Juraj Šižgorić (Latin:Georgius Sisgoreus orSisgoritus, ca. 1420/1445–1509) was a CroatianLatinistpoet and priest fromVenetian Dalmatia.[3] He was the firsthumanist fromŠibenik and the central personality of Šibenik's humanist circle and also one of the most important figures in 15th-century cultural life of theCroatian people.[3]
There's not much information about Šižgorić's personal life.[3] Born in a noble family which in the mid-14th century re-settled from old county of Luka in Northern Dalmatia toSkradin and from there to Šibenik,[1] as one of at least three brothers,[3] he studied inPadua, Italy, where received PhD incanon law in 1471.[3] When came back to home city, held the position ofvicar general inDiocese of Šibenik.[3]
In 1462, alongside noblemen Jakov Naplavić and Petar Tolimerić, was on a diplomatic visit toDoge of Venice,Pasquale Malipiero, who accepted their request and published a document confirming previous laws of Šibenik from 1413.[2]
Marko Marulić in 1465–66 wrote a Latin epistle, enconium dedicated to Šižgorić.[4] In his circle of home city friends wasAmbroz Mihetić.[5]
HisElegiarum et carminum libri tres ("Book of elegies and poems", Venice, 1477) is considered the first publishedincunable (book) by a Croatian poet. It includes 62 poems.[3]
De diebus festis (calendar collection of poems). It also mentions Ottoman's attack on hinterland in 1468.[3]
An untitled collection of Latin poems, dated to 1487, remained unpublished as a manuscript until 1962.[3]
A historical-geographical discussion in proseDe situ Illyriae et civitate Sibenici (1487).[3] In it, most notably, mentions St.Jerome and that the Italians are trying to "steal him" from theIllyrians.[1][6] In it is mentioned that along Jakov Naplavić/Naplavčić collected Croatian folk proverbs and translated them in Latin, but nothing was preserved ofDicteria illyrica.[3][1]
UnpublishedthrenodyProsopopeya edita per Georgium Sisgoreum Sibenicensem studentem Patauii.[3]
Dukić, Davor:Latinska književnost hrvatskog humanizma, Katedra za stariju hrvatsku književnost Odsjeka za kroatistiku Filozofskog fakulteta u Zagrebu, 2007./2008.
Leksikon hrvatskih pisaca (ed. D. Fališevac, K. Nemec, D. Novaković), Zagreb 2000.
