Anđeo Zvizdović (or Zvijezdović; 1420 – 7 June 1498) was a

Bosnian Croat The Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina (), often referred to as Bosnian Croats () or Herzegovinian Croats (), are native to Bosnia and Herzegovina and constitute the third most populous ethnic group, after Bosniaks and Serbs. They are also one of ...

Franciscan friar The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor being the largest contem ...

and evangelist who is considered by his countermen to be one of the most prominent

Bosnians Bosnians (Serbo-Croatian language, Serbo-Croatian: / ; / , / ) are people native to the country of Bosnia and Herzegovina, especially the region of Bosnia (region), Bosnia. The term ''Bosnian'' refers to all inhabitants/citizens of the coun ...

in the country's history. He met with the

Sultan Mehmed II Mehmed II (; , ; 30 March 14323 May 1481), commonly known as Mehmed the Conqueror (; ), was twice the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from August 1444 to September 1446 and then later from February 1451 to May 1481. In Mehmed II's first reign, ...

and negotiated the

Ahdname of Milodraž The Ahdname of Milodraž (/Милодрашка ахднама), also called the Ahdname of Fojnica (Фојничка ахднама/''Fojnička ahdnama''), was the ''ahdname'' issued on 28 May 1463 (or 1464) by the Ottoman sultan Mehmed the Conque ...

– granting protection and the

freedom of religion Freedom of religion or religious liberty, also known as freedom of religion or belief (FoRB), is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice ...

to the people of Bosnia following the

Ottoman conquest of Bosnia The Ottoman conquest of Bosnia and Herzegovina was a process that started roughly in 1386, when the first Ottoman attacks on the Kingdom of Bosnia took place. In 1451, more than 65 years after its initial attacks, the Ottoman Empire officially es ...

Religious life

Zvizdović is said to have been born to a noble family in the village of Zvizde near Uskoplje (modern

Gornji Vakuf Gornji Vakuf-Uskoplje ( sr-cyrl, Горњи Вакуф-Ускопље) is a town and municipality located in Central Bosnia Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Etymology Although settlements ...

), from which his surname is derived. According to other accounts, he was born in

Vrhbosna Vrhbosna ( sr-cyrl, Врхбосна, ) was the medieval name of a small region in today's central Bosnia and Herzegovina, centered on an eponymous settlement (župa) that would later become part of the city of Sarajevo. The meaning of the name ...

(modern-day

Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ), ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'' is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 2 ...

). His religious zeal was fueled by the sermons of Saint

James of the Marches James may refer to: People * James (given name) * James (surname) * James (musician), aka Faruq Mahfuz Anam James, (born 1964), Bollywood musician * James, brother of Jesus * King James (disambiguation), various kings named James * Prince Ja ...

, who served as Vicar of Bosnia in the 1430s. James admitted him to the

Franciscan Order The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...

and named him Anđeo (Angel); Zvizdović's original name is unknown. Zvizdović was particularly distinguished by his

public speaking Public speaking, is the practice of delivering speeches to a live audience. Throughout history, public speaking has held significant cultural, religious, and political importance, emphasizing the necessity of effective rhetorical skills. It all ...

skills even as a

novice friar The novitiate, also called the noviciate, is the period of training and preparation that a Christian ''novice'' (or ''prospective'') monasticism, monastic, apostolic, or member of a religious order undergoes prior to taking Religious vows, vows ...

, and was eventually elected head of the Franciscans of

Bosnia proper Bosnia ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Bosna, Босна, ) is the northern region of Bosnia and Herzegovina, encompassing roughly 81% of the country; the other region, the southern part, is Herzegovina. The two regions have formed a geopolitic ...

. After the

Ottomans Ottoman may refer to: * Osman I, historically known in English as "Ottoman I", founder of the Ottoman Empire * Osman II, historically known in English as "Ottoman II" * Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empir ...

under

Mehmed the Conqueror Mehmed II (; , ; 30 March 14323 May 1481), commonly known as Mehmed the Conqueror (; ), was twice the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from August 1444 to September 1446 and then later from February 1451 to May 1481. In Mehmed II's first reign, ...

subjugated the

Kingdom of Bosnia The Kingdom of Bosnia ( / Краљевина Босна), or Bosnian Kingdom (''Bosansko kraljevstvo'' / Босанско краљевство), was a medieval kingdom that lasted for nearly a century, from 1377 to 1463, and evolved out of the ...

in 1463, and the subsequent execution of King Stephen, Zvizdović also functioned as the secular representative of the Bosnian people. He left cliff-bound fortress of Kaštela fortress in Kozica canyon and stepped forward to meet the Sultan in

Milodraž Milodraž was a settlement in the Kingdom of Bosnia, situated on an important road connecting the towns of Visoko during the Middle Ages, Visoko and Fojnica. No remains of it have been found, but royal charters and Republic of Ragusa, Ragusan doc ...

and negotiated the

, which can be issued only by the Sultan granting his direct protection, and with it the legal recognition of Bosnian Franciscans by the Ottoman Empire, as well as the promise of

to Bosnia's Catholic population. Zvizdović died and was buried in

Fojnica Fojnica ( sr-cyrl, Фојница) is a town and municipality located in Central Bosnia Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located west of the capital Sarajevo, in the valley of the Foj ...

on 7 June 1498.

Legacy

Due to his intervention with Mehmed the Conqueror, Zvizdović is often credited with the survival of Roman Catholicism in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The remnants of his skeleton, partly burned in the fire of 1524, are buried in the

Franciscan monastery in Fojnica Franciscan monastery of the Holy Spirit is a Bosnian Franciscan monastery, first built in 16th century in Fojnica, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is part of the Franciscan Province of Bosna Srebrena. It is also museum, archive and library with more th ...

. Anđeo Zvizdović was one of the most influential Franciscan of his era, in particular during the times of establishment of the Ottoman rule in Bosnia, but also one of the most prominent men of country's history and the history of the Bosnian Catholics in particular. Zvizdović is subject of many researches, and his deeds are perceived and interpreted in different ways, not only by modern-day Bosnian Catholic, Croats, but also by Muslim Bosnians (Bosniaks) and Orthodox Bosnian (Serbs) as well. A street in the central part of

, his place of birth, in close proximity to a contemporary Bosnian-Herzegovinian parliament building, bears his name. The '' Martyrologium franciscanum'' includes Fra Anđeo Zvizdović among the

beatified Beatification (from Latin , "blessed" and , "to make") is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a deceased person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in their name. ''Beati'' is the ...

Franciscans, and he is venerated as such by both friars and laypersons alike.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zvizdovic, Andeo Year of birth uncertain 1498 deaths People from Gornji Vakuf Clergy from Sarajevo Franciscans of the Franciscan Province of Bosnia Franciscan beatified people Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina