Croatian as an international language in the 16th and 17th centuries: evidence from the Vatican Archives

Abstract

Aim: Search of the Vatican archives for the 16th and 17th centuries documents on the Croatian language.

Methods: The search of the Congregatio de Propaganda Fide archives focused on periods of intensive missionary activity of the Catholic Church during the 16th and 17th centuries, when strategies included linguistic policies for the evangelization of Slavic peoples.

Results: Prominent linguists advised the Catholic Church to choose the Croatian language (lingua croatica) as the most suitable for communication with Slavic populations. Consequently, in 1599, the Academy of the Illyrian Language (Academia linguae Illyricae) was established at the Roman College, as “Illyrian” was at that time a common term used in Italy to refer to the Croatian language. This article presents the letter from Slovak linguist Theophilus Kristek to Spanish linguist Alfonso Carrillo, dated September 27, 1599, advocating for Croatian as the most appropriate Slavic language for inclusion in the educational system, and Carrillo’s subsequent letter to the Jesuit Superior General Claudio Acquaviva, dated January 24, 1600, recommending Croatian as the most suitable language for printing liturgical books for the Eastern Slavic peoples. The article further reproduces the Decree of Pope Gregory XV dated December 6, 1622 mandating the teaching of Illyrian and Arabic throughout the Venetian Republic; the Decree of Pope Urban VIII dated October 16, 1623, which includes Hebrew, Greek (both classical and vernacular), Arabic, Chaldean, and Illyrian in the curricula of the most prestigious European universities; the official instructions from the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith, dated 17 December 1624, to all heads of religious orders concerning the thorough linguistic preparation of future missionaries; and the correspondence between the Congregation and the Dominican Order on the same matter.

Conclusion: In the 16th and 17th centuries, the Croatian language acquired a prestigious status within European intellectual circles as an “international language”, enjoying equal importance with traditionally esteemed languages (Hebrew, Greek, Arabic, Chaldean). Church authorities promoted Croatian as a pan-Slavic language, elevating it to a status of an obligatory curricular study subject. It was studied at the most distinguished European universities, including those in Paris, Salamanca, Oxford and Bologna.