Pisma Cosimu I. Mediciju 1566.
Držić's letters to Cosimo I de' Medici represent a significant document of Croatian Renaissance literature and history. Držić sent three letters to Cosimo I, Grand Duke of Tuscany, between June and August 1566, while he was staying in Florence.
The letters, written in Italian, reveal Držić's political engagement, his vision, and his desperate attempt to secure support for an alleged plan to overthrow the Ragusan government. In the letters, Držić describes Dubrovnik as a city under the tyranny of an oligarchy, where injustice and corruption reign. He proposes the introduction of a new order, with the support of Cosimo I, arguing that the people would support the changes.
Držić presents himself as a patriot who wants to save Dubrovnik from internal conflicts, but his proposals range from reforms to more radical ideas, such as the introduction of a monarchy. The letters reflect his frustration with his own marginalized position in Dubrovnik, but also his naivety in believing that a foreign ruler would intervene.
The style of the letters is passionate, sometimes chaotic, with a mixture of diplomatic politeness and personal emotions. Držić uses rhetorical strategies to win over Cosimo, but his plans remain vague and unrealistic. Historians debate whether the letters are the expression of a conspirator or a desperate cry from a writer in exile. Cosimo did not respond, and Držić died soon after in Venice in 1567.
One copy is available
