The third Days of Marko Maruli were held 12 September on the island of Šolta. The event was jointly organised by the Marko Maruli Library and the Šolta Municipality Tourist Board, with the support of the Ministry of Culture. The aim of the event was to explore the spaces where the poet lived and to present new interpretations of his work.
The central part of the programme took place in the renovated house of Don Duj Balšić in Nečoj, known as the House of Marko Maruli. The poet spent two years in this building with his godfather. The programme was opened by storyteller Klaudija Gamulin, who told the assembled guests the story of the connection between Petar Hektorović, Marko Maruli and Nečoj. The visitors were able to sample traditional pepper cakes during the tour.
The musical part was highlighted by the Bozzotti quartet, which performed a point on the ferry to Rog. The actress Katarina Romac interpreted the verses of Maruli's "Judith", while the young musician Maja Radman performed on the mandolin. A painting workshop by the academic painter Martin Babić was held in the library of Groh, connected to the picture book "Marin and Judith" by the author Andrijana Grgić.
Special emphasis was placed on young creators. Student IV Gymnasium Marko Maruli presented a documentary film about Mark Maruli. The script of the film was written by Sanja Ivančin, and the director was Karlo Ivančin. The school's principal, Nina Knežević, highlighted the importance of students' involvement in cultural projects. The film is expected to be released at the fourth Day of Marko Maruli in 2027.
Academic content was presented by experts from various institutions. The discussion "Meeting in Maruli: Echo and Duration" was moderated by Lada Burić from the Croatian Reader's Society - Split Branch. The discussion was attended by Prof. Dr. Josip Belamarić and Prof. Dr. Dino Milinović, president of the Croatian Writers' Association. The impact of Saint Jerome on Maruli's work and the importance of communication were discussed. Luka Marković from the Marulian Center of the Split Circle gave a lecture on the food and drink in Maruli's texts.
The afternoon was devoted to books and the presence of Maruli in contemporary literature. The moderator was Prof. Dr. Gordana Laco, president of the Split Branch of the Croatian Writers' Association. The collection of poems "Maruli's Honest Man" by Mladen Vuković was presented, which contains about 270 poems by approximately 170 authors. The collection was published in co-edition by the Split Branch of the Croatian Writers' Association. The collection was also published in the journal "The Crown of the Crown" by Dr. Hrvoje Mihanović-Salopek.
The morning programme was concluded with the opening of the exhibition "Maruli's Judith" by the Maruli Art Foundation, which was organised by the Croatian Benedictine Association. The exhibition was presented by the curator Silvana Dragun, senior advisor in the Department of Culture, Heritage and Tourism of the City of Split. The exhibition will move to the gallery of the Croatian House in Groh on Monday. The Croatian Association of the Croatian Association presented its Croatian copies and the latest issue of the Croatian Association.
The organizers, among them the director of the Library of Grozdan Ribić, the director of the Croatian Tourist Board, Maja Radman, and the mayor of the Municipality of Šolta, Nikola Cecić-Karuz, hope that the fourth edition will once again open up new perspectives.
