Gregory of Nin

Gregory of Nin (Croatian: Grgur Ninski, pronounced [gr̩̂guːr 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. 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]

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.

See also

• History of Croatia
• History of Dalmatia

References

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