Baština (Jan 2018)
Višeslav is a Serbian and not a Croatian prince, and Višeslav's baptismal font is an early Christian Serbian and not a Croatian monument
Abstract
The baptismal font of Višeslav has been written about for almost 150 years. Almost all Croatian historians have claimed that the baptismal font is from Nin and that it represents an early Christian Catholic cultural monument. However, no written or material historic source mentioning Višeslav as a Croatian prince has been provided until today. On the other hand, there is a written historical source saying that Višeslav is a Serbian prince of Zahumlje. The source in question is 'Deadministrandoimperio', by the Byzantine emperor and writer Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus, in which he says that Višeslav is a Serbian prince of Zahumlje. The baptismal font was also never in Nin, although Luka Jelić had supposedly found its foundations in Nin, from where it was taken to Venice according to him. However, his claims were proven wrong by Mate Suić who conducted ground probing on the same spot. The baptismal font originated from the monastery of St. Archangel Michael in Prevlaka during the reign of Serbian Prince Višeslav. When the monastery was destroyed in the 15th century, the baptismal font was taken to Venice, and in 1942 it was exchanged for paintings and brought to Croatia, and today it is kept in the Museum of Croatian Archeological Monuments in Split. Therefore, Višeslav is a Serbian, not Croatian, prince of Zahumlje, and the baptismal font originates from Prevlaka from the Monastery of St. Archangel Michael, from where it was taken to Venice in the 15th century.
