Mariano Bolizza or Marin Bolica (1603 – 27 November 1643) was a nobleman and writer from
Cattaro
Kotor (Cyrillic: Котор, ), historically known as Cattaro (from Italian: ), is a town in Coastal region of Montenegro. It is located in a secluded part of the Bay of Kotor. The city has a population of 13,347 and is the administrative cen ...
(known today as
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 ...
).
Biography
Bolizza was born in Kotor, at the time part of the
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice, officially the Most Serene Republic of Venice and traditionally known as La Serenissima, was a sovereign state and Maritime republics, maritime republic with its capital in Venice. Founded, according to tradition, in 697 ...
(now
Montenegro
, image_flag = Flag of Montenegro.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Montenegro.svg
, coa_size = 80
, national_motto =
, national_anthem = ()
, image_map = Europe-Mont ...
). He studied at the University of
Padua
Padua ( ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Veneto, northern Italy, and the capital of the province of Padua. The city lies on the banks of the river Bacchiglione, west of Venice and southeast of Vicenza, and has a population of 20 ...
and, having embraced a priestly life, moved to Venice where he became a secretary of
nuncio
An apostolic nuncio (; also known as a papal nuncio or simply as a nuncio) is an ecclesiastical diplomat, serving as an envoy or a permanent diplomatic representative of the Holy See to a state or to an international organization. A nuncio is ...
Giovanni Battista Agucchi. Bolizza wrote Agucchi's funeral oration with a dedication to his mentor
Claude de Mesmes, comte d'Avaux, the French ambassador to the Republic of Venice. A member of the
Bolizza family, his ancestor and family
progenitor
In genealogy, a progenitor (rarer: primogenitor; or ''Ahnherr'') is the founder (sometimes one that is legendary) of a family, line of descent, gens, clan, tribe, noble house, or ethnic group.. Ebenda''Ahnherr:''"Stammvater eines Geschlec ...
was Zuane Bolizza, mentioned in 1538.
The Bolizza were central in ensuring the safe transport of correspondence between Venice and the Ottoman Empire.
They had received an exclusive contract after the
Battle of Lepanto
The Battle of Lepanto was a naval warfare, naval engagement that took place on 7 October 1571 when a fleet of the Holy League (1571), Holy League, a coalition of Catholic states arranged by Pope Pius V, inflicted a major defeat on the fleet of t ...
(1571).
Family heads were often appointed
vice-proveditors of Cattaro.
His brother was
Francesco Bolizza.
Work
A public servant of Venice, he was assigned to provide information on the
Sanjak of Scutari
The Sanjak of Scutari or Sanjak of Shkodra (; ; or ''İşkodra Sancağı'') was one of the sanjaks of the Ottoman Empire. It was established after the Ottoman Empire acquired Shkodra after the siege of Shkodra in 1478–9. It was part of th ...
, a paper known in Italian as ''Relazione e descrizione del sangiacato di Scutari''. He delivered his documents at Venice on May 25, 1614. The Sanjak of Scutari included the
vilayet of Montenegro, which paid an annual tribute. The work contains the earliest description of the people and geography of the modern era Montenegro.
Legacy
The
Croatian Encyclopedia
The ''Croatian Encyclopedia'' () is a Croatian general encyclopedia
An encyclopedia is a reference work or compendium providing summaries of knowledge, either general or special, in a particular field or discipline. Encyclopedias are divid ...
describes him as a 'Croatian writer' and notes his works in Latin and Italian.
See also
*
Rovca
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bolizza, Mariano
1603 births
1643 deaths
17th-century Venetian writers
17th-century travel writers
Italian travel writers
Republic of Venice nobility
People from Kotor
Ottoman period in the history of Montenegro
Ottoman Albania
Venetian period in the history of Montenegro