Marino Bizzi

Marino Bizzi
Born 1570
Rab
Died 1624
Rome
Nationality Dalmatian
Occupation Archbishop of Antivari
Religion Roman Catholic

Marino Bizzi (also known as Marin Bizzius and Marin Bici) (1570 – 1624) was a Dalmatian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. Bizzi was Archbishop of Antivari.

Life

Bizzi was born on the island of Rab (in present-day Croatia)[1] to an aristocratic and wealthy family. He served as the island's bishop till 1608 when Pope Paul V appointed him as the Archbishop of Antivari and the administrator of the Bishopric of Budua.

Through Mahmut Bushati, Bizzi obtained a firman from Sultan Ahmed I, allowing him entry into Antivari. After obtaining the firman, Bizzi went off to live in the house of Asan Çelebi in Antivari. However, his life was always in danger. Because of unsettled conditions within his diocese, Bizzi had his seat in Budua, where he only lived for three years.

In the beginning of 1610, Bizzi had set off on a journey to visit his ecclesiastical regions, which were under Turkish, only to return by the end of the year. He travelled to Rab the following year, eventually settling in Rome, in Italy, where he died.

During his reign as Archbishop, he provided a detailed report of the Archbishopric, which would later become a widely-used authentic historical source.[2]

On another note, his reign also saw many Buduan locals from the Paštrović tribe (pleme) converted to Roman Catholicism.

References