The Baptismal font of Prince Višeslav is a

baptismal font A baptismal font is an article of church furniture used for baptism. Aspersion and affusion fonts The fonts of many Christian denominations are for baptisms using a non-immersive method, such as aspersion (sprinkling) or affusion (pouring). ...

of the historical and cultural significance for

Croats The Croats (; hr, Hrvati ) are a South Slavic ethnic group who share a common Croatian ancestry, culture, history and language. They are also a recognized minority in a number of neighboring countries, namely Austria, the Czech Republic, G ...

. Its inscription mentions for the first time a Croatian ruler, Prince Višeslav. The original place of the baptismal font was in the

Baptistery In Christian architecture the baptistery or baptistry (Old French ''baptisterie''; Latin ''baptisterium''; Greek , 'bathing-place, baptistery', from , baptízein, 'to baptize') is the separate centrally planned structure surrounding the baptismal ...

(Chapel of Saint

John the Baptist John the Baptist or , , or , ;Wetterau, Bruce. ''World history''. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 1994. syc, ܝܘܿܚܲܢܵܢ ܡܲܥܡܕ݂ܵܢܵܐ, Yoḥanān Maʿmḏānā; he, יוחנן המטביל, Yohanān HaMatbil; la, Ioannes Bapti ...

) near the Cathedral of Nin, the first residence city of Croatian-Dalmatian rulers. The baptismal font was most likely created after the establishment (ca. 864–867) of Nin Diocese, but no later than the end of 10th century AD, ''i.e.'' during the period of

Christianization Christianization ( or Christianisation) is to make Christian; to imbue with Christian principles; to become Christian. It can apply to the conversion of an individual, a practice, a place or a whole society. It began in the Roman Empire, conti ...

of the

. Croatian historian Ljubo Karaman concluded in his works that "it is not too bold to assume that this very baptismal font was used for the baptism of Croatian rulers". Furthermore, it is considered an important cultural object and an example of application of

Croatian interlace The Croatian interlace or Croatian wattle, known as the or in Croatian, is a type of interlace, most characteristic for its three-ribbon pattern. It is one of the most often used patterns of pre-romanesque Croatian art. It is found on and with ...

History

From the written report of the notary Ivan Sorari (1773–1847) from

Zadar Zadar ( , ; historically known as Zara (from Venetian and Italian: ); see also other names), is the oldest continuously inhabited Croatian city. It is situated on the Adriatic Sea, at the northwestern part of Ravni Kotari region. Zadar serv ...

made in 1793, when the ruins of the Nin

were still visible ''

in situ ''In situ'' (; often not italicized in English) is a Latin phrase that translates literally to "on site" or "in position." It can mean "locally", "on site", "on the premises", or "in place" to describe where an event takes place and is used in ...

'', as well as from the archaeological excavations in 1910 it is known that the baptistery had a four-leaf floor plan and a dome. In the middle of the baptistery was the baptismal font, to which one had to descend five steps. In 1742 the baptistery (last used for burials) was demolished and the baptismal font was removed in order to expand the cathedral's

sacristy A sacristy, also known as a vestry or preparation room, is a room in Christian churches for the keeping of vestments (such as the alb and chasuble) and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records. The sacristy is usually located ...

. In 1853 the font was found in

Capuchin monastery The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (; postnominal abbr. O.F.M. Cap.) is a religious order of Franciscan friars within the Catholic Church, one of Three " First Orders" that reformed from the Franciscan Friars Minor Observant (OFM Obs., now OFM ...

Il Redentore The Chiesa del Santissimo Redentore ( en, Church of the Most Holy Redeemer), commonly known as Il Redentore, is a 16th-century Roman Catholic church located on Giudecca (island) in the ''sestiere'' of Dorsoduro, in the city of Venice, Italy. It ...

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

and afterwards exhibited at

Museo Correr The Museo Correr () is a museum in Venice, northern Italy. Located in St. Mark's Square, Venice, it is one of the 11 civic museums run by the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia. The museum extends along the southside of the square on the upper ...

. In 1942 the

Kingdom of Italy The Kingdom of Italy ( it, Regno d'Italia) was a state that existed from 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 1946, when civil discontent led to ...

gifted the baptismal font to its then political ally, the so-called

Independent State of Croatia The Independent State of Croatia ( sh, Nezavisna Država Hrvatska, NDH; german: Unabhängiger Staat Kroatien; it, Stato indipendente di Croazia) was a World War II-era puppet state of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy (1922–1943), Fascist It ...

. From then on and long after the

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, the font stood in the atrium of the Palace of

Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts The Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts ( la, Academia Scientiarum et Artium Croatica, hr, Hrvatska akademija znanosti i umjetnosti, abbrev. HAZU) is the national academy of Croatia. HAZU was founded under patronage of the Croatian bishop Jo ...

in the state's capital, Zagreb. Today the font can be seen in the harbor city of

Split Split(s) or The Split may refer to: Places * Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia * Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay * Split Island, Falkland Islands * Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua Arts, enterta ...

, in the

Museum of Croatian Archaeological Monuments The Museum of Croatian Archaeological Monuments ( hr , Muzej hrvatskih arheoloških spomenika) located at Meštrovićevo šetalište 18, Split, Croatia, is the only museum in the country dedicated to researching and presenting cultural artifacts of ...

Form and measurements

The baptismal font was cut from a single marble block in the form of

hexagon In geometry, a hexagon (from Ancient Greek, Greek , , meaning "six", and , , meaning "corner, angle") is a six-sided polygon. The total of the internal angles of any simple polygon, simple (non-self-intersecting) hexagon is 720°. Regular hexa ...

. In one of the side faces, there is an irregular opening (now closed), which was probable used to supply water to the font. The bottom has a round opening for water outflow. There are a few holes at the rim of the top opening that contain iron scraps. Possibly these are the remains of a fastening for a lid or a railing. They probably do not come from the time the font was created. The font is high, the diameter of the opening is , the inside depth is and the width of each side is approximately .

Decoration

Each of the six sides, except the bottom one, is decorated on the left and on the right with tilted furrows, like a relief column wrapped in a cord with a simple base and a

capital Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used f ...

with two side

volute A volute is a spiral, scroll-like ornament that forms the basis of the Ionic order, found in the capital of the Ionic column. It was later incorporated into Corinthian order and Composite column capitals. Four are normally to be found on an Ion ...

s. These pillars have a simply profiled

architrave In classical architecture, an architrave (; from it, architrave "chief beam", also called an epistyle; from Greek ἐπίστυλον ''epistylon'' "door frame") is the lintel or beam that rests on the capitals of columns. The term can ...

, decorated only with plain molding. On the front central side there is a relief cross styled like a

processional cross A processional cross is a crucifix or cross which is carried in Christian processions. Such crosses have a long history: the Gregorian mission of Saint Augustine of Canterbury to England carried one before them "like a standard", according to ...

. The top and both side arms of the cross each have two

s, but the bottom arm does not. The body of the cross arms is filled with Croatian interlace. The bottom, longer arm of the cross stands on a leg, also filled with tilted furrows, as if wrapped in a cord, which tapers off.

Inscriptions

The architrave, which also forms the hem of the opening, has the

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

inscription: : ''+ HEC FONS NEMPE SVMIT INFIRMOS VT REDDAT

ILLVMINATOS · HIC EXPIANT SCELERA SVA QVOD

DE PRIMO SVMPSERVNT PARENTE · VT EFFICIANTV

R XPISTICOLE SALVBRITER CONFITENDO TRINVM PER

HENNE · HOC IOHANNES PRESBITER SVB TEMPORE VVISSAS

CLAVO DVCI OPVS BENE COMPOSVIT DEVOTE'' On the fifth side of the font, i.e. under the fifth line of the above, one can read: : ''IN HONORE VIDELICET SANCTI'' The six side bears the end of the inscription with two lines: : ''IOHANNIS BAPTISTE, VT INTERCEDAT PRO EO

CLIENTVLOQVE SVO'' The inscription is done with regular

rustic capitals Rustic capitals ( la, littera capitalis rustica) is an ancient Roman calligraphic script. Because the term is negatively connoted supposing an opposition to the more 'civilized' form of the Roman square capitals, Bernhard Bischoff prefers to call ...

and the height of the letters varies between . The stonemason used many ligatures, contractions, suspensions, and abbreviation characters for ''TRINVM'' ("Trinity") and special characters for word part ''PER'' in the word ''PERHENNE'' ("eternal"). The inscription can be translated as follows: : ''This source receives the weak in order to return them as enlightened ones. Here they atone for the sins, passed upon them from the first father, so that they become followers of

Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, names and titles), was ...

, salutary testifying to the eternal

Trinity The Christian doctrine of the Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the central dogma concerning the nature of God in most Christian churches, which defines one God existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God the F ...

. This work was beautifully made in humility by the priest John in the time of Prince Višeslav, in honor of St. John the Baptist, so that he could become his and his protégés' advocate.'' The

Catholic Church in Croatia , native_name_lang = hr , image = St. Peter's Cathedral, Dakovo.jpg , imagewidth = 200px , alt = , caption = Đakovo Cathedral. , abbreviation = , type = Nationa ...

considers the inscription to be a "shiny monument and symbol of the baptism of our Croatian ancestors".''Das Taufbecken des Fürsten Višeslav - Wichtigkeit des persönlichen Glaubens.'' In: ''Pastoralbrief der kroatischen Bischöfe : Dreizehn Jahrhunderte des Christentums bei Kroaten.'' Kršćanska sadašnjost, Zagreb 1976, S. 20 f.

Literature

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Baptismal font of Prince Viseslav Christianity in Croatia Culture in Split, Croatia Archaeological discoveries in Croatia Prince Višeslav National symbols of Croatia