more than 150 years later, in 1983, by Ambroz Kapor).

1528-1564: Jakov Baničević (Giacomo Banisio) the younger

1560-1568: Nikola Petrović (Nicholas Petreius or Petreo, 1486-1568)

1560-1564: Antun Rozanović (Antonio Rosaneo or Ružić, d. after 1571)

1564: Vinko Paletin (Vincentius Paletinus, 1508-1575)

Conclusions

All four Renaissance Humanists from Korčula were in Rome at roughly the same time.
All four were members of the same Illyrian confraternity.

They must have been in close contact with the Schiavone community in Rome.

As literary historians, we would have simply missed this connection we had not approached the four men as ‘Schiavoni’...

... not only as individuals in the Croatian or Illyrian diaspora, but as members of the diaspora community.