The contribution of the Croatian cultural space to the Renaissance is little known in the world and unfortunately also here. Unfavorable political circumstances forced our Renaissance pioneers to act more abroad, mostly in Italy, and thus they remained remembered by their Italianized names. Artists Franjo Vranjanin, Andrija Medulić, Ivan Duknović, Julije Klović, Juraj Dalmatinac, Andrija Aleši, and Nikola Firentinac are among the more well-known among them.
Born In 1560, he was on the island of Rab. In Italy, he completed his Jesuit school and studies, entered the Jesuit order, and taught mathematics, logic, philosophy, and rhetoric in Verona, Padua, and Brescia. He left the Jesuit order to become the administrator of the Senj diocese and was appointed bishop in 1600. He distinguished himself as a mediator in the conflict between the Venetians and the Uskoks while on the bishop’s throne in Senj, and thanks to his efforts, a truce was reached. He earned the respect of the Pope and the Habsburg Court.
After taking over the archbishopric, Markantun de Dominis conscientiously and energetically takes on the tasks, submitting himself to the seminarians and trying to improve the position of the lower clergy, which puts him in conflict with the archiepiscopal chapter and other bishops.
Even as a mathematics lecturer in Padua, he shows an interest in natural sciences. He writes two treatises: on optics and on tides. He possesses great intuition and understands the significance of experimentation in physics. Dominis understands the essence of light reflection and refraction, and he accurately concludes that changing the angle of vision also changes the size of the image. (De radiis visus et lucis in vitris perspectivis et iride. Tractatus. Venetiis 1611. Marcus Antonius de Dominis). Later, Descartes mathematically formulated this. Isa himself
Goethe writes about this work: “With this work of relatively small volume, Antun de Dominis has become famous among natural researchers, and rightfully so: his work shows the effort of an informed man, well-versed in mathematics and physics, moreover, a genuine observer…”
While influenced by Copernicus, Galileo ebb and the ebb is exclusively a result of the Earth’s rotation, Dominis, on the other hand, correctly concludes that it is largely due to the Moon’s gravitational force. Although his contribution to the field of physics is extremely significant, to the point that Ivan Supek ranks him among the three most important scientists from Croatia, alongside Bošković and Tesla, Dominis still dedicates his best years to achieving his life goal – reconciling the warring Christian factions of Europe.
Namely, the bloody wars caused by the conflict between the papacy and the Reformation, as expressions of the need for spiritual and structural change within the Church, once again plunge Europe into the abyss of the Middle Ages. Dominis, as a true Christian, invests all his intellectual strength in preventing this. In his work De republica ecclesiastica, considered by many to be the most lucid work of his time, he emerges as a precursor of ecumenism: “From the first years of my clerical life, I nurtured an almost innate desire to see the unity of all Christ’s churches. The separation of the West from the East, the South from the North in religious matters” I could never remain indifferent to them. I strongly desired to understand the cause of such numerous and significant divisions and consider whether a path could be found to unite all of Christ’s churches in true ancient unity. … In essence and foundation, faith is one and the same. Both have the same ruler and Lord, Christ, the same baptism, and were established by the same apostles, following and serving the same Gospel …
It demands a return to original Christianity as the foundation for general reconciliation and unity of Christian churches, without the primacy of the Pope, who is seen as just one of the bishops. It also emphasizes that the Church should be solely focused on spiritual goals. It needs to be freed from influence in worldly matters because the greed for worldly power, wealth, and pleasures that has taken over the hierarchies of all Christian churches has hindered the achievement of the fundamental goal. It argues that the Church should be governed by bishops who are equal in authority as legitimate successors of the apostles. In his work, he further appeals to Europe… ske crkve. Dominis ističe važnost međusobne tolerancije i suživota, te se zalaže da vladari izbjegavaju međusobne sporove i ratove. Istovremeno, kritizira Rimsku kuriju zbog njenih pogrešnih stavova koji narušavaju duh crkve. Optužen za herezu, napušta svoju nadbiskupsku poziciju i odlazi u Englesku, gdje ga srdačno dočekuje kralj James i visoki crkveni dignitarci. U pismu upućenom kralju Engleske, Dominis naglašava potrebu za povezivanjem crkava i međusobnom snošljivošću, posebno u odnosima između rimokatoličke i anglikanske crkve. of churches. In England, he was appointed as the Dean of Windsor, which corresponded to the position of the king’s advisor for foreign affairs, and he enjoys great honor and has substantial income.
Windsor Castle
Although some classify him as a Protestant, he vehemently denies it himself. In his beliefs and behavior, he is closer to the Czech reformer Jan Hus, whom he mentions with respect, and who demanded a more modest Church and condemned the debauchery of the clergy. Hus’s work builds on the best tradition of Catholic universalism and surpasses the narrow-mindedness of the reform movement at that time, such as anti-papacy. On the contrary, Dominis emphasizes human responsibility and freedom. The Gospel remains for him the common Christian foundation, but it allows individuals and nations the freedom in their worldly actions.
During his six years at the English court, he had the opportunity to directly familiarize himself with the state of the Anglican Church. As much as he was a fierce critic of the Roman Church, he became an opponent of the English Church equally. He decided to leave England, justifying it by stating: “As staying among you, I couldn’t effectively promote harmony and unity, perhaps now, when I am no longer with you, I will be able to promote better. I will not give up on such a great and godly work for unification as long as I live and wherever I may be.” Unfortunately, his ideals were not recognized by either the Roman or Anglican Church. He returns to Rome, the center of Christianity, where he apparently, like Galileo, renounces his beliefs. However, after the death of Pope Gregory XV, Dominis loses his protector. The Inquisition accuses him of returning to heresy in his soul. Although formally repentant, during his questioning, Dominis expresses his true beliefs. He dies in prison at the Sant’Angelo fortress in Rome in 1624, and his body, along with his writings, is burned on the fateful Campo dei Fiori where Giordano Bruno was also burned. Interestingly, earlier in the same year, in Rome, Dominis published his work Euripus seu de fluxu et refluxu maris (Euripus or On the ebb and flow of the sea). phantom. grave sin.
Today, three and a half centuries after his death, he is called a theologian of reconciliation and a precursor of ecumenism. However, he must also be given another acknowledgment – that in dangerous times, he dared to openly express and persist in his noble ideals, and to sacrifice his own life for them.