Frančesko Micalović

Frančesko Ratkov Micalović (birth name Ivan Vukosalić or Jovan Vukosalić) was an early 16th-century Ragusan printer who printed the first books on vernacular language of population of contemporary Ragusa (modern-day Dubrovnik).

Frančesko Ratkov Micalović
Colophon of Officio (1512)
Born
Ivan or Jovan (Giovanni) Vukosalić
NationalityRagusan
Other namesFranciscus Ratchi Mizalovich,[1] Franjo, Frano
Occupationprinter
Notable work
Officio and Molitvenik

Micalović printed books based on the agreements he concluded with Petar Šušić. Šušić paid 108 golden ducats for printing while Micalović prepared Cyrillic script types and organized printing of prayer books in Venice in 1512. These prayer books are known as Molitvenik and Officio. Micalović was obliged to collect printed books and to sell them in his shop which he was to open in Dubrovnik and in Ottoman Serbia.

In 1510 and 1513 documents signed by Micalović, the language of the prayer book was referred to as "in littera et idiomate serviano" (English: in Serbian language and letters). In sources the language of these prayer books and script in which it is printed is referred to as Bosnian, Ragusan, Serbian, Croatian or Serbo-Croatian, depending on the point of view of its authors.

Family

Fračnesko's birth name was Ivan or Jovan.[2] His grandfather was a book trader.[3] Fračnesko's father was Ratko Vukosalić whose nickname was Micalović.[4] Ratko Vukosalić belonged to a group of Ragusans who had very good connections with Ottomans and was engaged in a special type of trade, ransom slavery.[5] In Ragusan document composed on 23 August 1470 it was recorded that Ratko Vukosalić (with nickname Mazalović) paid to Ivan Marković from Croatia a ransom for certain Turk Mustafa.[6] Ratko bought silver for this transaction from Grgur Sumičić from Novo Brdo.[7] Ransom for Mustafa of 500 ducats was paid by Isa-Beg Ishaković who also had to release Marković's wife captured and kept in slavery in Sarajevo. On 16 September 1470 Ratko Vukosalić, acting as an agent of Živan Pripčinović,[8] brought wife of Ivan Marković to Dubrovnik.[9] At the beginning of 1471 Ratko Vukosalić bought a house.[10] Ratko Vukosalić died before 1501.[11] After a certain time Ratko's nickname became a family name inherited by his son Frančesko.[12] Frančesko married Linusse (Lignussa which is diminutive of Lena),[13][14] a daughter of famous Ragusan goldsmith Pavle Antoević.[15]

Career

Frančesko was also referred to as meštre (English: master craftsman) because he was not only a publisher but also a craftsman who cut paper and prepared types for printing.[16] It is possible that Frančesko learned the skill of melting metal and engraving from his father-in-law, so he was able to prepare types for printing books on presses that belonged to Rusconi in 1512.[17]

Mihailo Dinić discovered in Ragusan archives that Micalović signed two contracts in his attempt to publish Cyrillic script books for Ragusan Catholics.[18] Micalović and Šušić signed the first contract with Girolamo Soncino in Pesaro on 28 September 1510.[19][20] It was agreed that Girolamo would print in his printing house several prayer books on Cyrillic script.[21]

On 31 July 1511 Micalović signed an agreement with Petar Đuro Šušić in which Micalović's name appears as Frančesko.[22] According to this agreement Micalović and Šušić established a company in which Micalović invested his labor (personam suam) and contract he signed earlier with Soncino, while Šušić invested 108 golden ducats.[23] It was agreed that printed books were to be collected by Micalović who was obliged to distribute them in Dubrovnik (in a small shop he was to open for this purpose) and Serbia.[24] On 20 August 1513 Micalović began his journey into the Ottoman controlled territory of the Balkans to sell prayer books he printed. On that date Micalović and Šušić signed another contract in which Micalović was obliged to return to Šušić all the money he received from selling prayer books.[25]

Cyrillic script Catholic prayer books

In 1512 Micalović printed two Catholic prayer books in Venice, in the printing house of Giorgio Rusconi (Zorzi Ruskoni) from Milano.[26] One book is known as Officio (Officio Beatae Mariae Virginis) and the other as Molitvenik (Officio Sanctae Brigittae).[27] Both books were printed in Cyrillic script with elements of Glagolitic[28] in Shtokavian dialect after being translated from Chakavian.[29] On 18 September 1512, immediately after his return to Ragusa, Micalović stated that two cases of Slavic books belonged to Đuro, father of Petar Šušić.[30]

The four-part icon from church in the Orthodox Monastery of Virgin Mary's Birth in village Sogle, Čaška Municipality (near Veles, North Macedonia) have decorative elements painted under influence of Cyrillic Molitvenik printed by Micalović.[31] According to Dejan Medaković, renaissance decorative elements of this 16th-century icon are directly copied from Molitvenik printed by Micalović.[32]

Polemics about the language

These two books were rediscovered to the scientific public in 1932 which initially referred to the language of these prayer books as Serbian language. In the contract signed by Micalović the language of the prayer book was referred to as "in littera et idiomate serviano" (English: in Serbian language and letters).[33] Milan Rešetar performed detailed analysis of the letters, content, style and language of the prayer book and concluded that it is the first book printed on Serbian vernacular language because Oktoih (printed in 1494) was printed in Church Slavonic language.[34]

In 1938 Rešetar, who was a Serb Catholic from Dubrovnik, published a prologue of the phototypic edition of Micalovićs books. In this prologue Rešetar stated "some letters used for printing of the prayer book were actually its own type of Cyrillic letters, based on the fastwrite Cyrillic (Western Cyrillic) which at that time was not used to print works for religious texts of the Orthodox Church, so fastwrite was Cyrillic script regularly used by our Catholics and Muslims".[35]

The detailed analysis of Rešetar's statements and books led Stjepan Ivšić to conclude that the language of these books was not Serbian, but Croatian.[36] Rešetar's 1938 statement, which did not affect his opinion that the language of the prayer books was Serbian, also led Anica Nazor to conclusion that he refuted his own position.[37]

The sources refer to these prayer books as Ragusan, Serbian,[38][39][40] Croatian or Serbo-Croatian, depending on the point of view of its authors. The Cyrillic script used to print Micalović's prayer books is in sources referred to as Bosančica.

See also

References
  1. (Maštrović 2005, p. 58): "Franjo Ratković Micalović (Franciscus Ratchi Mizalovich)"
  2. (Bibliotekarstvo 1971, p. 5)
  3. (Bibliotekarstvo 1971, p. 5)
  4. (Novak 1951, p. 109)
  5. Ekonomske veze između Dubrovnika i Dalmacije u 16 stoleću, Ignacij Voje, Radovi, volume 10, Zagreb 1977
  6. Fragmenti o omembi Zagreba in Hrvaške v dubrovniških arhivalijah, Voje, Ignacij, Arhivi, 2007, letnik 30, številka 2
  7. Vranjski glasnik. Narodni muzej u Vranju. 1984. p. 49.
  8. (Божић 1952, p. 335)
  9. Hodžić, Muamer (2015-10-12). "Foča-Dubrovnik: Živan Pripčinović (?-1479): Život jednog dubrovačkog trgovca i "diplomate" u Bosni". focanskidani. Naime, dogovoreno je da Isa-beg Ivanu vrati ženu i plati dodatnih 500 dukata kako bi dobio natrag Mustafu. Živanov opunomoćenik Ratko Vukosalić je 16. septembra 1470. godine doveo u Dubrovnik Markovićevu ženu, koju je predao zajedno sa 300 dukata. Nakon toga je preuzeo Mustafu kojeg je vratio osmanskim vlastima.
  10. Радмило Б. Пекић, Катедра за историју, Филозофски факултет Косовска Митровица, Универзитет у Приштини Прегледни рад, Дубровачки Антунин Галеацо Бруњоли из Мантове, page 62
  11. Радмило Б. Пекић, Катедра за историју, Филозофски факултет Косовска Митровица, Универзитет у Приштини Прегледни рад, СРЕДЊОВЈЕКОВНИ НАДИМЦИ У СВЈЕТЛУ ДУБРОВАЧКИХ ИЗВОРА, page 13
  12. (Novak 1951, p. 109)
  13. Incontri linguistici. LICOSA - Libreria Commissionaria Sansoni. 1976. p. 52.
  14. (Nemirovskij 1997, p. 49)
  15. Радмило Б. Пекић, Катедра за историју, Филозофски факултет Косовска Митровица, Универзитет у Приштини Прегледни рад, СРЕДЊОВЈЕКОВНИ НАДИМЦИ У СВЈЕТЛУ ДУБРОВАЧКИХ ИЗВОРА, page 13
  16. (Novak 1951, p. 111)
  17. (Gasperoni 2009, p. xxvi): "Ratkovic era genero di un maestro orafo, Pavel Antoevic; da costui Ratkovic potrebbe aver appreso l'arte di incidere e fondere i metalli. L'operazione non andò a buon fine, ma evidentemente Ratkovic doveva aver comunque preparato i caratteri, se nel 1512 riusci a portare a termine l'impresa, affidandosi ai torchi di Rusconi".
  18. Anica Nazor: Hrvatski ćirilički molitvenik iz 1512. godine, FILOLOGIJA 62(2014), 17—31
  19. (Bibliotekarstvo 1971, p. 5)
  20. (Nemirovskij 1997, p. 49)
  21. Kolendić, Petar; Pantić, M. (1964). Iz staroga Dubrovnika. Srpska književna zadruga. p. 76. био склопио са чувеним песарским накладником Ђироламом Сончином, да ће се у штампарском заводу тог човека издати Официј Богородичин, Лекционар и псеудоаугустинска „Soliloloquia", и то све у нашем језику ћирилицом („рго Oficiis S Marie, Evangeliis, Epistolis et Soliloquiis, S Augustini stampandis in littera et idiomate serviano")
  22. (Novak 1951, p. 109)
  23. (Bibliotekarstvo 1971, p. 5)»Tim ugovorom Micalovic i Sušić sklopiše na neograniöeno vrijeme druStvo, u koje prvi ulozi svoj rad (personam suam) i ugovor sklopljen 28 septembra g. 1510 sa Stamparom Jeronimom Sonöinom (Soncino) u Pezaru po kojem je ovaj imao ...
  24. Istoriski časopis. Institut. 1949. p. 109. По те књиге што ће штампати Сончино имао је ићи Мицаловић, да их пак продаје у Дубровнику и по Србији (in partibus Serviae) и у ту је сврху имао отворити и држати дућан у Дубровнику.
  25. Anica Nazor: Hrvatski ćirilički molitvenik iz 1512. godine, FILOLOGIJA 62(2014), 17—31
  26. (Zimmer 1983, p. 23)
  27. (Zimmer 1983, p. 23)
  28. (Zimmer 1983, p. 23)
  29. (Maštrović 2005, p. 58): "Franjo Ratković Micalović (Franciscus Ratchi Mizalovich) i sam Dubrovčanin. ... da je Molitvenik dubrovačko štokavsko-jekavski spomenik unatoč tomu što se u njemu nalaze tragovi čakavsko-ikavske redakcije iz koje je potekao."
  30. (Novak 1951, p. 109): "Осамнаестог септембра 1512 изјавио је Мицаловић, чим је приспео у Дубровник, да два сандука словенских књига (in idiomate Sclavo) припадају Ђури Шушићу, оцу Петра који је склопио први уговор са Мицаловићем, исто ..."
  31. Bibliotekar. 1960. p. 15. Овим ретким сачуваним примерцима треба додати и четвороделну икону из Согња, у којој су декоративни елементи израђени под утицајем ћирилског Молитвеника који је 1512 Дубровчанин Фрањо Ратковић — Мицаловић
  32. Јанц, Загорка; Serbia), Muzej primenjene umetnosti (Belgrade; Macedonia), Музей на Македонија (Скопје (1986). Стариот дрворез од Србија и Македонија. Музеј примењене уметности. p. 20.
  33. Anica Nazor: Hrvatski ćirilički molitvenik iz 1512. godine, FILOLOGIJA 62(2014), 17—31
  34. Anica Nazor: Hrvatski ćirilički molitvenik iz 1512. godine, FILOLOGIJA 62(2014), 17—31: "ali mali molitvenik što ga je g. 1512. izdao Dubrovčanin Frančesko (Franjo) Ratković ima prema njima tu veliku prednost da je srpski i po jeziku, dok su obje Crnojevićeve knjige na čisto crkvenoslavenskom jeziku«"
  35. Anica Nazor: Hrvatski ćirilički molitvenik iz 1512. godine, FILOLOGIJA 62(2014), 17—31: "»iznosi djelomice svoj tip ćirilskih slova koji je udešen prema ćirilskom skoropisu (zapadnoj ćirilici), kojim su se tada pisale kod nas stvari što nisu namijenjene ni pravoslavnoj crkvi ni pravoslavnoj vjeri, pa je zato skoropis bio ćirilsko pismo što su redovno upotrebljavali naši katolici i muslimani«"
  36. Anica Nazor: Hrvatski ćirilički molitvenik iz 1512. godine, FILOLOGIJA 62(2014), 17—31
  37. Anica Nazor: Hrvatski ćirilički molitvenik iz 1512. godine, FILOLOGIJA 62(2014), 17—31: "Prema tome sam je Rešetar pokazao da nema temelja za tvrdnju da je dubrovački ćirilički Molitvenik iz 1512. godine srpski.... Rešetar further believes that the Prayer Book is Serbian, in spite of his own words stating the following:..."
  38. Milan Rešetar, Jezik srpskog molitvenika od god.1512. Glas SANU 186 (1938), p 171-239
  39. Ivić, Pavle (1986). Srpski narod i njegov jezik. Srpska Književna Zadruga. p. 137. ... молитвеник штампан 1512. „српским писмом и језиком" ...
  40. Anali. 1976. p. 30. ...Српски молитвеник који је 1512. штампан у Венецији...

Sources

Further reading
  • Rešetar, Milan i Đaneli, Ćiro : Dva dubrovačka jezična spomenika iz XVI vijeka. Posebna izdanja SKA, CXXII, Filosofski i filološki spisi, Beograd, SANU 1938
  • Dinić, Mihajlo, Tri dokumenta o oficiju štampanom ćirilicom 1512. god, Istorijski časopis. 2 (1946), str. 109 - 114
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