[1][2] He was born to a Dalmatian noble family of Antun and Goja in Hvar, where he spent most of his life.

[3] As a witness of the Hvar Rebellion in 1510, he was forced to flee to Trogir and Split as he resisted the demands of the commoners.

[4] He had a disparaging stance towards the lower rebel peasantry, referring to them as "a bunch who have no thought".

[6] His love poetry was influenced by Francesco Petrarca,[7] but the Croatian folklore is also included in his work.

He was prone to self-criticism and had most of his work burned; the rest was salvaged and later published by his son Antonij.