Memorial printing house of Blaž Baromić and Dragutin Parčić
The printing house was opened in 2003 in honor of two esteemed priests from Vrbnik: the first known Glagolitic printer, Blaž Baromić, and the last Glagolitic printer, Dragutin Parčić.
It features a replica of a printing press along with all the accompanying tools that were used in the 16th century. The replica was created based on precise designs by Professor Fran Para in a shipyard in Punat.
Although seemingly rough and massive, the wooden press is a finely crafted and precise instrument for printing texts as well as illustrations made in linocut and woodcut, Glagolitic initials, and artistic works.
The first printed books were true works of art adorned with illuminations and miniatures, and in the Croatian region, they were printed in both Latin and Glagolitic scripts.
In Glagolitic printing, a special place is held by the priest Glagolitic printer Blaž Baromić (born after 1440, died after 1505), who is recognized as the first known Glagolitic printer. After many years of experience in the Glagolitic scriptoria of Vrbnik and printing education in Venice, he opened the Senj Glagolitic Printing House in 1494 and printed the fourth Croatian Glagolitic incunabulum, known as the Senj Glagolitic Missal.
The last Glagolitic printer was another Vrbnik native, Dragutin Parčić (1832-1902), an exceptionally versatile man: a tertiary Franciscan, canon, Glagolitic scholar, high school professor, scientist, linguist, lexicographer, cartographer, and one of the pioneers of photography in Croatia.
As an excellent connoisseur of the Croatian Glagolitic tradition, he published the last Glagolitic Missal in 1893.