A historical reconstruction of the legend of Miljenko and Dobrila (Kaštela, Croatia, 17th century)

Abstract

Aim: To explore the historical basis of the legend of Miljenko and Dobrila, which tells the story of the tragic love between Miljenko Rosani and Dobrila Vitturi, descendants of Kaštela nobility, doomed by the feud between their families.

Methods: We analyzed Ivačić’s translation of Marko Kažotić’s Milienco e Dobrilla (Miljenko i Dobrila in Croatian); sources and literature on the Vitturi and Rosani families; materials within the archives of Kaštela, Trogir, and the Split Archdiocesan Archive; literature on the social context of 17^th-century Dalmatia; the version of the legend recorded by Neven Bućan; and the correspondence between the Dalmatian provveditore and the Venetian Doge in the 17^th century.

Results: We divided our findings into two categories: arguments that support the historicity of the legend and those that do not. We verified the novel’s settings – the Vitturi Castle in Kaštel Lukšić, the Monastery of St. Nicholas in Trogir, and the Church of St. John at Rušinac – as well as the historicity of Francesco, Elisabetta, and Dobrila Vitturi; Dobrila’s sister Klara (not mentioned in the novel); and Celio Doroteo (a Trogir counselor from the 17^th century). We confirmed the feud between the Vitturi and Rosani families and the existence of the epitaph “May the lovers rest in peace” on a tomb in the Church of St. John at Rušinac and related the Vitturi family and the Monastery of St. Nicholas based on Francesco Vitturi’s epitaph, his will, and his wife’s inscription. However, we found no evidence that Dobrila was forcibly kept in the Monastery, or that Miljenko and Dobrila were either married or buried together, or that Miljenko was murdered in the 17^th century. We could not corroborate the existence of Miljenko Rosani, his father Adalbert, Don Mavro, and the Trogir nobleman Družimir. We refuted the involvement of the Vitturi family in the transfer of the relics of St. John of Trogir.

Conclusions: The findings of this historical reconstruction were insufficient to decisively confirm or refute that the Kaštela legend was based on a real event. Due to the limitations of available sources, a substantial portion of the legend remains unexplored.