The House of Bona, or Bunić, is a noble family long established in the city of

Dubrovnik Dubrovnik, historically known as Ragusa, is a city in southern Dalmatia, Croatia, by the Adriatic Sea. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean, a Port, seaport and the centre of the Dubrovni ...

History

The origins of the family remain largely unclear, but according to the two oldest traditions, it originated from

Kotor Kotor (Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: Котор, ), historically known as Cattaro (from Italian language, Italian: ), is a town in Coastal Montenegro, Coastal region of Montenegro. It is located in a secluded part of the Bay of Kotor. The city has ...

Venetian Albania Venetian Albania (, , , , ) was the official term for several possessions of the Republic of Venice in the southeastern Adriatic, encompassing coastal territories primarily in present-day southern Montenegro and partially in northern Albania. Se ...

, or else from the town of

Vieste Vieste (; ) is a town, ''comune'' and former Catholic bishopric in the province of Foggia, in the Apulia region of southeast Italy. A marine resort in Gargano, Vieste has received Blue Flags for the purity of its waters from the Foundation fo ...

Apulia Apulia ( ), also known by its Italian language, Italian name Puglia (), is a Regions of Italy, region of Italy, located in the Southern Italy, southern peninsular section of the country, bordering the Adriatic Sea to the east, the Strait of Ot ...

and Leck. The ''

Almanach de Gotha The ''Almanach de Gotha'' () is a directory of Europe's royalty and higher nobility, also including the major governmental, military and diplomatic corps, as well as statistical data by country. First published in 1763 by C. W. Ettinger in ...

'' enumerates it among the eleven oldest native families of the

Republic of Ragusa The Republic of Ragusa, or the Republic of Dubrovnik, was an maritime republics, aristocratic maritime republic centered on the city of Dubrovnik (''Ragusa'' in Italian and Latin; ''Raguxa'' in Venetian) in South Dalmatia (today in southernmost ...

, and members of the family were still living in the city in the 19th century. The family was influential and wealthy in the Republic, divided into several branches, and combined with other noble families from Dubrovnik by a series of marriages, which in turn gave rise to additional branches of the family. Their nobility was recognised by the

Austrian Empire The Austrian Empire, officially known as the Empire of Austria, was a Multinational state, multinational European Great Powers, great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the Habsburg monarchy, realms of the Habsburgs. Duri ...

, which granted a member of the family the title of

marquess A marquess (; ) is a nobleman of high hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The German-language equivalent is Markgraf (margrave). A woman with the rank of a marquess or the wife (or wid ...

The main branch of the family is still in existence, with its principal residence in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, but also a secondary residence and several businesses in

Notable members

* Jan (Giovanni) Junta Bona (15th century), merchant from Venice, owner of Krakow saltworks and several villages in Małopolska. * Serafin (Saro) Bona (15th century),

theologian Theology is the study of religious belief from a religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of ...

and writer, the personal adviser of King

Matthias Corvinus Matthias Corvinus (; ; ; ; ; ) was King of Hungary and King of Croatia, Croatia from 1458 to 1490, as Matthias I. He is often given the epithet "the Just". After conducting several military campaigns, he was elected King of Bohemia in 1469 and ...

* Župan Bona (died 1464), builder and politician *

Jakov Bunić Jakov Bunić (also ''Giacomo Bona'' in Italian or ''Iacobus Bonus'' in Latin) (1469 - 1534) was a Croatian renaissance poet, latinist, diplomat, state official, lawyer and merchant from the Republic of Dubrovnik (Republic of Ragusa). He was a me ...

(1469-1534), Croatian writer and poet, ambassador of the Republic to

Pope Leo X Pope Leo X (; born Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici, 11 December 14751 December 1521) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 9 March 1513 to his death in December 1521. Born into the prominent political and banking Med ...

. A syllogism of his works was published in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

in 1526. * Mihael (Miho) Bona (16th century), Latin, and Italian poet *

Ivan Bunić Vučić Ivan (Đivo) Vučić Bunić (or Đivo Sarov Bunić; ; 1592 – 6 March 1658), now known predominantly as Ivan Bunić Vučić, was a politician and poet from the Republic of Ragusa. Biography He was born into a large family in Dubrovnik. He ...

(1591 or 1592–1658), poet and writer, now recognized as one of the founders of Croatian literature. *

Nikola Bona Nikola () is a given name which, like Nicholas, is a version of the Greek ''Nikolaos'' (Νικόλαος) and it means "the winner of the people". It is common as a masculine given name in the South Slavic countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina ...

(1635-1678), led the Republic after the disastrous earthquake of 1667, considered "father" of his country. Died a prisoner of the Ottoman rule in Bosnia, a state funeral was decreed in his honour, and a plaque was erected in the hall of the Grand Council of the Republic. Wrote in the Illyrian Herodias, and other compositions in

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

and

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

. * Đivo Bona (18th century), student of Cardinal

Giovanni Battista Tolomei Giovanni Battista Tolomei (3 December 1653 – 19 January 1726) was an Italian Jesuit priest, theologian, and cardinal. Life Tolomei was born of noble parentage at the ancestral castle of the Counts of Capraia () in the Grand Duchy of Tuscan ...

. He was a poet and writer, remembered for translating plays from

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

into Croatian, as well as several poems of his own. * Jero Frano Bona (18th century), bishop and writer * Frano Bona (1669-1717), general, killed in

Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...

* Luka Bona (1708-1778), lawyer and writer *

Eduard Bona-Bunić Eduard Model Accessories is a Czech manufacturer of plastic models and finescale model accessories. History Formed in 1989 in the city of Most, Eduard began in a rented cellar as a manufacturer of photoetched brass model components. Follo ...

(1894–1944), Croatian Home Guard general * Frano de Bona (1909–1991), recruited as a spy for the

Abwehr The (German language, German for ''resistance'' or ''defence'', though the word usually means ''counterintelligence'' in a military context) ) was the German military intelligence , military-intelligence service for the ''Reichswehr'' and the ...

during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

but turned by the British

Secret Intelligence Service The Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), commonly known as MI6 (MI numbers, Military Intelligence, Section 6), is the foreign intelligence service of the United Kingdom, tasked mainly with the covert overseas collection and analysis of Human i ...

(as Agent FREAK) as part of the

Double-Cross System The Double-Cross System or XX System was a World War II counter-espionage and deception operation of the British Security Service ( MI5). Nazi agents in Britain – real and false – were captured, turned themselves in or simply announced themse ...

.
Ben Macintyre Double Cross: The True Story of The D-Day Spies

Gallery

File:Giovanni Serafino Bona.jpg,

File:Dubrovnik-Wappen-de-Bona-1.jpg, Coat of arms on the de Bona villa in Dubrovnik

References

Sources

Francesco Maria Appendini Francesco Maria Appendini (November 4, 1768 – 1837) was an Italian Latin and Italian scholar who studied Slavic languages in the Republic of Ragusa. The French invasion prevented him from returning to Italy, and he adopted Republic of Ragusa as hi ...

, ''Notizie istorico-critiche sulle antichità storia e letteratura de' Ragusei'', Dalle stampe di Antonio Martecchini, Ragusa 1803 *

Renzo de' Vidovich Renzo, the diminutive of Lorenzo, is an Italian masculine given name and a surname. Given name Notable people named Renzo include the following: * Renzo Alverà (1933–2005), Italian bobsledder * Renzo Arbore (born 1937), Italian TV host, s ...

, ''Albo d'Oro delle famiglie nobili patrizie e illustri nel Regno di Dalmazia'', Fondazione Scientifico Culturale Rustia Traine, Trieste 2004 * Simeone Gliubich, ''Dizionario biografico degli uomini illustri della Dalmazia'', Vienna-Zara 1836 * Giorgio Gozzi, ''La libera e sovrana Repubblica di Ragusa 634–1814'', Volpe Editore, Roma 1981 *

Robin Harris Robin Harris may refer to: * Robin Harris (comedian) Robin Hughes Harris Sr. (August 30, 1953 – March 18, 1990) was an American comedian and actor, best known for his recurring comic sketch about "Bé-bé's Kids". He was posthumously nominated ...

, ''Dubrovnik, A History'', *

Konstantin Jireček Konstantin Josef Jireček (24 July 1854 10 January 1918) was an Austro-Hungarian Czech historian, politician, diplomat, and Slavist. He was the founder of Bohemian Balkanology (or Balkan Studies) and Byzantine studies, and wrote extensively on ...

, ''L’eredità di Roma nelle città della Dalmazia durante il medioevo'', 3 voll., AMSD, Roma 1984–1986 {{DEFAULTSORT:Bona, House Of Ragusan noble families Bunić family

History

Notable members

Gallery

See also

References

Sources