Fran Đivo Gundulić

Who was Fran Đivo Gundulić?

Count Fran Đivo Gundulić or Francesco Giovanni Gondola; was a member of an old noble family from Dubrovnik, the House of Gundulić. He was a child of famous poet Ivan Gundulić and Nika Sorkočević +1644. He joined the Austrian Army where he served as a military officer.

In 1655, Fran participated on a diplomatic mission to Moscow, in his personal diary account he noted that the Russian Tzar Alexis I of Russia, was very happy that one of the leading envoys was of Slavic descent so that he could speak his own language without the use of interpreter.

Fran Gundulić wrote from Vienna on 22 May 1672 to his friend Marko Bassegli to ask him to get the Republic to name him Duke and as a result to name Trpanj Dukedom of St. Michael of Trpanj. This was necessary because of his position in Vienna. In February 1679, the Austrian companies became reduces since 12 in 6 companies and soon in 3 into the regiments Kaunitz and Hallewyl. However also still 1679 dissolved and together with move Gundulić divided into the regiments Mercy, Taaffe and Churprinz and was finally made Commandant of Kürassierregiment since 1682–1699.