Luigi Frari
Encyclopedia
Luigi Frari (Šibenik
, Dalmatia
, now Croatia
1813-1898) was the Chief Municipal Physician and the mayor and political and social activist of Šibenik, Dalmatia. His special political and social efforts were related to improving the infrastructure and modernizing the city of Šibenik, as well as speaking in favor of preservation of Diocese of Šibenik in 1872. He also contributed to collecting and preserving of people's proverbs in region of Šibenik. His inaugural dissertation
on rabies
from 1840 represents an expample of conceptions of that disease in first half of 19th century, before Louis Pasteur
's time.
, Italy to Šibenik, Dalmatia
, where he became the Chief Municipal Physician and the author of the first Croatian work on rabies
published in 1782 in Ancona
. His father Sebastiano was also the Chief Municipal Physician of Šibenik
. His uncle Angelo Antonio Frari
was Chief Municipal Physician of Split
, famous epidemiologist, hystorian of medicine and the protomedicus of Venice
, whose son Michele Carlo Frari
was an illustrious professor of obstetrics at Padua
University.
“De rabie canina”. It was the second inaugural dissertation on subject of rabies that was written by an author from the territory of modern Croatia, and it contaitned an overall description of the disease, ways of transmission, symptoms, clinical course, and the methods od curing, nursing and preventing the trasmission. The dissertation was, doubtlessly in a great deal inspired by his grandfather Giuseppe Frari's pioneer work on rabies from 1782.
As a mayor (“il Podestà”), Frari also fought against a possible abolition of the Diocese of Šibenik in 1872. In an article published in “La Dalmazia Cattolica,” addressed directly to the Austrian Emperor, Luigi Frari provided substantial religious and civil arguments for preserving the Diocese of Šibenik.
Luigi Frari was also the president of the Šibenik Theatre Society, which financed and built Šibenik “Mazzoleni” Theater in 1870, one of the oldest in Croatia. He was a well known member of Šibenik’s intellectual and social elite of that time, who collaborated with Niccolo Tommaseo
in gathering Slavic people proverbs in the Šibenik region. Although he was accused of being a Dalmatian autonomist, the radical autonomists at that time criticized him to be “a man of mild colors”
sonnet about him. The document, written originally in Dalmatian-Venetian
(translation into English by Anton Krnić) is the property of Roksanda Smolčić from Zagreb and it was presumably also published in “Il Dalmata” in 1898:
Sacred old man, tender like seraphim
Husband, father, citizen, brother
Upon your bier* a kiss of esteem
Upon your cold coffin tears and flower
You were gentle, good, you were faithful
Like Gabriel the angel resembling
I try to soothe, in this painful
Part of earth, my cry and suffering
The tired eyes are forever closed
But your spirit noble and devout
Flied bright and pure to bosom of the Lord
And in your silent grave, in autumn and spring
Sacred old man, of hair white,
Dream in peace your dream everlasting
*bier n, “bara” in Italian, is the old English word for a
movable plane on which a coffin or a corps is placed (according
to Metcalf J, Thompson D, editors. Illustrated
Oxford English dictionary. London, Oxford: Dorling
Kindesley and Oxford University press; 1998).
Šibenik
Šibenik is a historic town in Croatia, with population of 51,553 . It is located in central Dalmatia where the river Krka flows into the Adriatic Sea...
, Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
, now Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
1813-1898) was the Chief Municipal Physician and the mayor and political and social activist of Šibenik, Dalmatia. His special political and social efforts were related to improving the infrastructure and modernizing the city of Šibenik, as well as speaking in favor of preservation of Diocese of Šibenik in 1872. He also contributed to collecting and preserving of people's proverbs in region of Šibenik. His inaugural dissertation
Inaugural dissertation
An inaugural dissertation is a presentation of major work by a new professor or doctor, in writing and/or in public speech, to inaugurate their professorship or doctorship. This academic ritual is traditional in much of Europe , although it is becoming less common in some countries and institutions...
on rabies
Rabies
Rabies is a viral disease that causes acute encephalitis in warm-blooded animals. It is zoonotic , most commonly by a bite from an infected animal. For a human, rabies is almost invariably fatal if post-exposure prophylaxis is not administered prior to the onset of severe symptoms...
from 1840 represents an expample of conceptions of that disease in first half of 19th century, before Louis Pasteur
Louis Pasteur
Louis Pasteur was a French chemist and microbiologist born in Dole. He is remembered for his remarkable breakthroughs in the causes and preventions of diseases. His discoveries reduced mortality from puerperal fever, and he created the first vaccine for rabies and anthrax. His experiments...
's time.
Origins
Luigi Frari came from an illustrious Šibenik medical family. His grandfather Giuseppe Frari came from TrevisoTreviso
Treviso is a city and comune in Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Treviso and the municipality has 82,854 inhabitants : some 3,000 live within the Venetian walls or in the historical and monumental center, some 80,000 live in the urban center proper, while the city...
, Italy to Šibenik, Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
, where he became the Chief Municipal Physician and the author of the first Croatian work on rabies
Rabies
Rabies is a viral disease that causes acute encephalitis in warm-blooded animals. It is zoonotic , most commonly by a bite from an infected animal. For a human, rabies is almost invariably fatal if post-exposure prophylaxis is not administered prior to the onset of severe symptoms...
published in 1782 in Ancona
Ancona
Ancona is a city and a seaport in the Marche region, in central Italy, with a population of 101,909 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region....
. His father Sebastiano was also the Chief Municipal Physician of Šibenik
Šibenik
Šibenik is a historic town in Croatia, with population of 51,553 . It is located in central Dalmatia where the river Krka flows into the Adriatic Sea...
. His uncle Angelo Antonio Frari
Angelo Antonio Frari
Angelo Antonio Frari was the municipal physician and the head of the lazaretto of Split/Spalato , the protomedicus, and the president of the Maritime Health Magistrate of Venice , famous epidemiologist and historian of medicine.-Origins:Angelo Frari came from...
was Chief Municipal Physician of Split
Split (city)
Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...
, famous epidemiologist, hystorian of medicine and the protomedicus of Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
, whose son Michele Carlo Frari
Michele Carlo Frari
Michele Carlo Frari was a renowned professor of obstetrics in Padua from 1843 until 1889.-Life and work:...
was an illustrious professor of obstetrics at Padua
Padua
Padua is a city and comune in the Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Padua and the economic and communications hub of the area. Padua's population is 212,500 . The city is sometimes included, with Venice and Treviso, in the Padua-Treviso-Venice Metropolitan Area, having...
University.
Dissertation on Rabies
In 1840 in Vienna Luigi ("Aloysius") Frari published his inaugural dissertation at the Padua University about rabiesRabies
Rabies is a viral disease that causes acute encephalitis in warm-blooded animals. It is zoonotic , most commonly by a bite from an infected animal. For a human, rabies is almost invariably fatal if post-exposure prophylaxis is not administered prior to the onset of severe symptoms...
“De rabie canina”. It was the second inaugural dissertation on subject of rabies that was written by an author from the territory of modern Croatia, and it contaitned an overall description of the disease, ways of transmission, symptoms, clinical course, and the methods od curing, nursing and preventing the trasmission. The dissertation was, doubtlessly in a great deal inspired by his grandfather Giuseppe Frari's pioneer work on rabies from 1782.
Political and Social Work in Šibenik
However, perhaps, more than for his medical work, Luigi Frari was famous for his political and social activity and writing. He was the mayor of Šibenik and is especially remembered for his work in improving the town’s infrastructure.As a mayor (“il Podestà”), Frari also fought against a possible abolition of the Diocese of Šibenik in 1872. In an article published in “La Dalmazia Cattolica,” addressed directly to the Austrian Emperor, Luigi Frari provided substantial religious and civil arguments for preserving the Diocese of Šibenik.
Luigi Frari was also the president of the Šibenik Theatre Society, which financed and built Šibenik “Mazzoleni” Theater in 1870, one of the oldest in Croatia. He was a well known member of Šibenik’s intellectual and social elite of that time, who collaborated with Niccolo Tommaseo
Niccolò Tommaseo
Niccolò Tommaseo was an Italian Dalmatian linguist, journalist and essayist, the editor of a Dizionario della Lingua Italiana in eight volumes , of a dictionary of synonyms and other works...
in gathering Slavic people proverbs in the Šibenik region. Although he was accused of being a Dalmatian autonomist, the radical autonomists at that time criticized him to be “a man of mild colors”
Post-mortem Sonnet
After his death on 19 March 1898, his unknown friend, signed as “Un amico,” published asonnet about him. The document, written originally in Dalmatian-Venetian
Venetian language
Venetian or Venetan is a Romance language spoken as a native language by over two million people, mostly in the Veneto region of Italy, where of five million inhabitants almost all can understand it. It is sometimes spoken and often well understood outside Veneto, in Trentino, Friuli, Venezia...
(translation into English by Anton Krnić) is the property of Roksanda Smolčić from Zagreb and it was presumably also published in “Il Dalmata” in 1898:
Sacred old man, tender like seraphim
Husband, father, citizen, brother
Upon your bier* a kiss of esteem
Upon your cold coffin tears and flower
You were gentle, good, you were faithful
Like Gabriel the angel resembling
I try to soothe, in this painful
Part of earth, my cry and suffering
The tired eyes are forever closed
But your spirit noble and devout
Flied bright and pure to bosom of the Lord
And in your silent grave, in autumn and spring
Sacred old man, of hair white,
Dream in peace your dream everlasting
*bier n, “bara” in Italian, is the old English word for a
movable plane on which a coffin or a corps is placed (according
to Metcalf J, Thompson D, editors. Illustrated
Oxford English dictionary. London, Oxford: Dorling
Kindesley and Oxford University press; 1998).
Literature
- Krnić A. Giuseppe and Aloysius Frari’s Works on Rabies and History of Frari Medical Family of Šibenik, Dalmatia. Croat Med J. 2007 June; 48(3): 378–390. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=2080547