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Zadar
Latitude 44.12°N
Longitude 15.24°E
Mayor Dr.Zivko Kolega
Surface (km²) ?
Population
(2006)		 81,688
Time zone (UTC) UTC+1 Central European Time


For other uses, see Zadar (disambiguation).

Zadar (Italian Zara, Latin Iader or Iadera) is a city in Croatia on the Adriatic Sea, with a population of 82 000 (2005). Absolute majority of its citizens are Croats with 92.77% (2001 census).

It is the centre of modern Croatia's Zadar county and the wider northern Dalmatian region. Zadar is geographically located at 44°6′51″N 15°13′40″E / 44.11417°N 15.22778°E / 44.11417; 15.22778, 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 harbour, to the north-east of the town, is safe and spacious.

Position of Zadar in Croatia

History

In the 9th century BC Iader 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 Zara was a flourishing Roman colony; its name Jadera was subsequently changed to Diadora. It maintained its municipal autonomy throughout the Middle Ages.

Upon the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the destruction of Salona in the early 7th century, Zadar became the capital of the Byzantine province of Dalmatia, as well as the governor's headquarters.


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 998, it first 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-Croatian king Coloman, Zadar began to be involved in frequent wars with Venice.

Zadar was under the Republic of Venice between 1111 and 1154 and between 1160 and 1183, before it was finally taken by the Venetians and mainly French knights of the Fourth Crusade in 1202. The Crusaders had promised the Venetians a certain amount of money to pay for ships for transport to Egypt, but when they could not pay, the Venetians diverted the Crusade to Zadar. King Emeric of Hungary had declared that he would join the Crusade, and there was a controversy among the knights and clergy over whether or not a supposedly divine army could attack a fellow Christian. Nevertheless, Zadar was destroyed and taken, and Pope Innocent III excommunicated everyone involved.

After several insurrections (1242-1243, 1320s, 1345-1346), Zadar came under the rule of the Hungarian-Croatian 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.

From this time on Zadar started to decline, because the Venetians considerably limited the town's political and economic autonomy. When in the early 16th century the Ottoman Turks conquered the Zadar hinterland, the town became an important stronghold ensuring the Venetian trade in the Adriatic, as well as the administrative centre of the Venetian possessions in Dalmatia and a cultural centre. From 1726-1733 one part of Zadar is settled by Catholic Albanian refugees.That Albanian settlement is called Arbanasi.

Panoramic view of Zadar

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 in the Croatian language, 'Kraljski Dalmatin', was published in Zadar (1806-1810). In the second half of the 19th century, Zadar was a centre of the movement for the cultural and national revival in Dalmatia. Its population in 1900, of town and commune, was 32,506; including an Austrian garrison of 1330.

However, under the Treaty of Rapallo, 1920, Zadar was ceded to Italy.

Nazi Germany occupied the city in World War II, as it was once one of the best-fortified cities in the world, and Zadar was bombed 72 times by the air forces of Britain and the United States. Afterwards it was joined with Croatia (at the time in Yugoslavia). Consequently, much of Zadar's Italian population left for Italy as refugees, among whom was Ottavio Missoni, owner of the renowned fashion company Missoni.

Coat of Arms Zara
Coat of Arms Zara

Since World War II the city has developed as a strong economic and tourist centre. In 1991. the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) along with Serb paramilitaries converged on the city and it found itself as the subject of shelling. Connections with the capital Zagreb were severed for over a year, the only link being via the island of Pag. Zadar was once again damaged in the war, including its historical bastions and churches. The siege of the city lasted until January 1993 when Zadar again came under the control of Croatian forces. Attacks on the city continued until the end of the war in Croatia in 1995.

Ecclesiastical history

Zara has been a Roman Catholic diocese in Dalmatia since A.D. 381 and since 1146 an archdiocese. Its succession of bishops numbers over eighty without noteworthy interruption. Bishop Sabinianus is mentioned in the "Register" of Gregory the Great. In one of his letters pope John VIII names St. Donatus as patron of Jadera. Archaeologists find in Zara many traces of ecclesiastical sculpture with German characteristics dating from the migration of the Germanic tribes. Zara was the capital of Byzantine Dalmatia, but the fact that an example of Carolingian architecture is found there shows that Zadar must once have belonged to the Franks and explains the visit of Bishop Donatus to Charlemagne in Dietenhofen.

Since Zara belonged to Venice, the bishops of Grado had exercised patriarchal jurisdiction over it. In 1276 Patriarch Ægidius summoned Archbishop John with his suffragans to the Council of Grado where they were, however, represented by deputies. Archbishop Nikolaus III of Zara was present at the synod convened by Cardinal Guido of St. Cecilia at Padua in 1350. Twenty constitutions were published, chiefly against the civil life of the clergy and the power of the laity as used against the clergy and church property. Worthy of high respect was Ægidius of Viterbo who governed the archdiocese for two years. In the first session of the Fifth Lateran Council he said: "Homines per sacra immutari fas est non sacra perhomines" (Man must be changed by what is holy, not what is holy by man). He had also the courage to address the following words to the warlike Julius II, who sought to increase the possessions of the Church. "That the states of the Church number a few thousand more or less, matters not, but it does matter greatly that its members be pious and virtuous. The Church knows no weapons other than faith, virtue, and prayer." Archbishop Godeassi attended the Synod of Vienna in 1849. Peter Alexander Maupas was present at the First Vatican Council.

The Archdiocese of Zara had in the early 20th century 86,000 Catholics, 150 secular priests, 5 religious houses for men with 20 inmates, 4 religious houses for women with 23 inmates.

  • Zadar is also the see of Orthodox bishop.

Cultural Heritage

Architecture

Zadar gained its urban structure in Roman times; during the time of Julius Caesar and Emperor Octavianus 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 mediaeval 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 rule Austrian rule the ramparts of Zara 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"
  • 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 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

Literature

Zara was, besides Ragusa (today Dubrovnik), one of the centres of development of Croatian language and culture. 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'. The first university mentioned in 1396 was a part of the Benedictine monastery.

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, the first newspaper using the Croatian language, Kraljski Dalmatin, was published in Zadar (1806-1810).

File:Regio Dalmata.jpg
The Regio Dalmata-Kraglski Dalmatin. Printed in Italian and "Illiric language"

. In the second half of the 19th century, Zadar was a centre of the movement for the cultural and national revival in Dalmatia.

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.

Twinning

Zadar maintains cultural, economic and educational ties with Dundee, United Kingdom.

Famous people from Zadar

Sources

External links

Gallery

  • Panoramic view of Zadar Panoramic view of Zadar
  • St. Donat's Church and Roman Forum St. Donat's Church and Roman Forum
  • St. Donat's Church St. Donat's Church
  • Roman Forum in Zadar Roman Forum in Zadar
  • St. Anastasia Cathedral in Zadar St. Anastasia Cathedral in Zadar
  • St. Mary's Church St. Mary's Church
  • St. Simeon's Church St. Simeon's Church
  • St. Simeon/Sv. Šime St. Simeon/Sv. Šime
  • Morska vrata/Porta marina Morska vrata/Porta marina
  • Porta Terraferma Porta Terraferma
  • University of Zadar (1396) University of Zadar (1396)
Counties of Croatia

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