Bishops of Modruš, 1461-1560

This is part 38 in a series on Daniel Farlati’s Illyricum Sacrum.

Modruš is about 75 miles northwest of krbava and inland from the coastal town of Senj. It may be the area that Ptolemy referred to as Tediastum in his work Geographia. The town sits below Tržan Castle.

The diocese was established after krbava was surpressed due to Ottoman invasions. The Ottoman’s eventually captured and destroyed Modruš too, and the administration of the church was undertaken by the diocese of Senj. Farlati says in his time the city contained only a few houses. He includes a report from Filippo Riceputi’s visit to the region.

On October 28th, I arrived at Modruš—formerly a city and the seat of a bishop, but subsequently completely destroyed by the Turks. I was received by Lord Wolfgang Hogger of Senj, a most gracious host. He explained the following details to us, which we also examined closely with our own eyes.

The castle, situated on high ground, faces south. It is uninhabited and ruined, yet remnants of its walls still rise up. There is no memory nor even a name among the inhabitants of the chapel that once stood there. The castle is connected to the city by walls descending on both sides. The city itself lies on the plain, facing north, and is likewise encircled by walls that adjoin those previously mentioned. These walls remain intact, as do the two gates, one facing east and the other west. Near the city walls on the north side lie the ruins of the ancient cathedral church, which was dedicated to St. Mark the Evangelist. A bell tower rises nearby, having suffered scarcely any damage from the Turks or the passage of time. However, it lacks its bell. Whether carried off by the Turks, or moved by Christians to another location or put to a different use. Further on, towards the north, stands the Bishop’s Palace. Parts of its walls still remain standing, though so dilapidated that they retain no trace of their former grandeur.

Philip said about 100 people lived in the city, and the churches served around 800 parishioners.

Nicolaus (1461)

He was from from Ascrivium, modern day Kotor, Montenegro.

A public document in 1461 attests him as Nicolaus de Catharo (Kotor) and says that he was a Doctor of Sacred Theology.

In December 1462 Pope Pius sent him as a legate to Stephen II, King of Bosnia to deal with church affairs in the region.

He died in Rome in an unknown year. He was buried in Santa Maria del Popolo.

Antonius (1481)

Vincenzo Maria Fontana wrote that he was originally from Zadar and a chaplain to Matthias Corvinus, king of Hungary. He was made bishop in 1481 by Pope Sixtus IV.

Christophorus (~1489)

His earliest mention is 1489 as a witness to a charter.¹ He appears twice in the Split Archives, first n 1491 as a witness to judicial proceedings, and in 1494 assisting in Archbishop Bartholomew’s consecration of Vincenzo De Andreis as bishop of Otočac. He is last recorded in 1496 in a privilege by King Vladislaus II of Hungary. He died near Senj.

Jacobus, Bishop elect (1499)

Called Jacobus Dragatius. He was originally from Trogir. He was an auditor in the Sacred Rota in Rome. Alexander VI appointed him as bishop of Modruš in 1499, but he died before he could take office. He was 48 years old.

Simon (~1500)

Šimun Kožičić Benja. He was originally from a prominent family that lived in Zadar. He gave a speech at the Fifth Lateran Council concerning the Ottoman incursions in to Dalmatia. It was later published as De Corvatiae desolatione.

He was a collector of manuscripts. Raphael Levacovichius, the Archbishop of Ohrid, transcribed his material in to 4 books kept at the Split archives. Simon was said to have two copies of a certain Life of St. Clement, whose authorship he attributed to Hesychius, the 5th century bishop of Salona. One copy he gave to Bernard Zanne. Both copies were eventually lost. Only excerpts survive in Raphael’s transcript.

Modruš fell to the Ottomans in 1528. Simon spent his final years in Zadar. He died in 1536. Farlati says that in his day the Benja family coat of arms could still be seen on ther ruins of the bishop’s house in Modruš.

Petrus Paullus (1536)

Pier Paolo Vergerio the Younger. He spent time in Rome and was sent as a legate to King Ferdinand I in Germany. He was appointed bishop of Modruš in 1536, but 4 months later secured the bishopric of his hometown in Kopor, Slovenia. He converted to protestantism in 1548.

Hermolaus (1536)

From the island of Rab, Croatia. He was served just 1 year before passing away.

Joannes Evangelista (1537)

Surnamed de Bruschis. He served 1 year before passing away.

Didacus (1538)

Born in Spain and Surnamed Loayza. Nothing is remembered of his time in Modruš or when he was succeeded.

Philippus (1540)

When he became bishop is uncertain. He was transferred to the diocese of Alife, Italy in 1548.

Albertus (1548)

Albertus Divinius de Catharo. He presided over Modruš for two years. He was transferred to the diocese of Krk.

Laurentius (1550)

Laurentius de Gherardis, from the town of Bergamo, Italy. Otherwise unknown.

Dionysius (1560)

Dionysius served perhaps just 1 year. A 1561 letter indicates the bishop of Krk as an administrator of Modruš.

Joannes (1564)

Farlati finds his name in the notes of Philippi Riceputi as “Joannes Cosifichius”. Pavel Jozef Šafárik considered this an erroneous reference to Šimun Kozičić Benja.