Dživo Franov Gundulić (; 8 January 1589 – 8 December 1638), better known today as Ivan Gundulić, was the most prominent
Baroque
The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...
poet from 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 ...
(now in
Croatia
Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...
). He is regarded as the Croatian
national poet
A national poet or national bard is a poet held by tradition and popular acclaim to represent the identity, beliefs and principles of a particular national culture. The national poet as culture hero is a long-standing symbol, to be distinguished ...
. His work embodies central characteristics of
Roman Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
Counter-Reformation
The Counter-Reformation (), also sometimes called the Catholic Revival, was the period of Catholic resurgence that was initiated in response to, and as an alternative to or from similar insights as, the Protestant Reformations at the time. It w ...
: religious fervor, insistence on "
vanity
Vanity is the excessive belief in one's own abilities or attractiveness compared to others. Prior to the 14th century, it did not have such narcissistic undertones, and merely meant ''futility''. The related term vainglory is now often seen as ...
of this world" and zeal in opposition to "
infidels". Gundulić's major works—the
epic poem
In poetry, an epic is a lengthy narrative poem typically about the extraordinary deeds of extraordinary characters who, in dealings with gods or other superhuman forces, gave shape to the mortal universe for their descendants. With regard to ...
''Osman'', the
pastoral
The pastoral genre of literature, art, or music depicts an idealised form of the shepherd's lifestyle – herding livestock around open areas of land according to the seasons and the changing availability of water and pasture. The target au ...
play ''
Dubravka'', and the religious
poem
Poetry (from the Greek language, Greek word ''poiesis'', "making") is a form of literature, literary art that uses aesthetics, aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meaning (linguistics), meanings in addition to, or in ...
''
Tears of the Prodigal Son'' (based on the
Parable of the Prodigal Son
The Parable of the Prodigal Son (also known as the parable of the Two Brothers, Lost Son, Loving Father, or of the Forgiving Father; ) is one of the parables of Jesus in the Bible, appearing in Luke 15:11–32. In Luke 15, Jesus tells this sto ...
)—are examples of Baroque stylistic richness and, frequently, rhetorical excess.
Life and works
Gundulić was born in
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 ...
into a wealthy Ragusan noble family (''see''
House of Gundulić
A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...
) on 8 January 1589. Son of Francesco di Francesco Gundulić (Frano Franov Gundulić, senator and diplomat, once the Ragusan envoy to Constantinople and councilor of the Republic to the Pope Gregory VIII) and Dživa Gradić (de Gradi). He received an excellent education. He probably studied the humanities with the Jesuit
Silvestro Muzio and philosophy with
Ridolfo Ricasoli and Camillo Camilli, who in late 1590 had been appointed ''rettore delle scuole e professore di umane lettere'' in Ragusa. After that he studied Roman law and jurisprudence in general,
where he held numerous offices for the Great Council of the Republic. In 1608, when he was nineteen, he became a member of the Veliko vieće (Great Council). Twice, in 1615 and 1619, he held the temporary function of knez (commissary or governor) of Konavle, an area southeast of the city.
At the age of thirty he married Nicoleta Sorkočević (Sorgo) (died 1644) who bore him three sons, Frano (Francesco), Mato (Matheo), Šišmundo "Šiško" (Segismondo) and two daughters, Marija "Mare" (Maria) Gondola and Dživa (Giovanna).
Fran Dživa Gundulić Fran may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Fran (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters
* Fran (footballer, born 1969), Francisco Javier González Pérez, Spanish football manager and former midfielder
* Fran (fo ...
and
Mato Gundulić (1636–1684) fought in the thirty-years war under
Wallenstein; the youngest died on January 16, 1682, being by then the Rector of the Republic. From 1621 until his death Ivan held various offices in the city government. In 1636 he became a senator, in 1637 a judge, and in 1638 a member of the Small Council (''Malo vieće''). Had he lived a little longer – he died of an intense fever, product of an inflammation in his ribs ( ''Folio 15 Libr. Mort. N°274, Adi le Xbre 1638 Ragusa'') – he would probably have been elected
''knez'' (rector) of the Dubrovnik Republic, the highest function that was held for one month only by meritorious gentlemen at least fifty years old. His father, who died in 1624, had been ''knez'' five times, and Ivan's son
Šišmundo Gundulić later four times. Ivan Gundulić was buried in the
Franciscan church of Dubrovnik.
He began his literary career by writing poems and staging melodramas that became popular in Dubrovnik. But Ivan published only his larger works. His earlier work, which he referred to as a "brood of darkness", is now lost. His first publications were in 1621, when he rewrote several of David's Psalms and wrote several religious poems. He then wrote his famous ''Suze sina razmetnoga'' (
Tears of the Prodigal Son) in 1622, composed of three "Cries": ''Sagriešenje'' (Sin), ''Spoznanje'' (Insight) and ''Skrušenje'' (Humility). In this poem Ivan presented the three basic categories of
Christian faith
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...
: sin, repentance and redemption through contrasts such as between life and death, purity and sin, and Heaven and Hell. In 1637 when
Ferdinand II of Tuscany married, Gundulić wrote a poem to honor the event, he noted that ''"all of Slavic people (Slovinski narod) honor you on this occasion"''.
''Dubravka''
Gundulić's most famous play is ''
Dubravka'', a
pastoral
The pastoral genre of literature, art, or music depicts an idealised form of the shepherd's lifestyle – herding livestock around open areas of land according to the seasons and the changing availability of water and pasture. The target au ...
written in 1628, where he rhapsodises on the former glory of Dubrovnik and contains some of the most famous verses in
Croatian literature
Croatian literature refers to literary works attributed to the medieval and modern culture of the Croats, Croatia, and Croatian language, Croatian. Besides the modern language whose shape and orthography were standardized in the late 19th centu ...
:
Croatian
O liepa, o draga, o slatka slobodo,
dar u kom sva blaga višnji nam Bog je dô,
uzroče istini od naše sve slave,
uresu jedini od ove Dubrave,
sva srebra, sva zlata, svi ljudcki životi
ne mogu bit plata tvôj čistoj lipoti.
English
Fair liberty, beloved liberty, liberty sweetly avowed,
thou are the treasured gift that God to us endowed,
all our glory is thy true creation,
to our Home thou are all the decoration,
no silver nor gold, not life itself could replace
the reward of thy pure and sublime grace.
''Osman''
In his greatest work, ''Osman'', Gundulić presents the contrasts between Christianity and Islam, Europe and the Turks, West and East, and what he viewed as freedom and slavery. ''Osman'' had 20 cantos, but the 14th and the 15th were never found. Judging from the modern perspective, two approaches seem to dominate the contemporary appraisal of Gundulić's poetry: on one hand, his poetic influence has dimmed due to a change in aesthetic sensibility (Gundulić's chief literary predecessor and influence,
Torquato Tasso
Torquato Tasso ( , also , ; 11 March 154425 April 1595) was an Italian poet of the 16th century, known for his 1591 poem ''Gerusalemme liberata'' (Jerusalem Delivered), in which he depicts a highly imaginative version of the combats between ...
, has undergone similar reassessment, but his artistic integrity and individuality have withstood the test of time better); while Gundulić's impact in the final standardisation of
Croatian was overwhelming.
''Osman'' is firmly rooted within the rich literary tradition of the Croatian
Baroque
The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...
in Dubrovnik and
Dalmatia
Dalmatia (; ; ) is a historical region located in modern-day Croatia and Montenegro, on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea. Through time it formed part of several historical states, most notably the Roman Empire, the Kingdom of Croatia (925 ...
and is considered as one of its apogees. By presenting the contrast of struggle between Christianity and Islam, Gundulić continued
Marko Marulić
Marko Marulić Splićanin (; ; 18 August 1450 – 5 January 1524), was a Croatian poet, lawyer, judge, and Renaissance humanist. He is the national poet of Croatia. According to George J. Gutsche, Marulić's epic poem '' Judita'' "is the first ...
's glorification of the fights against the invading
Ottoman Turks
The Ottoman Turks () were a Turkic peoples, Turkic ethnic group in Anatolia. Originally from Central Asia, they migrated to Anatolia in the 13th century and founded the Ottoman Empire, in which they remained socio-politically dominant for the e ...
. Besides magnifying Slavdom and the battles against the conquerors, Gundulić described the life of the Ottoman sultan
Osman II
Osman II ( ''‘Osmān-i sānī''; ; 3 November 1604 – 20 May 1622), also known as Osman the Young (), was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 26 February 1618 until his regicide on 20 May 1622.
Early life
Osman II was born at Topkapı Pa ...
. Gundulić constantly reminds the reader of the ''wheel of fortune'' and how the world is transient.
''Osman'' begins with the Sultan's grasping of the situation caused by the 1621 Ottoman
defeat at Chocim and descriptions of how the era of pre-Ottoman glory of the Bulgarians, Serbs, Hungarians, Albanians and especially the Poles could be easily restored. According to the storyline, Sultan Osman dispatched Ali-pasha to the
Kingdom of Poland
The Kingdom of Poland (; Latin: ''Regnum Poloniae'') was a monarchy in Central Europe during the Middle Ages, medieval period from 1025 until 1385.
Background
The West Slavs, West Slavic tribe of Polans (western), Polans who lived in what i ...
in order to negotiate peace and Kazlar-aga to choose which Polish noblewoman would suit him best for marriage. Gundulić describes the travels of both Ali-pasha and Kazlar-aga while paying much attention to the battle of Chocim and the enslaved Slavs that suffer under Ottoman rule. After numerous failed attempts to restore order in the empire, the army captures Osman and executes him, bringing the imprisoned Mustafa as the new sultan.
Legacy
Osman was printed for the first time in Dubrovnik in 1826, with the two missing cantos being replaced by poems written by the poet
Petar Ignjat Sorkočević-Crijević (1749–1826), a direct descendant of Ivan Gundulić (his maternal grandmother Nikoleta Gundulić was Šišmundo Gundulić's daughter). Another descendant, Baron
Vlaho Getaldić (grandson of Katarina Gundulić) introduced a hexameter treaty into ''Osman'' in 1865. ''Osman'' was not published in the integral edition until 1844, when the
Illyrian movement
The Illyrian movement (; ) was a pan-South-Slavic cultural and political campaign with roots in the early modern period, and revived by a group of young Croatian intellectuals during the first half of the 19th century, around the years of 1835 t ...
chose Gundulić's oeuvre as a role model of
Croatian. One of the leading Illyrists' men of letters, politician, linguist and poet
Ivan Mažuranić
Ivan Mažuranić (; 11 August 1814 – 4 August 1890) was a Croatian poet, linguist, lawyer and politician who is considered to be one of the most important figures in Croatia's political and cultural life in the mid-19th century. Mažuranić se ...
, successfully completed Gundulić's ''Osman'' by composing the last two chapters, which were left unfinished upon the poet's death.
The monument to Gundulić by the sculptor
Ivan Rendić
Ivan Rendić (27 August 1849 – 29 June 1932) was a Croatian sculptor.
Biography
He began sculpting early on in life, thanks to the stoneworking tradition of the island of Brač, where he was raised. He finished arts school in Venice in 1871 ...
was
unveiled on 25 July 1893 in Dubrovnik's largest square, Poljana.
At a charity concert held for the children of war-torn Bosnia-Herzegovina in September 1995,
Bono
Paul David Hewson (born 10 May 1960), known by the nickname Bono ( ), is an Irish singer-songwriter and activist. He is a founding member, the lead vocalist, and primary lyricist of the rock band U2. Bono is known for his impassioned voca ...
recited at the end of the song
Miss Sarajevo
"Miss Sarajevo" is a song by Irish rock band U2 and British musician Brian Eno, credited to the pseudonym "Passengers". It was released on 20 November 1995 as the only single from their album '' Original Soundtracks 1''. Italian tenor Luciano ...
the famous Ivan Gundulić verses: "O liepa, o draga, o slatka slobodo" ("Oh beautiful, oh precious, oh sweet Liberty").
The
Sunčanica is a historical opera composed by
Boris Papandopulo
Boris Papandopulo (February 25, 1906 – October 16, 1991) was a Croatian composer and conductor of Greek and Russian Jewish descent. Ha-Kol (Glasilo Židovske zajednice u Hrvatskoj); Djela hrvatskih skladatelja Židovskog podrijetla u Beču; ...
, with a libretto by
Marko Soljačić based on Ivan Gundulić's Osman and his son Šišmundo Gundulić, who continued Osman with the Sunčanica history. It was first performed at the
Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb (then the ''Croatian State Theatre in Zagreb'') on June 13, 1942.
The opera was produced by
Branko Gavella, choreographed by
Ana Roje and
Oskar Harmoš, and its main role was played by
Srebrenka Jurinac.
In 2008, the opera was fully performed for the first time in 62 years when it opened the ''16th Zajc's Days'' festival at the Croatian National Theatre Ivan pl. Zajc in Rijeka.
Gundulić's portrait was depicted on the
obverse
The obverse and reverse are the two flat faces of coins and some other two-sided objects, including paper money, flags, seals, medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art, and printed fabrics. In this usage, ''obverse'' ...
of the Croatian 50
kuna banknote, issued in 1993 and 2002.
Ethnicity
According to
John Van Antwerp Fine Jr., "Gundulić spoke of his people as "Slavs" and regarded all Slavs as being one great whole, a single people". Different researchers have described him as a
Croatian poet. According to Marie-Janine Calic, professor of History at
Ludwig Maximilian University
The Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (simply University of Munich, LMU or LMU Munich; ) is a public research university in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. Originally established as the University of Ingolstadt in 1472 by Duke Ludwig IX of Bav ...
, following the
Counter-Reformation
The Counter-Reformation (), also sometimes called the Catholic Revival, was the period of Catholic resurgence that was initiated in response to, and as an alternative to or from similar insights as, the Protestant Reformations at the time. It w ...
, a new symbiosis arose between the reformed Catholicism and the (re-)emerging Croatian identity, that undoubtedly influenced the local Baroque art. Thus, this reformed Catholicism was one of the most important factors for developing a separate Croatian ethnic consciousness and Gundulić's poem Osman was expression of distinct Croatian (pre-)national feelings. According to Slobodan Drakulić, professor of sociology at
Toronto Metropolitan University
Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU, or Toronto Met), formerly Ryerson University, is a Public university, public research university located in Toronto, Canada. The university's core campus is situated within the Garden District, Toronto, Gar ...
, the modern Croatian nationalism has as its antecedent a pre-modern Croatian nationalism, which was a 16-17th century indigenous social phenomenon, and one of its representatives was Gundulić.
On the other hand, Gundulić's ethnicity is part of the Serb-Croat distinctions in self-identification of the Western South Slavic enlighteners, that was one of the major problems in 20th century Yugoslavia.
Gundulić like other writers from
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 ...
who wrote in
Shtokavian dialect are claimed by
Serbia
, image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg
, national_motto =
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg
, national_anthem = ()
, image_map =
, map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...
n scholars as a part of joint Serbian and Croatian
cultural heritage
Cultural heritage is the heritage of tangible and intangible heritage assets of a group or society that is inherited from past generations. Not all heritages of past generations are "heritage"; rather, heritage is a product of selection by socie ...
. He has been included in ''
The 100 most prominent Serbs'' list compiled by the
SANU, and his works are included as a part of the
Serbian literature
Serbian literature ( sr-Cyrl, Српска књижевност, ''Srpska književnost''), refers to literature written in Serbian language, Serbian and/or in Serbia and all other Serbian diaspora, lands where Serbs reside.
The history of Serbia ...
by the
Matica srpska
The Matica srpska ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Матица српска, Matica srpska, ) is the oldest Serbian language independent, non-profit, non-governmental and cultural-scientific Serbian national institution. It was founded on June 1, 1826, in Pest, ...
, together with other Ragusian writers, in the fifth volume of ''Deset vekova srpske književnosti'' (Ten centuries of Serbian literature) released in 2010. In December 2021 was passed a
cultural property law by the
Serbian government
The government of Serbia ( sr-cyrl, Влада Србије, Vlada Srbije), formally the Government of the Republic of Serbia ( sr-cyrl, Влада Републике Србије, Vlada Republike Srbije), commonly abbreviated to Serbian Governme ...
in which Gundulić and other Dubrovnik writers are part of the shared Croatian and Serbian cultural heritage.
[DV]
Srbija ne odustaje: Novim zakonom opet svojataju djela Držića i Gundulića, naše Ministarstvo kulture i medija priprema im odgovor
Slobodna Dalmacija
(, where "Free" is an adjective) is a Croatian daily newspaper published in Split.
History
was first issued on 17 June 1943 by Tito's Partisans in an abandoned stone barn on Mosor, a mountain near Split, while the city was occupied by the I ...
, 16 January 2022, in Serbo-Croatian Croatian scholars with
HAZU
The Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts (; , HAZU) is the national academy of Croatia.
HAZU was founded under the patronage of the Croatian bishop Josip Juraj Strossmayer under the name Yugoslav Academy of Sciences and Arts (, JAZU) since its ...
,
Matica hrvatska
Matica hrvatska () is the oldest independent, non-profit and non-governmental Croatian national institution. It was founded on February 2, 1842 by the Croatian Count Janko Drašković and other prominent members of the Illyrian movement during ...
and representatives of the
Croatian government
The Government of Croatia (), formally the Government of the Republic of Croatia (), commonly abbreviated to Croatian Government (), is the main executive branch of government in Croatia. It is led by the president of the Government (), infor ...
condemn both claims about solely Serbian or joint cultural heritage as an example of
Greater Serbian pretension of Croatian history and heritage.
[Jasmina Parić]
Da su Shakespearea, ovako kao Držića uvrstili u srpske pisce, Britanci bi se samo nasmijali i možda od toga stvorili još jedan montipajtonovski skeč
Slobodna Dalmacija
(, where "Free" is an adjective) is a Croatian daily newspaper published in Split.
History
was first issued on 17 June 1943 by Tito's Partisans in an abandoned stone barn on Mosor, a mountain near Split, while the city was occupied by the I ...
, 6 May 2020, in Serbo-Croatian
List of works

* ''
Tears of the Prodigal Son'' – poem (1622)
* ''
Dubravka'' – pastoral drama (1628)
* ''
Osman'' – baroque epic
* ''
Arijadna'' – drama (1633)
* ''
Pjesni pokorne kralja Davida'' – collection of poems (1621)
See also
*
House of Gundulić
A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...
*
Lidiia Alekseeva, translator of his works into Russian
*
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 ...
References
External links
Ivan Gundulić in the Online Edition Encyclopædia Britannica
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gundulic, Ivan
1589 births
1638 deaths
People from the Republic of Ragusa
17th-century Croatian poets
Croatian Catholic poets
Epic poets
Ivan
Ivan () is a Slavic male given name, connected with the variant of the Greek name (English: John) from Hebrew meaning 'God is gracious'. It is associated worldwide with Slavic countries. The earliest person known to bear the name was the B ...
Ragusan poets
Croatian male poets
People from Dubrovnik
Croatian Baroque writers
17th-century Croatian nobility
Ragusan nobility