Dalmatians through history

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Inventors, painters and architects of world fame

Dalmatia is a place of smart and hard-working people who have shaped its spirit and landscape from ancient history to present day.

An example is Roman emperor Diocletian, who built his home, famous Diocletian’s Palace, on the Split coast. This stone edifice represented most luxurious villa at the time of its construction.
St Dujam, a bishop and a patron saint of this city beneath Marjan hill, is also important as one of the clerical figures who made history of this city.

There are also renowned don Frano Bulić, famous archaeologist and historian, and writer Marko Marulić, known as the father of Croatian literature.

If there wasn’t for Ivo Tijardović, we couldn’t see Little Floramy on the stage, famous musical that still attracts audience with each performance.
Without Ivan Meštrović the book of visual arts of Dalmatia would lose its great chapter.
His work is well-known, and its significance stretches far beyond the boundaries of the place from which he came, while the works he has left behind tell stories about his artistic genius long after his death.

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Each part of Dalmatia honours its famous people who contributed to the atmosphere and spirit of the place where they worked and lived.
In this context one has to mention St Donat, bishop and diplomat from Zadar and also Juraj Matejev Dalmatinac, Croatian sculptor and architect.
Šibenik has many reasons to be proud of its historical figures as well. First to mention is Antun Vrančić, an extraordinary educated and versatile person.
He was a writer and historian, diplomat and bishop, archaeologist and patriot. His nephew, Faust Vrančić, scientist, writer, philosopher and inventor is regarded by Šibenik people as one of the greatest minds in the history of this city.
Dubrovnik has its long list of interesting historical names.
Marin Držić, a famous comedy writer who created numerous characters interesting for their features up to the present day, is to be mentioned together with mathematician Marin Getaldić. Ivo Vojnović is another writer from Dubrovnik who entered the history of Croatian literature. He is known for a number of his works, the most famous being The Dubrovnik Trilogy.
The members of this prestigious Dubrovnik’s historical company are also mathematician and astronomer Ruđer Bošković as well as Vlaho Bukovac, a painter whose works are exceptionally appreciated and in great demand, especially by the collectors of bigger pocketbook. To own a work by Vlaho Bukovac is a matter of prestige, since he is one of the best Croatian artists, born in Cavtat, beautiful town not far from Dubrovnik.

Vrančić’s parachute and Marulić’s Judita
Faust Vrančić is known in history as the inventor of canvas parachute stretched in rectangular frame. It is interesting that he himself tested it by jumping from a tower in Venice in 1617.

The most important work by Marko Marulić is Judita, written in 1501.

The work of Juraj Dalmatinac (15th/16th century) is also interesting. With his interventions on the eastern part of Šibenik’s cathedral he made it world famous.

Ruđer Bošković was a great scientist memorable for his mathematic solutions, theory of light aberration, plans for astronomical observatories… He is the author of many formulas, and he is also well known for his constructions of optical instruments.

This post is also available in: Croatian