Nicholas of Modruš ( hr, Nikola Modruški/Kotarski, c. 1427 – 1480), born in

Boka Kotorska The Bay of Kotor ( Montenegrin and Serbian: , Italian: ), also known as the Boka, is a winding bay of the Adriatic Sea in southwestern Montenegro and the region of Montenegro concentrated around the bay. It is also the southernmost part of the hi ...

, was a

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

Modruš Modruš is a village, former bishopric and current Latin Catholic titular see in the mountainous part of Croatia, located south of its municipality's seat Josipdol (Karlovac County), on the easternmost slopes of Velika Kapela mountain, in northe ...

Lika Lika () is a traditional region of Croatia proper, roughly bound by the Velebit mountain from the southwest and the Plješevica mountain from the northeast. On the north-west end Lika is bounded by Ogulin-Plaški basin, and on the south-east by ...

, the Pope's representative at the courts of King Stephen Tomašević of Bosnia and King Matthias Corvinus of Hungary (1463–1464). His huge library was left to the newly founded Vatican library (founded by

Pope Sixtus IV Pope Sixtus IV ( it, Sisto IV: 21 July 1414 – 12 August 1484), born Francesco della Rovere, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 9 August 1471 to his death in August 1484. His accomplishments as pope include ...

). In 1478/79, he wrote a treatise in defence of the

Glagolitic alphabet The Glagolitic script (, , ''glagolitsa'') is the oldest known Slavic alphabet. It is generally agreed to have been created in the 9th century by Saint Cyril, a monk from Thessalonica. He and his brother Saint Methodius were sent by the Byzan ...

which he sent from Rome to the

bishopric. It is regarded to be the first polemic treatise in the history of Croatian literature, and it was written in the Glagolitic Script. Buried in the church of

Santa Maria del Popolo it, Basilica Parrocchiale Santa Maria del Popolo , image = 20140803 Basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo Rome 0191.jpg , caption = The church from Piazza del Popolo , coordinates = , image_size ...

in Rome.

Works

* ''Dialogus de mortalium felicitate'' (1464) * ''De titulis et auctoribus Psalmorum'' (1465) * ''De consolatione'' (1466) * ''De bellis Gothorum'' (1474) * ''De humilitate'' * ''Defensio ecclesiasticae libertatis'' (1479)

Sources

Nikola Modruški
1420s births 1480 deaths 15th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Croatia Croats of Montenegro {{Montenegro-bio-stub