The Croatian Embassy in Chile said the anniversary of the birth of Marko Marulić, regarded as the father of Croatian literature, was marked on 18 August.
The event, initiated by Croatian language teacher Vatroslav Herceg, was held at the Sculpture Park beside a monument to Marulić by Croatian sculptor Vasko Lipovac. An identical cast stands in Vukovar, linking the Croatian city on the Danube with Santiago at the foot of the Andes.
Herceg presented Marulić’s life and work, the historical context of his epic Judita and its significance. Written in 1501, the work was first published in 1521.
Eight students from Herceg’s Croatian language courses then read selected passages from Marulić’s original text.
Around 200,000 people of Croatian descent live in Chile, according to Croatia’s Central State Office for Croats Outside the Republic of Croatia. Croats began arriving on Chile’s shores in the second half of the 19th century in search of work, mainly from Dalmatia, with migration continuing throughout the 20th century.
Marko Marulić was born in Split. He wrote Judita in Croatian, which he himself called the "Croatian language", structuring the epic in six cantos.