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Zadar
File:Zadar (grb).gif

Coat of arms of Zadar
Location 44°6′51″N 15°13′40″E / 44.11417°N 15.22778°E / 44.11417; 15.22778
Mayor Dr. Živko Kolega (HDZ)
Surface (km²) ?
Population
(2001)		 72,718
Time zone (UTC) UTC+1 Central European Time


For other uses, see Zadar (disambiguation).

Zadar (Latin: Iadera, Italian: Zara) is a city in Croatia on the Adriatic Sea, with a population of 72,718 (2006). 93% of its citizens are ethnic Croats (2001 census).

It is the centre of modern Croatia's Zadar county and the wider northern Dalmatian region. Zadar is located opposite the islands of Ugljan and Pašman, from which it is separated by the narrow Zadar Strait.

The promontory on which the old city stands used to be separated from the mainland by a deep moat which has since become a landfill. The harbor, to the north-east of the town, is safe and spacious.

Zadar is the seat of a Roman Catholic archbishop.

History

Zadar is located in CroatiaZadarZadarclass=notpageimage| Position of Zadar in Croatia

Antiquity

In the 9th century BC Iadera was settled by the Liburnians, a tribe of Illyrians. After 59 BC Iadera (also spelled Jadera) became a Roman municipium, and in 48 BC a colony of Roman citizens. In the early days of the Roman empire Iadera was a flourishing Roman colony; its name was subsequently changed to Diadora.

Middle Age

Upon the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the destruction of Salona in the early 7th century, Zara became the capital of the Byzantine theme (administrative unit) of Dalmatia, as well as the governor's headquarters. It maintained a large municipal autonomy throughout the Middle Ages. In the early 9th century it came under the Franks, while it was given back to Byzantium in 812, under the Peace Treaty of Aachen. In 925, King Tomislav (before, he was the Duke of Croatian Dalmatia) united Dalmatia and Pannonia to expand the Croatian kingdom. In 998, the city sought Venetian protection; for the next four centuries it was formally under Venetian or Hungarian rule, changing hands repeatedly. In the 10th, and especially in the 11th century, although it survived the migration of Slavs, the rulers of the town were the Croats.

From 1105, when it recognized the rule of the first Hungarian king Coloman, Zara began to be involved in frequent wars with Venice.

Kopnena Vrata (Porta Terraferma).

Zadar was a possession of the Republic of Venice between 1111 and 1154 and between 1160 and 1183. An annalist from the year 1177 noted that the joyous people of Zadar accompanying Pope Alexander III on his way to the basilica sang songs of praise 'in their native Slavic language'. It was invaded and conquered by the Venetians and mainly French knights of the Fourth Crusade in 1202. The Crusaders had promised the Venetians 85,000 marks to pay for ships to transport them to Egypt with a view to using it as a springboard for invasion of the Levant, but when they could not pay due to a shortfall in manpower, the Venetians diverted the Crusade to Zadar. King Emeric of Hungary, the ruler of Zadar, had earlier declared that he would join the Crusade, and there was a controversy among the knights and clergy over whether or not a crusading army could attack a Christian city. Nevertheless, Zadar was taken and later destroyed. Despite several threats Pope Innocent III did not excommunicate those involved.

After a number of insurrections (1242-1243, 1320s, 1345-1346), Zadar came under the rule of the Hungarian king Louis I (under the Zadar Peace Treaty in 1358). After the death of Louis, Zadar recognized the rule of king Sigismund, and after him, that of Ladislas of Naples, who in 1409 sold Zadar and "his rights" on Dalmatia to Venice for 100,000 ducats.

Republic of Venice (1409-1797)

In the early 16th century the Ottoman Turks conquered its hinterland, the town became an important stronghold protecting Venetian trade in the Adriatic, as well as the administrative centre of the Venetian possessions in Dalmatia and a cultural centre. From 1726-1733 a part of its territory was settled by Catholic Albanian refugees. That Albanian settlement is called "Arbanasi".

Panoramic view of the city.

Napoleonic era

After the fall of Venice (1797) with the Treaty of Campo Formio, Zadar came under Austrian rule under which it remained until 1918, except for the period of French rule (1805-1813), all this time remaining the capital of Dalmatia, under Austria being the meeting-place of the provincial diet.

During the Napoleonic period, under French rule, the first newspaper using the Croatian language, Il Regio Dalmata-Kraglski Dalmatin, was published in Zadar (1806-1810).

Austrian Empire (1815-1918): the age of nationalism

The population list in 1818 noted 5.386 citizens and until the second half of the 19th century no significiant increase was recorded. One of the aims of Monarchy's politics was to separate Dalmatia from the rest of Croatia; therefore, it proclaimed Italian as the official language and encouraged immigration of the Italians. The immigrants mostly settled in Zadar as it was capital of the province. In the second half of the 19th century, the city was a centre of dual Croatian and pro-Italian cultural and national revival in Dalmatia. Zadar citizens played an important role in the movement of the annection of Dalmatia to the rest of Croatian teritory and two newspapers were established: Zora Dalmatinska (1844), Narodni List (1862) - the oldest existing newspaper in Croatia. After losing Lombardy and Venetia Austrian government replaced a number of its administrators to Zadar (mostly of Italian ethnicity). These settlers made a considerable influence on ethnic and social structure of the city in the following decades. In the period between 1880 and 1910, 15% of population of Zadar district were Italian speakers, the most of them settled in Zadar and before WWI the city was the center of the Italian irredentism in Dalmatia. Italian language became dominant in the second half of the 19th century, although only 15-20% of population were Italians; 50% citizens were from Zadar district and 30% from other Dalmatian cities. Its population in 1910 was 18.077.

Italy

Zara was occupied by the Italian Army under the Treaty of London. It was consequently annexed to Italy in 1920, under the Treaty of Rapallo (1920.)
The Italian Commune was quite different from the Austrian one; it included Zara and the localities of Borgo Erizzo (Arbanazi), Cerno (Cino), Boccagnazzo (Bokanjac), Puntamica (Puntamika) and the island Lagosta (Lastovo).
According to the 1921 census this area included 18.623 people (Serbocroatians 2.538).
After the advent of the fascism many Croats left the city because of the policies of Italian government. It has been extimated that, during the time of Italian rule, a total 1600-1800 Yugoslavians left the area annexed by Italy. Their place were mainly taken by ethnic Italians, resettled from within Yugoslavian Dalmatia. When the Axis powers attacked Yugoslavia in 1941, Italy occupied the Adriatic coast from Istria to Albania. The city become the center of the annexed areas.

World War II

Nazi Germany occupied the city in 1943. Zara was bombed by the allied air forces, with heavy civilian casualties. The greater part of the city was destroyed many civilians escaped to Italy to avoid the bombs. In 1944 Tito's partisans entered in the town. In the following years nearly all the population left the city, and their place were mainly taken by Croats, resettled from inland. It became a part of Yugoslavia

.

File:Coat of Arms Zara.jpg
Coat of Arms of Zadar.

Recent history

Since World War II the city has developed as a strong economic and tourist center. During the Croatian War of Independence, the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) (under Serbian president Slobodan Milošević's control) along with Serb paramilitaries converged on the city and subjected it to artillery bombardment. Along with other Croatian towns in the area, Zadar was shelled for years, damaging buildings and homes as well as UNESCO protected buildings. Attacks in nearby cities and villages occurred, the most brutal being the Škabrnja massacre, where 86 people were murdered. Connections with the capital Zagreb were severed for over a year, the only link between the north and south of the country was via the island of Pag. The siege of the city lasted from 1991 until January of 1993 when Zadar and the surrounding area came under the control of Croatian forces in Operation Maslenica. Attacks on the city continued until the end of the war in 1995.

Main sights

Architecture

Zadar gained its urban structure in Roman times; during the time of Julius Caesar and Emperor Augustus, the town was fortified and the city walls with towers and gates were built. On the western side of the town were the forum, the basilica and the temple, while outside the town were the amphitheatre and cemeteries. The aqueduct which was supplying the town with water has been partly preserved. Inside the ancient town, a medieval town had developed, when a series of churches and monasteries had been built.

During the Middle Ages, Zadar had fully gained its urban aspect, which has been maintained until today. In the 16th century, Venice fortified the town with a new system of defensive walls on the side facing land. In the first half of the 16th century, architectural building in the Renaissance style was continued. Defence trenches were built also (Foša), which were completely buried during the Italian occupation. In 1873 under Austrian rule the ramparts of Zadar were converted from fortifications into elevated promenades commanding extensive views to seaward and to landward, wall lines thus being preserved ; of its four old gates one, the Porta Marina, incorporates the relics of a Roman arch, and another, the Porta di Terraferma, was designed in the 16th century by the Veronese artist Sanmichele. In the bombardments during the Second World War, entire blocks were destroyed, but some of the structures were preserved.

St. Donatus' Church, a pre-Romanesque church from the 9th century.
St. Mary's Church, located in the old city across St. Donatus' Church.

Most important landmarks:

  • Roman Forum - the largest on the eastern side of the Adriatic, founded by the first Roman Emperor Augustus, to which two stone inscriptions about its completion dating from the 3rd century testify.
  • Most of the Roman remains were used in the construction of the fortifications, but two squares are embellished with lofty marble columns; a Roman tower stands on the east side of the town; and some remains of a Roman aqueduct may be seen outside the ramparts.

The chief interest of Zadar lies in its churches.

  • St. Donatus' Church - the monumental round building in the pre Romanesque style, traditionally but erroneously said to have been erected on the site of a temple of Juno, from the 9th century is the most important structure of its period preserved in Dalmatia; the massive dome of the rotunda is surrounded by a vaulted gallery in two stories which also extends around the three apses to the east. The church treasury contains some of the finest Dalmatian metal-work; notably the silver ark or reliquary of St Simeon (1380), and the pastoral staff of Bishop Valaresso (1460).
  • St. Anastasia's Cathedral (Croatian: Sv. Stošija), basilica in Romanesque style built in the 12th to 13th century (high Romanesque style), the largest cathedral in Dalmatia.
  • The churches of St. Chrysogonus and St. Simeon are also in the Romanesque style.
  • St. Krševan's Church - monumental Romanesque church of very fine proportions and refined Romanesque ornaments.
  • St. Elijah's Church (Croatian: Sv. Ilija)
  • St. Francis' Church, gothic styled church, site of the signing of the Zadar Peace Treaty 1358
  • Five Wells Square
  • St. Mary's Church which retains a fine Romanesque campanile of 1105 belongs to a Benedictine Convent founded in 1066 by a noblewoman of Zadar by the name of Cika with The Permanent Ecclesiastical Art Exhibition "The Gold and Silver of Zadar"

Other architectual acivments:

  • Citadel - built in 1409, southwest of the Land gate, it has remained the same to this day.
  • The Land Gate - built according to a layout of the Venetian architect Michele Sanmicheli in 1543
  • The uniqe sea organ
  • The Great Arsenal
  • Among the other chief buildings are (were?) the Loggia del Comune, rebuilt in 1565, and containing a public library; the old palace of the priors, now the governor's residence; and the episcopal palaces.

Culture

The first university of Zadar is mentioned in 1396 and it was a part of the Dominican monastery. It closed in 1807.

Zadar was, along with Dubrovnik, one of the centres of development of Croatian literature.

The 15th and the 16th centuries were marked by important activities of Croatian writers writing in the national language: Jerolim Vidolić, Petar Zoranić (who wrote first Croatian novel, Mountains), Brne Krnarutić, Juraj Barakovic, Šime Budinić.

During the French rule (1806-1810), the first Dalmatian newspaper Il Regio Dalmata-Kraglski Dalmatin was published in Zadar. It was printed in Italian and Croatian; this last used for the first time in a newspaper.

File:Regio Dalmata.jpg
Il Regio Dalmata-Kraglski Dalmatin. Printed Printed in Italian and Croatian language.

In the second half of the 19th century, Zadar was a centre of the movement for the cultural and national revivals in Dalmatia (Italian and Croatian).

Today Zadar's cultural institutions include:

Economy

Major industries include tourism, traffic, seaborne trade, agriculture, fishing and fish farming activities, metal manufacturing and mechanical engineering industry, chemicals and non-metal industry and banking. The headquarters of the following companies are located in Zadar:

The farmland just northeast of Zadar, Ravni Kotari, is a well known source of marasca cherries. Distilleries in Zadar have produced Maraschino since the 16th century.

Science

In 1998, Zadar hosted the Central European Olympiad in Informatics (CEOI).

Sports

The local basketball club is KK Zadar, and the football club NK Zadar. The bowling club Kuglački klub Zadar is also very successful.

Twinning

Zadar maintains cultural, economic and educational ties with:

Famous people from Zadar

See also

Sources

History about world

References

  1. http://www.dzs.hr/default.htm
  2. Olinto Mileta Mattiuz. "Popolazioni dell'Istria, Fiume, Zara e Dalmazia (1850-2002). Ipotesi di quantificazione demografica" Associazione Amici e Discendenti degli Esuli Giuliani Istriani Fiumani e Dalmati, 2005

External links


Gallery

  • St. Donat's Church and Roman Forum St. Donat's Church and Roman Forum
  • Roman Forum in Zadar Roman Forum in Zadar
  • St. Anastasia Cathedral/sv. Stošija in Zadar St. Anastasia Cathedral/sv. Stošija in Zadar
  • St. Mary's Church St. Mary's Church
  • St. Simeon's Church St. Simeon's Church
  • St. Simeon/sv. Šimun St. Simeon/sv. Šimun
  • Morska vrata/Porta marina Morska vrata/Porta marina
  • University of Zadar (1396) University of Zadar (1396)

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