“Marco Antonio de Dominis: A Visionary’s Perspective”: Commemorating the unforgotten Croatian genius

From 15 to 29 October 2024, the National and University Library in Zagreb (NSK) will be hosting Marco Antonio de Dominis: A Visionary’s Perspective, an exhibition spotlighting an outstanding Croatian theologian, philosopher and scholar at the turn of the 17^th century and a distinguished member of Europe’s high society at the time whose legacy transcends the boundaries of Croatian cultural heritage.

Marking the 400^th anniversary of the death of Marco Antonio de Dominis, one of the greatest intellectual figures of both Croatian and European cultural heritage, and the 130^th anniversary of the founding of the NSK Manuscripts and Old Books Collection, the Marco Antonio de Dominis: A Visionary’s Perspective exhibition is jointly being organised by the Library, Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts (CASA) and Pontifical Croatian College of St. Jerome in Rome as part of the Academy’s project aimed at the popularisation of Croatian cultural heritage (Upoznajmo hrvatsku znanstvenu baštinu).

Works of a true Renaissance man – the pride of the NSK Manuscripts and Old Books Collection

Among Croatia’s notable humanists, Dominis (born 1560, Rab, Croatia—died 8 September 1624, Rome) stands out not only in terms of the versatility of his work, but also in terms of the out-of-the-ordinary story of his life and the high places in 17^th-century Europe’s diplomatic, political and ecclesiastical hierarchy to which it led him. The exhibition will shed light on his influence as a member of the European elites of his time and provide insight into many details of his remarkable life and the circumstances and events which eventually led to its tragic end.

Authored by the Senior Research Associate at the Division for the History of Natural and Mathematical Sciences at the CASA Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science Dr Marijana Borić, the exhibition will feature valuable resources by and related to Dominis, including those associated with his major philosophical and scientific works held as part of the Library’s Manuscripts and Old Books Collection, founded in 1894 as the oldest among the NSK collections.

Apart from multimedia and interactive content, artwork inspired by Dominis and educational games thematising his life and achievements, the exhibition programme will include the screening of the Croatian Radio Television’s documentary series on Dominis, which will be held in the Library’s side lobby as part of the exhibition’s opening, on 15 October 2024, starting at 13.00.