Julije Bajamonti

Giulio Bajamonti also Julije Bajamonti (Spalato/Split 4 August 1744- 12 November 1800 Spalato/Split) was medical historian, writer, translator, encyclopedist, historian, philosopher, and musician from the city of Split in present-day Croatia. His wife was a Split commoner named Ljuba.

Bajamonti is known for composing the first opera in Croatia (performed only once), writing about the history of Split (unfinished and unpublished, and helping the Venetian abbot, Alberto Fortis, with his journey around Dalmatia, which also included the discovery of the now famous Croatian song, Hasanaginica.

After the fall of Venice in 1797 he urged that Dalmatia should be annexed to Austro-Hungary (which included the state of Croatia). In his speech in 1797 he said that Austria was the successor of the old Croatian state. Like many other Croatian intellectuals along the Dalmatian coast, Bajamonti wrote most of his works in Italian. Despite this fact, he certainly felt himself a Croat (or Illyrian, as was commonly stated during this time).

He was very interested in the Croatian language, national costumes and tradition, economic and cultural progress. Nicolo Tommaseo claims that there was no one in Italy who wrote better than Bajamonti during his time.

He performed his medical work in the cities of Split, Hvar, and Kotor (in the area of Boka kotorska in today's Montenegro). [ [http://www.slowaymusic.com/loader.php?section=skladatelj&page=main&subsect=bio&id=51&lang=en SlowayMusic ] ]

See Also

*Antonio Bajamonti
*House of Bajamonti

References