The structure of library holdings in Croatia in the fifteenth and the sixteenth centuries

Na osnovi analize nekoliko popisa crkvenih i privatnih knjižnica iz 15. i 16. stoljeća može se rekonstruirati knjižni fond koji je stajao na raspolaganju hrvatskih humanistima, posebice onima u primorskim gradovima i u Zagrebu. Izvanredno dobre veze tih gradova s najjačim tiskarskim i knjižarskim središtem tog doba - Venecijom, olakšale su vrlo brzu cirkulaciju knjiga i ideja, pa stoga i integraciju Hrvata u duhovna strujanja renesansne Europe. Sačuvani popisi (inventari) omogućuju također praćenje postupne laicizacije knjižnog fonda, posebice od 15. stoljeća dalje, kada se sve više smanjuje broj crkvenih knjiga na račun prirodoznanstvenih, medicinskih i sl., kao i knjiga antičkih pisaca. Mijenjaju se također i vlasnici knjižnica; dok su ranije jedini vlasnici bile crkve, samostani i pojedini svećenici, već od 14. stoljeća knjižnice sve više posjeduju trgovci, liječnici i pripadnici drugih građanskih zanimanja.The structure of library holdings in Croatia in the fifteenth and the sixteenth centuries On the basis of analysis of inventories of church and private libraries from the fifteenth and the sixteenth centuries it is possible to reconstruct library holdings which were available to the Croatian humanists, especially those in towns along the coast and in Zagreb. Exceptionally good connections of these Croatian towns with Venice - the most important centre of printing and bookselling of the time - facilitated a prompt circulation of books and ideas and therefore the intergration of the Croats into the intellectual atmosphere of the Renaissance Europe. The preserved inventiories also enable observation of a progressive laicization of library holdings, especially from the fifteenth century, when the number of religious books started to decrease gradually in favour of books on natural science and medicine as well as works by the ancients. The owners of libraries have also changed. Whereas earlier libraries had been exclusively owned by churches, monasteries and priests, from the fourteenth century libraries are more and more owned by merchants, doctors and members of other secular professions