Nikola Vitov Gučetić

Nicolò Vito di Gozzi (Latin: Nicolai Viti Gozzii, 1549–1610) or Nikola Gučetić (in Croatian) was a Ragusan statesman, philosopher, science writer and author of one of the first scientific dissertations regarding speleology.

Gučetić was born in Ragusa (now Dubrovnik, Croatia), into the Gozze (Gučetić) noble family, being kin of the earlier writer Dživo Gučetić (1451–1502). He received most of his education in Dubrovnik and in Italy. He was the central person in the cultural life in Dubrovnik in his time and owned probably the biggest private library in town.

Rarely traveling outside the limits of town, he was occupied by trade, finances, and other official duties for the city-state. Elected duke of Dubrovnik seven times at the turn of the 17th century, he devoted his life to the prosperity of the city.

Pope Clement VIII awarded him an honorary doctorate in philosophy as well a master's degree in theology. Gozze was highly regarded for his works related to philosophy, politics, sociology, and pedagogy.

Gučetić married Marija Gundulić-Gučetić, who was a philosopher too, and wrote La querelle des femmes u renesansnom Dubrovniku. The dedication written in her husband's book Discorsi di m. Nicolò ; Vito di Gozze sopra le metheore d'Aristotile. Ridotti in dialogo e divisi in quatro giornate under the title "Alla non men bella, che virtuosa e gentil donna Fiore Zuzori in Ragugia" Venetiis, 1582, is an extraordinary discourse in Ragusan heritage, given in the first place in the defence of the authors' friend Cvijeta Zuzorić ("Fiore Zuzori") but also the other women. Marija was uncompromisingly critical towards the Dubrovnik society that attacked her friend. Her criticism was so sharp that censorship was imposed on it. Marija's dedication has a theoretical value as well because it constitutes a part of a huge debate on the worth of women led in Europe from the 14th century on. The article puts her text in the context of this debate.

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