Ana LAVRIČ

Art texts by Aleš Žiga Dolničar/Thalnitscher

Aleš Žiga Dolničar/Thalnitscher (1685-1708; studied in Gorica/Gorizia, Perugia and Rome; member of the Roman Accademia degli Arcadi) is considered as the first Slovene author to have shown true interest in art. Until today, four texts by him concerning art are held in evidence (Ljubljana, the Seminary Library): Descriptio Nobilissimae Urbis Venetiae (1703), with the appendix Descriptio Urbis Patavinae (1703); then Descriptiones rariorum templorum Venetiis (1703) as a transcribed and revised part of the former; Ichnographica descriptio Augustae Perugiae (1707); and a presumed fragment of the text Notabiliora Almae Urbis Romae (1707-1708), today a constituent part of the manuscript record Elucubrationes optico-architectonicae. Based on Dolničar’s texts, letters and other sources, the present paper points to his artistic views and affinities, and his links with the Paduan (A. Putti) and Roman art (M. Ricciolini), which he established personally or indirectly through his father (J. G. Dolničar) and uncle (J. A. Dolničar), or through the members of the Ljubljana Academia Operosorum. Thus, he played an important role in introducing Italian artistic ideals into Ljubljana, by which the town finally caught pace with the art of Europe. The importance of A. Ž. Dolničar’s texts surpasses the Slovenian frame only; being early travel-records of famous Italian towns with descriptions of their artistic monuments, they are very informative for foreign readers, too.