Bartol Sfondrati

Bartol Sfondrati
1583 edition of the translation of Ledesma catechism
Born	1541 Ragusa, Republic of Ragusa (modern-day Croatia)
Died	17 November 1583 Timișoara, Ottoman Empire (modern-day Romania)
Nationality	Ragusan, Ottoman
Other names	Bartolomeo Sfondrati
Known for	first Ragusan jesuit
Notable work	Dottrina christiana. Composta per il P. D. Ledesma della Compagnia di Gesu; Et tradotta di lingua italiana in lingua Schiava per un padre della medesima Compagnia

Bartol Sfondrati (1541—1583) was 16th century Jesuit missionary who is considered as the first Ragusan Jesuit. Sfondrati became a jesuit in 1569 after graduating law at the University of Pavia.

Sfondrati's ancestors came from Cremona (modern-day Italy) to Ragusa several generations before Bartol was born. It is assumed that his year of birth is 1541.

Sfondrati became a law student in Pavia in 1566 supported by Ragusan Senate with yearly scholarship of 30 golden scudo. After completion of the canonic and civil law school at the University of Pavia Sfondrati became a Jesuit on 17 October 1569. After he was a student at college in Rome in period 1570—75 he became a priest confessor at Illyrian College of St. Jerome.

In the period between February 1576 and 1578 Sfondrati was a missionary in Boka Kotorska bay. In period c. 1580—83 Sfondrati was missionary in Belgrade. In 1580 Sfondrati accompanied Bonifacio de Stefanis (Bonifacije Drakolica) who was appointed as apostolic visitor and delegate to Dalmatia, Herzegovina, Bosnia, Croatia, Vallachia, Slavonia, Serbia and other European territories governed by the Ottomans. Together with Sfondrati, the Holy Seat sent another jesuit to accompany de Stefanis. It was Franciscan from Bosnia, Antun de Mattei. Two of them carried two big suitcases to de Stefanis, full of books they were instructed to deliver to priests of both Catholic and Orthodox religion.

Sfondrati reported that during his voyage into Ottoman Balkans he met many Christians who converted to Islam to avoid payment of taxes, from which Muslims were exempt. Sfondrati stated that there was about 5,000 Chatolics at that time in Sarajevo, mostly slaves and traders. He also recorded that many Christians lived in Herzegovina, most of them being Orthodox Serbs.