Bishops of Makarska, 1320-1731

This is part 42 in a series on Daniel Farlati’s Illyricum Sacrum.

Makarska is a coastal town about 38 miles south of Split. In Farlati’s day the city had greatly diminished in size from years of Ottoman occupation. The diocese was established in 533 at the second council of Salona by Archbishop Honorius III. A priest from Salona, Stephan, was appointed the first bishop. However, mentions of the diocese outside this council are absent until the 14th century, when the diocese was restored by Peter IX.

Valentinus (~1320)

He resided in Omiš while Makarska was under the influence of the Bosnian church. When Count George of Omiš had neglected to pay certain tithes,Archbishop Dominic Luccari ordered Valentinus to put George under interdict. Valentinus refused, and was himself punished with anathama. He disputed with the Archbishop that Omiš was in Makarska’s jurisdiction, but eventually dropped the matter. He was later reinstated in the church. He resigned his position and was allowed to go to St. Andrew of Pelago, a monestary near Vir, Croatia.

Joannes (1367)

mentioned in a 1367 charter by King Louis of Hungary. Farlati thinks he was either exiled or forced to resign when Stephen Tvrtko took control of the region.

Simon (~1370)

The Giardino Serafico Istorico calls him bishop of craina which Farlati links to Makarska.

Jacobus (~1373)

Mentioned in two charters of Louis of Hungary. First in 1373 and again in 1379.

Joannes II (~1388)

He resided in split while the church of Bosnia was still strong in Makarska. Sfortia Ponzoni preserved a document which shows Joannes as a witness to a dispute over tithes in Senj.

Franciscus (1445)

The Giardino Serafico Istorico dates him to 1445, otherwise unknown.

Andreas (1472)

Marcello Cavalieri (Michael Cavallerius) says he was in the order of Saint Dominic. He was in good favor with emperor Frederick III and served as his envoy to Rome. For reasons unknown he fell in to disfavor with Pope Sixtus IV. He resigned his position and lived out his days in a monastery.

Vitus (1490)

Vitus De Ruschis, the same who was Bishop of Duvno

Franciscus II (1520)

The Giardino Serafico Istorico states he was bishop of both Makarska and Trbinje, but this may have been a scribal error, as the island of Mrkan was previously associated with the bishop of Trebinje.

Bartholomaeus (1615)

He was born in the Makarska region to the noble Kačić family. He taught in Naples and later in Zagreb. He successfully convinced King Matthias and Rome that Makarska needed a bishop after a nearly 90 year vacancy.

Matija Divković (Matthaeus Dircovichius) dedicated a work to him written in Bosnian Cyrillic. Based on Farlati’s description of the work: explanationes suas Illyricas in Evangelia totius anni, this appears to be the work Beside svarhu evandelia nedilnieh priko svega godista published in 1616.

He Spent later years in Zaostrog, and then Hvar on a family estate where he died in 1645.

Petrus (1646)

A nephew of Bartholomaeus and member of the Kačić family. His tenure of nearly 18 years was rather uneventful. He died in 1663.

Marianus (1664)

Marijan Lišnjić (lt. Lisnichius). He became bishop just as war was intensifying in the region. Many citizens of Makarska fled the city after Ottoman raids. Marianus caused tension by claiming the refugees still owed tithes to him despite now living outside his jurisdiction. Marianus was not afraid to provoke the Ottoman’s on religion. In once instance they imprisoned him and threatened execution if a ransom was not paid. The Archbishop of Bar¹, Andrija Zmajević (Andreas Zmajivichius), warned his Vicar General in a letter not to dispute religion with the Ottomans, lest he suffer the same fate as Marianus.

Marianus was ransomed and continued serving as bishop in to his later years, passing away around 1685.

Nicolaus (1698)

Nikola Bijanković (Blanchovicio). He was born in Spalato in 1645 and studied at the Illyrian College in Loreto, Italy. He later become a canon in Spalato and taught at the Seminary there. Prior to his appointment as bishop he had served as Apostolic Vicar to the Ottoman Held regions in Dalmatia. Farlati says that he accompanied Girolamo Corner’s fleet on expeditions against the Ottomans. Filippo Riceputi, who collected much of the material for the Illyricum Sacrum, worked with Nicolaus in his diocese. He was well liked by many, including the Ottomans. The events of his life were written in an Italian Manuscript by Joannes Cettinic in Split. Many miracles were attributed to him.

Stephanus II (1731)

Stjepan Blašković (Blascovichius). He was the current Bishop at the time of publication. Farlati says that he sent him 3 letters but never received a reply. As such, he had little he could write about him.