Marta Jurković recently consulted the correspondence of Ivan Luka Garagnin the Elder (1722–1783) held in the Croatian State Archives. This is an impressively extensive collection: the letters, housed in three archival boxes, come from no fewer than 179 correspondents. Most date from the period when Garagnin served as Archbishop of Split, during the 1770s and 1780s.
Alongside letters from well-known figures such as Julije Bajamonti, Pietro Costa, and Josip Offner—previously analysed by the art historian Cvito Fisković (1908–1996)—the archive also includes correspondence from numerous individuals active in the public life of Dalmatia and Venice.
Particularly poignant is the correspondence with members of Garagnin’s own family. In nearly every letter, his brother Vincenzo begins by asking after his health. Though seemingly formulaic, these recurring phrases are more than polite convention: they reflect the precarious nature of life in the early modern period and remind us that letters were not merely a means of conveying information, but also a vital channel for emotional connection and care.
We find it appropriate […] to promote the establishment of a Trading Company, which, by uniting its strength, knowledge, and care, will strive […] to develop the various branches of a necessary and profitable commerce.
