Gregory of Nin
| Gregory of Nin | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Nin. | |
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| See | Diocese of Zadar (now Archdiocese of Zadar) |
| Reign ended | c. 929 |
| Predecessor | Aldefreda |
| Successor | Andrija |
| Orders | |
| Consecration | c. 900 |
| Personal details | |
| Denomination | Church of Croatia |
Gregory of Nin (Croatian: Grgur Ninski, pronounced [ɡr̩̂ɡuːr nîːnskiː]) was a medieval Croatian bishop who strongly opposed the Pope and official circles of the Church and introduced the Croatian language in the religious services after the Great Assembly in 926, according to traditional Croatian historiography. Until that time, services were held only in Latin, not being understandable to the majority of the population. Not only was this important for Croatian language and culture but it also made the religion stronger within the Croatian kingdom.[1]
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[edit] Historical facts
Gregory was the bishop of Nin and as such was under strong protection of King Tomislav. At the Synod in 925, held in Split, Gregory lost to the Archbishop of Split, he was offered the Sisak Bishopric, but he refused. After the conclusions of the first Synod Gregory complained again in 927/8 but was rejected and his Nin Bishopric was abolished, Gregory himself being sent off to the Skradin Bishopric, after which he disappears from the annals of history. Although traditional Croatian historiography depicted Gregory as a fighter for the injection of the Croatian language into religious services it is far more realistic to assume that he was actually an opponent of this movement, due to the fact that his bishopric was under strong Frankish influence, which also renders his depictions as a man with a beard incorrect, as a clergyman under strong Western influence would probably shave his beard.
[edit] The statue
The statue of Gregory of Nin by Ivan Meštrović in Split is a heavily trafficked tourist site in the town, which the toe of the statue shows. Rubbing the statue's toe is said to bring good luck. The toe has been worn smooth and shiny as a result.[2]
The statue was originally located in the Peristyle of Diocletian's Palace and can be seen in postcards of the pre-World War II period. During World War II, the statue was moved outside the city by Italian occupying forces. Currently, the statue sits to the north of the Palace and Old Town of Split, just outside the Golden Gate. There are also statues of Gregory of Nin in the cities of Nin, Croatia and Varaždin, Croatia.
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Statue of Gregory of Nin in Nin
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Statue of Gregory of Nin in Split
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Toe of the statue of Gregory of Nin by Ivan Meštrović in Split
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Statue of Gregory of Nin in Varaždin
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[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Dragutin Pavličević, Povijest Hrvatske, naklada Pavičić, Zagreb 2007. godine, ISBN 978-953-6308-71-2
- ^ Detail of Rubbing the Toe
[edit] Additional information
- John Van Antwerp Fine, John V. A. Fine, Jr., The Early Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the Sixth to the Late Twelfth Century, University of Michigan Press, 1991 ISBN 0472081497
- Florin Curta, Paul Stephenson, Southeastern Europe in the Middle Ages, 500–1250, Cambridge University Press, 2006 ISBN 0521815398
- Andre Vauchez, Richard Barrie Dobson, Adrian Walford, Michael Lapidge, Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages, Routledge, 2000 ISBN 1579582826
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