He lived in strict penance, which he carried out by vigil, fasting, sackcloth, prayer and very painful flogging...

Until the death of his beloved brother Šimun, Marulić took great care of his appearance and clothing. After his death, the thought of the fragility of life led him to raise his spirit completely towards God.

Marulić owned a large inheritance, as his origin demands. After Šimun's death, he completely left the care of the household to his youngest brother Valerij. How hard he took his brother's death is clearly shown by the sad and painful elegy he dedicated to him.

Not long after, Valerije also died. After his death, Marulić took over the management of the family estate, and he often complained that it was his most difficult task.

Lonely, he chose a small room with books in one part of the house, which he loved and lived in in the most modest way. Day and night, he dedicated himself to reading sacred volumes and writing his own works. He lived in strict penance, which he carried out by vigil, fasting, sackcloth, prayer and very painful flogging. Through the back door of the little room, he went to the temple dedicated to the famous Virgin and St. Dujma, the disciple of Peter, the champion of the apostles, and from the temple back to the little room.

He was merciful, philanthropic, and broad-minded. He secretly gave whatever he could to the poor, beggars and the needy, remembering the evangelical teaching "Let not the right hand know what the left is doing."

Loss of beloved brothers

Marko

Dino

A legend about the reasons for Marulić's ascetic life that circulated in Dalmatia.

Italian travel writer Giuseppe Antonio Costantini, staying on Hvar, collected bizarre and interesting folk anecdotes. During his trip to Split, he heard an oral story about a love affair from Marulić's youth. He wrote it down in 1732. He titled the story "The Punishment of Debauchery" and published it in the book "Critical, entertaining, moral, scientific and professional letters", which was extremely popular throughout Europe.

Some Split prince had a daughter or sister in his house. According to the story, she was kissed by two young noblemen, one from the Papalić family, and the other named Marko Marulić. Their love relationship developed so much that the young men secretly visited the girl through the window. That window looked out onto an alley that was not very busy during the day and was empty at night.

The forbidden kissing between the girl and the two men lasted for several months. The woman took turns bringing friends into the room. One evening he was the first to enter, and the other the second. Until one evening.

That evening, it was Marulić's turn to enter the girl's room. Papalić begged and begged him to let him go. He, in turn, will allow him to climb another two or three nights, if he so desires. It was not easy to persuade Marulić. Nevertheless, he satisfied Papalić and his wish.

Papalić therefore climbed into the room with Marulić's help. The latter waited patiently on the street. An hour passed in no time. But Papalić did not come down. Marulić was a bit angry with his friend, who wouldn't wait for him all night! Soon, two full hours passed, and there was no sign of Papalić. The writer was getting impatient.

Dawn soon began to break, and no sounds came from the room. Marulić was waiting for his friend. Fear slowly grew in him. Namely, he did not want Papalić to suddenly come down while there were people on the street, so that a serious crime would be discovered in the light of day. While he was standing like that, indecisive and worried, Marulić saw a mass falling from the corner of his eye. The object, hitting the ground, produced a loud noise.

At first, Marulić thought that it was his friend who had fallen from the window by accident or in a hurry. He looked back. But it was not Papalić lying on the street, but a large bag. An hour later, thrown from a height onto the sack, the pulley also fell. Trembling, Marulić approached the unusual bag. Reluctantly, he drove her away. What he will see in her will change his life.

Marulić, opening the bag, saw his friend's head severed from the body and his entire body cut into pieces. He almost fainted because of the horrible scene. But the fear for his own life overcame the feeling of disgust.

Marulić took the sack to the neighboring square. He called a porter who happened to be nearby and, pretending that there was something else in the bag, he loaded the load onto his shoulder, hiding the pulley. Marulić buried his unfortunate friend in his own house.

According to tradition, after repenting of his own sins and thinking about God's favor that saved him from the death he almost escaped, Marulić retreated to the island of Šolta. There he lived a solitary life and hermitage, doing penance for his transgressions.

The veracity of this tradition has not been confirmed, and it is possible that it was inspired by saintly legends that were circulating in Europe at the time. In his youth, the writer really dedicated his verses to a respectable girl, and Božičević's biography states that the writer lived as a hermit on Šolta, flogging and punishing himself for his sins. But the reason for his virtuous life is not explained anywhere...

Punishment for lewdness

Vanity of vanities and everything is vanity, this world is osin (shadow) and fog and hinna.

Marko Marulić, deservedly called the "father of Croatian literature", was born into a noble family from Split in the town of the same name. His father, Nikola Pečenić, was a city lawyer, and his mother's name was Dobrica and she came from a prominent Alberti family. Caring Dobrica took care of seven children because Marko had five brothers and one sister.

Peter, Ivan and Valerije served in the Venetian navy as commanders of three-rowers, and Ivan, as fate would have it, left this world in his first days of command. As a horseman, Šimun gained merit for the Venetian senate and died peacefully after returning to his homeland. Aleksandar was a wonderful father, and at the same time outlived all his brothers. Bira, scorning marriage, lived unmarried in the monastery of St. Benedict because she was dedicated to God from childhood.

Marko received his primary education in Split, after which, as is assumed, he went to study at one of the university centers - in Padua. He was gifted from childhood. He was so advanced in Latin literature that, almost as a boy, he delivered a wonderful speech in praise of Doge Nikola Marcello, to the general admiration of the public. In his youth, he spent his time in constant study, in "night work by candlelight", as his contemporary and author of the biography Božićević writes. "He was dear to everyone, loved by everyone, loved by everyone," he adds.

After his studies, Marulić returned to Split where, in addition to writing, he practiced law, and also served as a judge. Namely, various archives preserve documents in which Marulić is mentioned as a witness, prosecutor, judge, executor of wills and participant in various legal affairs.

He was a famous writer during his lifetime, and his Christian-moralistic works in Latin were popular. Fragments of the translation from his "Institution" were printed seventy times, and in the 16th century they even reached Iceland. Marulić was valued at the court of Pope Hadrian VI. Namely, Marulić wrote to the Pope to use his authority to advocate for the establishment of peace and to gather Christian forces in order to lead them in defense against the Ottomans. The Pope responded with a letter in which he expresses great respect for Marulić.

He wrote "Poeta doctus" in three languages ​​- Croatian, Italian and Latin, and he also used the Glagolitic script when writing. We call him the father of Croatian literature because he wrote the first literary and artistic work in the Croatian language, which was the religious epic "Judith". He is inspired by the Old Testament heroine Judith, who saved her native Bethulia with her courage. Marulić wrote the work to encourage the Croats to defend themselves against the Turks, and some interpret it as an allegorical song depicting the Turkish defense of Split. The work is intended for the Split regiment, which, as Marulić says, does not read Latin or Italian.

Judita was completed on April 22, 1501, and that date is celebrated as Croatian Book Day. Judita's popularity is evidenced by the fact that it was published three times during Marulić's lifetime, in 1521, 1522 and 1523. Her first preserved edition is kept in the Little Brothers Library in Dubrovnik.

Marulić was deeply affected by the death of his beloved brother Valerij. They say that after her, he chose a small room with books in one part of the house where he lived in the most modest way, reading and writing his own works. Through the back door of his little room, he would go to the temple dedicated to Saint Dujma, where he would pray submissively.

Towards the end of his life, as a sixty-year-old, he moved to the island of Solta in search of spiritual peace. He stayed there for two years in a hermit's apartment of Saint Peter in Nečujmo, but due to fear of pirates he returned to his hometown.

Information was also found that he was engaged in painting, archeology and that he studied the history of Split and Solin. He was merciful, philanthropic and generous. He reached the pedestal of Croatian literature with his Croatian works, while he gained eternal world fame through his Latin moralistic works.

Father of Croatian literature

How did the famous writer sign everything?

Marko Marulić, known as the father of Croatian literature, was not surnamed Marulić from childhood. The famous man from Split was born into the Pečenić family, father Nikola and mother Dobrica. The family, according to custom, latinized their surname to Marulus, translated Marulić.

Since Marko wrote most of his works in Latin, he signed himself in them as Marcus Marulus Spalatensis (Marko Marulić from Split) or Marcus Marulus Delmata (Marko Marulić from Dalmatian).

Because of his talent, contemporaries called him "poeta doctus" or learned poet and "poeta christianus" or Christian poet. He signed his works written in Croatian with the family surname Pečenić.

Marulić's last name is unknown

Božićević describes Marulić as a handsome man of medium and slender stature, with broad shoulders and a clear and broad forehead. His eyes were black, his nose aquiline, his face fit, his hair brown and long, his beard serious and dignified.

He spoke little, and among his friends he was pleasant and very witty. He was distinguished by learning, which he did not brag about - he hid it in himself more than he showed it. He was also very direct, whatever was on his heart, it was also on his tongue.

A then-living descendant of the famous Marulić family posed for the famous sculptor Ivan Meštrović's Marulić statue on Split's Fruit Square, created in 1925. Some claim that it is Meštrović's self-portrait.

Marulić's image is also on the 500 kuna banknote. In addition to Croatia, his monument is also located in Germany (Berlin) and Chile (Providence, Santiago de Chile).

Marulić's character

The famous writer corresponded with everyone, including the then Pope Hadrian IV.

Božičević, Marulić's contemporary and the author of his biography about Marulić, writes very highly about the writer.

"He was merciful, philanthropic, abundantly endowed with all kinds of commendable qualities.

He secretly gave whatever he could to the poor, beggars and the needy, remembering the evangelical saying: - Let not the right hand know what the left is doing. –“

Božičević writes that Marulić had three types of friends: honest people who read him and spoke well of him based on his works, less educated but cheerful people with whom he liked to hang out with the lyre, and people who were distinguished by considerable learning and who through their conversations, they encouraged Marko to create.

Marulić hung out with many famous writers and authors from that time. Marulić, with his works, strengthened Christian morality and called for the protection of European culture. Because of this, he was appreciated and respected by great local figures such as Cardinal Dominik Grimani, Croatian Ban Petar Berislavić, Corfu Archbishop Kristofor Marcello, Venetian patrician and Consul of Dalmatia Augustin Mula, Split Archbishop Bernard Zane and many others.

His correspondence with the then Pope Hadrian IV also speaks of his greatness. In it, the "second saint of Dalmatia", as Marulić was called, invited the Pope to gather Christian countries to fight against the Ottomans, who were increasingly encroaching on Europe. And the pope answered him by addressing the letter to "excellent and very learned husband".

Loss of beloved brothers

He lived in strict penance, which he carried out by vigil, fasting, sackcloth, prayer and very painful flogging...

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Punishment for lewdness

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About an excellent and very learned husband