page_title: Toma Niger
section_title: Life
hierarchical_section_title: Toma Niger / Life
caption_attribution_description: English: Gravestone of Toma Niger in Franciscan Monastery in Poljud, Split.
context_page_description: Toma Niger was a Croatian humanist, diplomat, bishop of Skradin, and at the end of his life he served as the bishop of Trogir. He committed most of his life to diplomacy, trying to help crumbling Kingdom of Croatia against the Ottoman Empire.
context_section_description: Toma was born in Split between 1450 and 1460. Although his father was an eminent  citizen of Split who carried a title „ser“, he was of common birth. Toma had brother Kristofor and a sister, whose son was also named Kristofor. He took name „Niger/Nigris“ probably as a Latinisation of his surname „Mrčić“, as it was the fashion in humanism. He was probably educated in Split, and later in Italy.
  From 1487 he was professor of grammar in Hvar and Split. Around 1499 he became archdeacon and vicar of the archbishop of Split. Toma participated in the Fifth Council of the Lateran in 1512 as a secretary of the archbishop of Split, Bernardo Zanne.  In the same year, Toma returned to Split, and supported Hvar Rebellion against Venice, under the leadership of Matija Ivanić. After the conspiracy was discovered, he was taken captive and, along with other eminent citizens of Split, taken to Venice, but was allowed to return in 1514. Serving as a legate of Croatian ban Petar Berislavić, he was sent to Rome where he appealed to Pope Leo X. The Pope sent help, naming Croatia „antemurale Christianitatis“ and appointing Toma to be bishop of Skradin.  After Skradin was taken by the Turks, Toma was appointed by the Pope as the bishop of Trogir in 1524, but he soon resigned the honor due to his old age. His nephew Kristofor took over the honor in 1525. He was described by the Venetian historian Marino Sanuto the Younger, during Niger's stay in Venice in 1527 in the following terms: "He has a long white beard. He travels with 8 horses and 30 soldiers. He is always sad and is blaming the doge not only for his desire to rule everywhere but also because of his ruses in politics, which consequently speedened the fall of Croatia". Toma retired to Franciscan Monastery in Poljud, Split where he died somewhere around 1532. His tombstone stands in the cloister of the monastery.
caption: Gravestone of Toma Niger in Franciscan Monastery in Poljud, Split.
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