Andrija Zmajević

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Andrija Zmajević (1628-1694) was a distinguished Baroque poet from Boka. He was also a prominent theologian and the Archbishop of Bar and was also later named Primate of the Serbian Kingdom.

The illustrious Zmajević family originates from Njeguši clan in Old Montenegro: Andrija's grand-grand father Nikola Milutin Zmajević came to Kotor at the beginning of 16th c. His grandfather married a girl from Perast and moved there, where Andrija was also born.

Andrija Zmajević finished his education in Rome, at the College for propagation of Faith where he was promoted to a doctor of theology and philosophy. He returned to his home and became the abbot of local monastery of St George and the pastor of Perast (1656). In 1664 he became the vicar of Budva bishopric and in 1671 archbishop of Bar and primate of the Kingedom of Serbia. As both Bar and the rest of Serbia were under Ottoman control, Zmajević resided in Perast where he built a grand palace called "Biskupija" (Bishopric). The palace was painted by Tripo Kokolja, local painter of vast talent, whose patron Zmajević was. It also enclosed a large library, one of the most significant on the eastern Adriatic. He also supervised the building of the high belfry of the parish church and of many other temples in Boka kotorska. Zmajević was interested as well in classical antique and collected Roman inscriptions and ruins. Although a high catholic prelate Zmajević remained very tollerant and highly esteemed by both the catholics and the orthodox, among the latter by Arsenije Čarnojević, the Serb patriarch, also from Njeguši clan. He died in 1694 and was burried in the chapel by the palace that he errected.

His only published work, song „Od pakla“ („Hell“) saw the light of day in Venice in 1727. All of his other works remained in manuscripts. He wrote:

Crkveni ljetopis (Church annales) illustrated by himself and Tripo Kokolja
Svadja Lazarevih kćeri, Brankovice i Miloševice (The Quarell of Lazar’s daughters, wife of Branko and wife of Miloš)
Peraški boj 1654. godine (The battle of Perast in the year 1654.)
Slovinskoj Dubravi (To Slavic Dubrovnik)
Tripu Škuri (To Tripo Škura)

He also collected epic and lyric folk songs and transcribed the poets of Dubrovnik, notably Gundulić.

Zmajević wrote both in cyrilic and in latin scripts. Zmajević always calls the language in which he writes "Slavic" (slovinski) but explains himself when he says that he decided to write in cyrilic letters since "the whole of our nation uses it" (kojim se služi čitava naša nacija). His inspiration comes both from current events and from Serbian history and epic so that he often mentions Nemanja, Miloš Obilić and other historical and legendary figures.