Fr. Filip Grabovac was born at Podosoje near Vrlika in 1697, ten years after his father Mate Grabovac had moved to the Vrlika region from Međar (Kotar). A preacher, teacher, poet, prose writer, benefactor, as a chaplain he provided pastoral care and spiritual support to Croatian soldiers serving in the Venetian army. The paintings of Our Lady that he sent from Italy to the Split sanctuary of Our Lady of Health and to Imotski and Vrlika have been venerated even to this day.
As a distinguished patriot, in his texts, particularly in the poems Slava Dalmacije and Od naravi i ćudi arvacke, he wrote about the difficult position of the Croatian people under Venetian rule. Due to his strong anti-Venetian attitudes, he was arrested and accused of high treason and sent to the notorious Venetian prison Sotto i piombi. Having become seriously ill during trial proceedings, Fr. Filip Grabovac was sent to a monastery on the island of San Spirito, where he died on 13 February 1749.
Source: TZ Vrlika
