FAMOUS CROATS 2004 - 400 ANNIVERSARY OF THE BIRTH OF IVAN LUČIĆ

The stamps have been issued in 20-stamp sheets, and the Croatian Post has also issued a commemorative First Day Cover (FDC). Ivan Lučić – Lucius, father of Croatian historical science, was born in an aristocratic family in Trogir in 1604. His father Petar was a Croatian poet from the period following the writing of Marko Marulić. Ivan’s mother Klara came from the well-known family Divnić from Šibenik. Ivan Lučić was first educated in his native town, and then stayed in Rome for two years. He received his doctor’s degree in ecclesiastical and civil law in Padua. In his native town he performed a number of offices, and in 1654 he went to Rome where he became member of St. Jerome’s Assembly, later its president. He participated in the activities of numerous scientific academies of his time, and corresponded with scientists from his homeland, Italy and Europe. In Rome he completed many of his historical disputes that, year after year, he continued publishing in Latin. One of them is Vita beati Joannis -‘The life of St. John of Trogir’ (1657). His greatest and best work is De regno Dalmatiae et Croatiae – ‘About the kingdom of Dalmatia and Croatia’. It was first printed in Amsterdam in 1666. This work features Croatian history from prehistoric times until the 15th century. His representation of history is fundamentally supported by original materials, and at the end of the book there are some precious sources for history and a literature list with Lučić’s comments about the published papers. The book is equipped with six historic geographic maps. The historic map Illyricum hodiernum (‘Today’s Illyrium’)was dedicated to the Croatian Banus Petar Zrinyi by Joannes Blaeu, the publisher of Lučić’s book. Lučić participated in the conflict arisen about the authenticity of the paper Cena Trimalchionis, written by the Roman satirist Petronius Arbiter, that was found in Trogir. Lučić published the history of his native town and his homeland in Venice, written in Italian under the title Memoriae istoriche di Tragurio, ora detto Traù – ‘Historical testimony on Trogir’(1673). He also published a book on Roman inscriptions in Dalmatia, among them also inscriptions collected by Marko Marulić. Just before his death he prepared and finished for print the ‘Statute of the town of Trogir’. Lučić died in Rome in 1679 and was buried there in the Croatian church of St. Jerome. Ivan Lučić is the first Croatian historian who has critically approached and used historic sources: documents and chronicles, inscriptions and testaments. By the application of the methodology of historical work he greatly surpassed the time he lived and worked in. His historical work is characterized by his love for his birthplace and native land. He was particularly close to the family Zrinsky, and he convinced them that they had drawn their roots from the famous dukes Šubić from Bribir, and not from Roman aristocrats. He corresponded with many Ragusans, among them Stjepan Gradić, the director of the Vatican library. His numerous letters reveal a personal excellence both as a man and writer, and are a valuable contribution to the understanding of his time. Both in his scientific works and private letters, Lučić wrote simply, with forethought, clearly and lapidary. He has rightly been called father of modern Croatian historiography.