Marin Držić

Marin Držić was born circa 1508 into an old commoner family in Dubrovnik. While studying church law at the University of Siena in Tuscany, where he served as rector of the university church, Držić immersed himself in Italian Renaissance theater.

Returning to Dubrovnik, Držić wrote sparkling comedies including Pomet, Dundo Maroje (1551), and Skup, ridiculing human greed, parental tyranny, and aristocratic hypocrisy while celebrating clever servants and genuine love. Outraged by Dubrovnik's aristocratic oligarchy, he unsuccessfully sought Medici support to overthrow the Senate before dying in Venice in 1567.