The Ideology of the Illyrian Armorial

Abstract

The appearance of the Illyrian Armorial in the late sixteenth century has been linked to Petar Iveljin (son of Ivelja) Ohmućević-Grgurić, a native of Dubrovnik (Ragusa) in the service of the Spanish king. The main purpose of the Armorial was to demonstrate his noble descent. It was therefore designed in such a way as to make it clear to everyone who should see it that the Ohumućević-Grgurićs were an old and reputable noble family. In order for the Armorial to achieve the intended purpose efficiently, some ideas and be­liefs were slipped in which were current in the milieu in which it was created. The Illyrian Armorial cannot therefore be properly understood without taking into account the time and setting of its creation as it reflects various political, cultural and religious influences of its time.