The Franciscan Juraj Dragišić was a humanist, philosopher, theologian, provincial and (arch) bishop. Born around 1445 in Srebrenica, died 1520 as Archbishop in Barletta, Italy. He comes from the noble Ivaniša family, to whom Ključ was gifted by King Stjepan. After the fall of Bosnia to the Turks (1463) he fled to Dalmatia and then to Italy. In 1469 he was ordained a priest in Bologna. In 1470 he was in Rome in the circle of the humanists around Cardinal Bessarion. In 1481/82 he lived in Paris for a short time. In 1485 he became a master of theology in Florence. He was the protégé of Lorenzo de' Medici, as well as educator and tutor to his sons Pietro and Giovanni (later Pope Leo X). He enjoyed such a reputation that he became a member of the Platonic Academy.
He returns to Dubrovnik from Italy, and collaborates with Dubrovnik humanists, serves as a professor of theology and as a preacher in the cathedral. He writes his most important work "On the nature of the heavenly spirits, which we call angels" (O naravi nebeskih duhova koje zovemo anđelima). In 1500 he returned to Italy and took part in the Franciscan General Chapter. As Bishop of Nazareth in Barletta, he attended the Fifth Lateran Council, where he proposed the reform of the Julian calendar.
Dragišić was a prolific writer, but since the art of printing was invented only recently (1455), duplicating books using this process was still very expensive. He published 13 works in Latin. Fifteen of his manuscripts survive and are recognized.
(fra Andrija Nikić)
