Frančesko Micalović

Frančesko Ratkov Micalović
Colophon of Officio (1512)
Born	Ivan or Jovan (Giovanni) Vukosalić
Nationality	Ragusan
Other names	Franciscus Ratchi Mizalovich, Franjo, Frano
Occupation	printer
Notable work	Officio and Molitvenik

Frančesko Ratkov Micalović (birth name Ivan Vukosalić or Jovan Vukosalić) was an early 16th-century Ragusan printer who printed the first books on vernacular language of population of contemporary Ragusa (modern-day Dubrovnik).

Micalović printed books based on the agreements he concluded with Petar Šušić. Šušić paid 108 golden ducats for printing while Micalović prepared Cyrillic script types and organized printing of prayer books in Venice in 1512. These prayer books are known as Molitvenik and Officio. Micalović was obliged to collect printed books and to sell them in his shop which he was to open in Dubrovnik and in Ottoman Serbia.

In 1510 and 1513 documents signed by Micalović, the language of the prayer book was referred to as "in littera et idiomate serviano" (English: in Serbian language and letters). In sources the language of these prayer books and script in which it is printed is referred to as Bosnian, Ragusan, Serbian, Croatian or Serbo-Croatian, depending on the point of view of its authors.

Fračnesko's birth name was Ivan or Jovan. His grandfather was a book trader. Fračnesko's father was Ratko Vukosalić whose nickname was Micalović. Ratko Vukosalić belonged to a group of Ragusans who had very good connections with Ottomans and was engaged in a special type of trade, ransom slavery. In Ragusan document composed on 23 August 1470 it was recorded that Ratko Vukosalić (with nickname Mazalović) paid to Ivan Marković from Croatia a ransom for certain Turk Mustafa. Ratko bought silver for this transaction from Grgur Sumičić from Novo Brdo. Ransom for Mustafa of 500 ducats was paid by Isa-Beg Ishaković who also had to release Marković's wife captured and kept in slavery in Sarajevo. On 16 September 1470 Ratko Vukosalić, acting as an agent of Živan Pripčinović, brought wife of Ivan Marković to Dubrovnik. At the beginning of 1471 Ratko Vukosalić bought a house. Ratko Vukosalić died before 1501. After a certain time Ratko's nickname became a family name inherited by his son Frančesko. Frančesko married Linusse (Lignussa which is diminutive of Lena), a daughter of famous Ragusan goldsmith Pavle Antoević.

Frančesko was also referred to as meštre (English: master craftsman) because he was not only a publisher but also a craftsman who cut paper and prepared types for printing. It is possible that Frančesko learned the skill of melting metal and engraving from his father-in-law, so he was able to prepare types for printing books on presses that belonged to Rusconi in 1512.