Alberto Fortis - Antun Mateš: The Enchanted Angler

Alberto Fortis

After the return from the speleologic expedition in the caves of the source part of the Cetina, I visited the National and University Library in Zagreb and was allowed to look into the original of the book Viaggio in Dalmazia from 1774, which is held in the library’s safe. With my hands in white cotton gloves, I leafed through the two-volume book, bound in pergament, and I felt indescribable excitement and admiration towards Alberto Fortis. How much daring he needed when he set off for his trip through Morlakia, full of different challenges that I was also exposed to today. Even more excitement I felt when I saw the brilliant original impression of the waterfall Velika Gubavica by my fellow painter, the author of this beautiful engraving.

Waterfall Velika Gubavica in Zadvarje. Today it is considerably poor in water compared to 230 years earlier, when Alberto Fortis looked down and admired it from the same rocks as I did.

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English Deutsch Hrvatski Glavatice i lipljani