Nikola Vitov Gučetić
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Nikola Vitov Gučetić or Nicolò Vito di Gozze (1549-1610) was a statesman, philosopher, science writer and author of one of the first scientific dissertations regarding speleology.
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[edit] Life
Gučetić was a citizen of Dubrovnik and the Republic of Dubrovnik. He received most of his education in Dubrovnik and in Italy. He was the central person in the cultural life in Dubrovnik in his time and owned probably the biggest private library in town.
Rarely traveling outside the limits of town, he was occupied by trade, finances, and other official duties for the city-state. Elected duke of Dubrovnik seven times at the turn of the 17th century, he devoted his life to the prosperity of the city.
Pope Clement VIII awarded him an honorary doctorate in philosophy as well a master's degree in theology. Gučetić was highly regarded for his works related to philosophy, politics, sociology, and pedagogy.
Gučetić married Maria Gondola Gozze Marija Gundulic Gučetić, who was a philosopher too, and wrote La querelle des femmes u renesansnom Dubrovniku. The dedication written in her husband's book Discorsi di m. Nicolò ; Vito di Gozze sopra le metheore d'Aristotile. Ridotti in dialogo e divisi in quatro giornate under the title "Alla non men bella, che virtuosa e gentil donna Fiore Zuzori in Ragugia" Venetiis, 1582, is an extraordinary discourse in Ragusan heritage, given in the first place in the defence of the authors' friend Cvijeta Zuzoric but also the other women. Maria was uncompromisingly critical towards the Ragusan society that attacked her friend. Her criticism was so sharp that censorship was imposed on it. Maria's dedication has a theoretical value as well because it constitutes a part of a huge debate on the worth of women led in Europe from the 14th century on. The article puts her text in the context of this debate.
[edit] Works
Gučetić wrote in the Italian language.
- Commentaria in sermonem Auer. De substantia orbis, et in propositiones de causis 1580
- Dialogo d'amore detto Antos, secondo la mente di Platone 1581
- Dialogo della Bellezza detto Antos, secondo la mente di Platone 1581
- Sopra le Metheore d' Aristotile ("About Aristotle's meteors"), first in 1584 and in 1585 the second edition, in Venice.
- This work is a comment on explanations of natural phenomena according to the principles of natural philosophy given by Aristotle.
- Dello stato delle republiche secondo la mente di Aristotele 1591
- Discorsi della penitenza 1589
- Governo della famiglia 1589
[edit] On winds and caves
In a part of the book "About Aristotle's meteors" relating to the meteorology which discuss the phenomenon of wind, the writer mentions two caves noted to generate very strong winds at their entrances:
- Šipun cave near Cavtat in Dubrovnik area
- An unnamed cave in Popovo polje in Herzegovina – most probably today's Vjetrenica cave (vjetar=wind)
Based on these observations, Gučetić explained the origin of winds in general and winds in some caves by the process of evaporation of the Earth's elements which is caused by the Sun. Being warm, dryer and denser, the evaporation medium is unable to penetrate the Earth trough its surface, but only through the large openings and that is what produces wind. Gučetić noted that wind cannot be observed deeper inside the cave, but only at the entrance. He explained that by the acceleration of the air current in narrower passages, similar to the that one of the sea current in narrow sea passages.
In the case of a windless Šipun cave, Gučetić stated that this phenomenon is not universal for all caves. He explained the absence of wind on its entrance by its higher humidity and presence of a lake in one or more of possible passages. According to his opinion, the bigger amount of water is favorable for the growth of stygobites and troglobites which are abundant in the Šipun cave.
[edit] The noble family
Nikola Vitov Gučetić is just one member of well known noble family, as is the writer Ivan Gučetić (1451-1502). The family is known for erecting the oldest arboretum in the world, in Trsteno near Dubrovnik. (see House of Gozze)
