Bolizza family

Bolizza family or Bolica (from lat. bubulus, bovillus) (or Alb. "bullica") was a Dalmatian diplomat and noble family in Venetian Albania from the region Perast, Kotor (lat. Cattaro). In 1578, the family became known for maintaining the relations between Venice and Istanbul having the first of the family member Zuanne Giovanni Bolizza. Eventually the family became the most known mercantile and seafaring families who traded all over the Adriatic ocean. The family received three ships used for the transfer of letters which is mentioned in the report of Marino Bolizza in 1614, who according to studies, was one of Zuanne's sons. The mailmen arrived from Venice in Kotor who then proceeded to travel the dangerous path to Plav and from there, the travel was safe. Eventually, the Propaganda Fide gained new momentum thus the communication with Istanbul grew in important to which Francesco Bolizza (b. 1556 - d. 1635, Cattaro) who had been the main courier, seemed suitable for the task. His brother Vincent Bolizza (d. 1662) continued in his path as did the nephew Nicolo Bolizza. There was also a Giovanni The family maintained good relations with the Montenegrin and Albanian tribes, Ottoman pashas and beys as well as Venice and Rome. They are remembered as having maintained the relations of commission. Francesco's father was Giovanni Bolizza who was honored in 1578 in Venice. Generally, the family was known for maintaining the postal service between Venice and the Ottoman Empire.

In 1632, Giorgio Bianchi (Gjergj Bardhi), the bishop of Sapë, met Bonaventura Palazzolo, a reformed Franciscan missionary in Rome, who helped convince the Congregation to create the Franciscan mission in Albania. In 1634, the Congregation sent Palazzolo in Northern Albania to establish two Franciscan houses. This work is considered to be thanks to Bolizza who thanks to his good relations with the Ottomans, managed to obtain a letter from the Pashalik of Bosnia to guarantee the inviolability of the missionaries. He maintained good contact with the Congregation in order to supply the missionaries with food, clothing and supplies, sometimes paying for it himself. By maintaining good relations with the Ottoman military leaders in Shkodër, Bolizza managed to secure the safety of the Franciscans. In 1644, two highwaymen killed two friars, mostly thanks to the hostile tendencies increasing as a result of the Cretan War.

The Ottmans felt threatened by the Anti-Turkish machinations of the Franciscans, and in February 1648, two missionaries and their assistant Giorgio Jubani (Alb: Gjergj Jubani) were impaled. One missionary survived by escaping to Kotor with the help of Francesco Bolizza. They returned again and in 1675, they worked in eleven missionaries at four different sites in Albania. Bolizza managed to gain the protection of the Ottoman military leader of Alessio (Lezhë), Sinan Bey, which made it possible to renovate their settlement in Pedena and Pulati. These deeds resulted in the Congregation showing their appreciation for Bolizza which he used to his advantage. Francesco Bolizza strove for personal interests such as in 1647 when he requested exemption from the prohibition of marriage among relatives for the children of patricians of Kotor, including his own daughter. He also fought to have his illegitimate child at the school of Collegio Urbano and the congregation paid the costs as an expression of gratitude.

The Bolizza brothers were in constant contact with Çengizade (Čengić) Ali, sanjak-bey of Hercegovina in 1653 and Jusuf Begović, sanjak-bey of Scutari, two prominent Ottoman leaders who maintained good relations with Venice and who preferred trading relations over military conquest. In December 1653, Čengić wrote to Vincenzo Bolizza stating that "the war has over time become outdated" and called for the opening of trade between Kotor and its hinterland which improved relations between the Pasha and Venice. In May 1662, Čengić wrote a letter to Vincenzo Bolizza informing him that he had orders to attack the Venetian strongholds in Dalmatia, and due to the affection held for Venice, he would do all he could to divert his forces towards Transylvania. However, after Vincenzo died in 1662, relations temporarily were interrupted between Ali Pasha Čengić of Hercegovina and Venice. However relations were brought up again with Niccolo Bolizza following his uncle.

These relations proved an important source of information and Vincenco Bolizza was a "spy" for Venice. In 1657, he received information of the plans for an Ottoman attack against Kotor months before the actual assault. Following the siege of Kotor, Venetian authorities expelled Montenegrin traders from Podgorica and from Kotor. This was halted by Bolizza and following the failed siege, the Montenegrin tribes no longer sided with the Ottomans. As a consequence of Vincenco Bolizza's mediation, in 1600, they entered a formal alliance with Venice. Eventually, more serious problems came from marauding pirates of Hajduks and Uskosks and Vincenco and Nicolo Boliza tried to mitigate their impact on the people of Kotor.

In 1635, Francesco Bolizza died in Kotor and was replaced by his brother Vincent Bolizza who continued in his brothers foot steps working for the Congregation. Vincent died in 1662 after having served for seven years. His nephew Nicolo Bolizza, son of Antonio Bolizza, also worked as a courier for the Congregation. Francesco Bolizza helped create the mandate for the family's hire in Rome and he also contributed in securing the Franciscan mission in Albania. In 1639, Mardarije, the vladika of Cetinje, was convinced by Francesco Bolizza to convert to Catholicism, and thus, departed for Rome, but due to Ottoman suspicion, Bolizza persuaded him to abandon his travels. In 1640, Francesco instead sent two Serbian monks. Eventually Mardarije professed his faith in the Mahine monastery (in Venetian territory) to which he retreated after having endured several months in Turkish captivity. Francesco tried to gain support from the Patriarch of Peja however it proved futile. Giovanni Bolizza (d. 1708) also helped the vladika of Cetinje and Arzenije Crnojevic, the patriarch of Peja, to develop closer ties to Venice.

Most missionaries actives in the areas around Grbalj, Luštica, Paštrovići, Budva and Antivari turned to Bolizza for help and they also helped the correspondence between the Orthodox monks of Montenegro and Catholic missionaries. In 1659, Vincenco Bolizza sent the Congregation a report of payments which had been made to the Albanian Franciscans between 1650 and 1658. These payments included supplies and wages for captains who accompanied the missionaries, but also ransoms paid for people who had been taken captive. This also included the purchase of Turkish clothes when sailing on the open seas. In 1649, Francesco Bolizza submitted a report describing the events of Kotor. Bolizza mentioned that he desired to spread the Catholic faith in the southern Balkans, and he was sad that the mission in Northern Albania had temporarily been shut down. Bolizza also made a sketch and a map of the areas where the missionaries were active. he had become a leader and coordinator of the missions with Kotor in the center. He also helped to cease the rivalry between local figures of the Church in Albania and the Italian Franciscans. Whether or not a missionary was successful in southern Balkans depended on the relationships with the Bolizza family who exercised great influence in Rome.

Rome often requested the advice of Francesco Bolizza when elections of bishops arrived. Thanks to a close friend Francesco Leonardi, in 1644, the Congregation transferred Giorgio Bianchi (Gjergj Bardhi), the archbishop of Antivar, to the bishopric of Sapë. Leonardi was appointed in his place and after his death, Francesco Bolizza recommended friar Gregorio Romano, who was working in Albania. However Bolizza's advice was ignored and the Pope instead appointed Giuseppe Maria Buonaldi, a Dalmatian Dominican, which resulted in a total failure. Buonaldi spoke neither Albanian nor was he accustomed to the culture of the Albanians and Bolizza frequently reported the failures of Buonaldi to the Congregation. He was hated by his followers, a sign of the Albanian hatred towards foreig bishops unable to speak Albanian. Albanians always preferred their own bishops who spoke the same language and was of the same ethnicity, as the elderly of Priskë e Madhe wrote on August 10, 1578. Catholic Albanians send a letter to the Pope in 1602 in an ethnic manner:

We see without our consent or desire how bishops and abbots, strangers in heritage, strangers in language, strangers in customs, and strangers to everything that is our land, are sent here.

— Kahreman Ulqini, Faktorë kulturorë e fetarë: nga kombësia tek kombi : sprovë, 1999. p. 39

In 1630s, Bolizza established contact with the leaders of the Montenegrin and Albanian tribes who had risen against the Ottomans as a result of high taxes. The tribes offered Venice support if they would send a Christian army. During the prelacy of Ruvim II Boljevic (1593-1636) Cetinje became the center of the struggle against the Ottomans in Montenegro. Following the outbreak of the Cretan War, Francesco Bolizza was the main mediator between Venice and the Balkan tribal leaders who came in accordance of an assault. In 1649, 300 Venetian troops marched against the city of Podgorica under the Ochrida archbishop, the bishop of Sapë and Vincenco Boliza, who were joined by a small group of tribal men from the Kuçi tribe. The assault failed and Bolizza was unable to provide support resulting in the Montenegrin tribes drawing closer to the Ottomans. Bolizza however maintained good relations with the Kuçi and Kelmendi tribes who continued complaining of the high taxes.