Location: Zadar County Map
Zadar or Zara (in Latin: Iadera, in Hungarian: Zára) is a city of the Dalmatian region in modern Croatia. Capital of the county of Zadar, in the center of the country and in front of the islands Ugljan and Pašman, of which it is separated by the Strait of Zadar. It has 85,000 inhabitants. This ancient city was first mentioned in the 4th century BC. The location of this strategic harbour allowed the city grow and thrive over centuries. This city is also a seat of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Zadar. The city has a mild Mediterranean climate with mild winters and very warm, dry summers. The best time to visit the city is from May till September. July and August are particularly hot and dry. Ironically this also concise with large tourist crowds that come in these months of the year.
It is the most famous monument and symbol of the city of Zadar, and also the most famous monumental building in Croatia from the early Middle Ages. It was built on the traditions of early Byzantine architecture in the early Middle Ages, most likely in the early 9th century. It is circular in shape and has not been preserved in the shape as it was originally built. It lacks a southern annex, so its central circular core is visible from that side. Until the 15th century, the church of Sv. Trinity, and since then bears the name of St. Donat, by the bishop who had it built. The church was first mentioned in the middle of the 10th century in the writings of the Byzantine emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus. Today, due to its outstanding acoustic characteristics, its space is used for music programs ("Musical Evenings in St. Donat").
Church of Saint Anastasia/ Zadar Cathedral
Forum
Below the foundations of the church of
Sv. Donat and the Episcopal Palace stretches the sidewalk of the
main square from Roman times - the Forum. Its beginnings date back
to the 1st century. before Christ. On three sides, the Forum was
surrounded by a monumental porch adorned with acanthus tendrils,
garlands and masquerades.
Kalelarga
Kalelarga or Široka
ulica is the main and most famous street in Zadar, which stretches
in the east-west direction from Narodni trg to Forum. During the
Second World War, almost all the buildings in the street were
destroyed, and it was rebuilt in a modernist style, retaining only
the basic direction.
Church of St. Mary
Church of St. Mary belongs
to the Benedictine convent of St. Marija, which was founded by the
noblewoman Čika in 1066. On the site of a once infamous church, she
erected a three-nave church dedicated in 1091. Her daughter Vekenega
in the early 12th century. she built a capitular hall and a
monumental bell tower. In the church itself there is the tomb of the
abbess Vekenge who died in 1111. The monastery archive preserves a
very valuable collection of charters in which Croatian kings from
the 11th century are mentioned. The facade of the church and its
south side wall, as well as the main portal are in the Renaissance
style. On the bell tower there is an inscription in memory of
Koloman's entry into Zadar in 1102. The church was destroyed in the
Anglo-American bombing in World War II, but was successfully
reconstructed.
Church of St. Krševana
The three-nave
basilica with three richly decorated semicircular apses belonged to
the Benedictine monastery. It was built in the Romanesque style and
dedicated in 1175, and was named after St. Krševan martyr, protector
of the city of Zadar. The facade is simple. In the lower part there
are no decorations other than the main portal. The interior of the
church is decorated with frescoes of Romanesque-Byzantine
characteristics. In the sanctuary there is a monumental main altar
built in 1701, on which in 1717 four quality white marble statues
were placed, representing the patrons of Zadar. They are the work of
the Venetian sculptor Alavisa Tagliapiete. The bell tower began to
be built in the late 15th century, but was never completed. The most
beautiful part of the facade is the exterior decoration, the apse.
Church of St. Šimuna / Škrinja Sv. Simon
Originally an early
Christian three-nave basilica from the 5th century, then the rebuilt
church of Sv. Stjepan with Gothic elements from the 14th century,
while today's appearance with Baroque details was given in the 16th
century. The famous silver chest of St. Simon from 1380 is located
on the main altar of the church. The chest is a goldsmith's work of
great value, which for the relic of St. Sime was made by the
Hungarian-Croatian Queen Elizabeth. The chest was made by the
goldsmith Franjo from Milan, who lives in Zadar. South of the church
there is a Roman pillar erected in 1729, and it is composed of two
pillars of a Roman temple which were kept on the capitol of the
Forum until then.
Church and Franciscan monastery of St.
Frane
The church is located at the western end of the city. The
church is the oldest Dalmatian Gothic church. It was dedicated in
1280. The interior is simple. From the choir one enters the
sacristy. Behind the main altar of the church from 1672, there is a
former sanctuary and in it the choir seats richly decorated with
carvings in the style of floral Gothic from 1394, the work of Gaicom
da Borgo Sansepolcra.
The sacristy, which continues to the
choir, is important for Croatian history, because in 1358 the Peace
of Zadar was concluded between the Venetian Republic and the
Hungarian-Croatian King Louis of Anjou, by which the Venetians
renounced their claims to Dalmatia.
Church of Our Lady of
Health
It was built in the 18th century in the Baroque style on
the site of an older church, as the mausoleum of Archbishop
Zmajević. It housed a painting of Our Lady of Kaštela painted by
Blaž Jurjev Trogiranin in the 15th century (today it is in the
permanent exhibition of church art). It enjoys a great reputation
and popularity among many generations of Zadar residents. In the
Second World War it was completely destroyed, leaving only a bell
tower and a small shrine. It was restored only in 1990 with a
valuable donation from the late Msgr. Simeon Duce, who is buried in
it.
Church of St. Andrew and St. Peter
Single-nave church
of St. Andrew is characterized by a simple facade from the 17th
century, and the remains of frescoes of Romanesque-Byzantine
characteristics from the end of the 12th century, while the south
side wall and apse were built in the 5th century. Its apse is
followed by the church of St. Peter with antique elements.
Church and monastery of St. Michael
The facade of the church of
Sv. Mihovila is dominated by a relief-decorated Gothic portal from
the 14th century. Inside its one-sided interior is an ancient
painted semi-relief crucifix from the 13th century. The monastery
also houses a small collection of works of art.
Church of St.
Dominic
Gothic Church of St. Dominica is located west of the Land
Gate. The first university, which was mentioned as far back as 1396,
also operated within the monastery.
Church of St. Elijah the Prophet
The Orthodox
Church was erected next to the Forum in the 16th century for the
needs of Greek sailors and merchants. In the 18th century, it was
upgraded and handed over to the Serbian community.
Remains of
the church Stomorica
Today, only the foundations of the once
six-leafed pre-Romanesque church (originally dedicated to St.
Ursula) have been preserved, which also had a dome, and instead of
an apse, a rectangular branch with a bell tower was built. It was
demolished in the 16th century, archaeologically excavated in 1883,
then buried, and finally excavated and preserved in 1966. The story
says that the shape of the floor plan of this church, which
resembles a key, symbolizes the keys of St. Petra.
City walls
(Muraj)
Remains from the Roman era, from the Middle Ages and
mostly from the 16th century have been preserved. Next to the
ramparts is the medieval "Captain's Tower", and the most picturesque
part is located in the southern part near the port of "Foša", where
the Land Gate from 1543 (Michele Sanmicheli) is located. Towards the
port, near the church of Sv. The Sea Gate from 1573 is located in
Krševan.
Permanent exhibition of church art - Gold and silver
of the city of Zadar
In the building of the church of Sv. Marija
or her monastery, whose buildings were severely damaged during the
Second World War, in 1972 a representative exhibition was formed -
the Permanent Exhibition of Church Art, and one of the most valuable
exhibitions in Croatia, popularly called "Gold and Silver of Zadar".
Zadar Archaeological Museum
Founded in 1832, the
archeological remains from the 7th to the 12th century are on
display. Exhibits from Roman times and prehistoric archaeological
material from the Paleolithic, Neolithic, and Metal Ages are on
display.
Narodni trg/ square
Zadar's main square and
gathering place. On its western side is the church of St. Lawrence
of the 11th century; the building of the City Guard from 1562 and
the clock tower from the 18th century, and opposite is the City
Lodge from the 13th century. On the north side of the square is the
City Hall built in 1934 during the fascist rule.
University
of Zadar building
The dominant point of the Zadar panorama from
the sea, the magnificent building on the New Waterfront was built in
the early 20th century in the neoclassical style for the needs of
the Lyceum of St. Demetrius. It also includes the recently renovated
chapel of St. Dimitrija.
From prehistory to Roman times
The wider Zadar
area has been inhabited since ancient times. The findings of this
earlier culture date back to the Old Stone Age, while in the
Neolithic period, archaeological research has identified numerous
human settlements. On the outskirts of today's Zadar, such
settlements were located in the area of Arbanasi and Puntamika.
Before the settlement of the Illyrian tribes, this area was
inhabited by the ancient Mediterranean people, from whose
pre-Indo-European language the name of the settlement very probably
originates - Jader, Jadra or Jadera, which were later taken over by
other civilizations. The name of the settlement is related to some
ancient hydrographic term.
The Illyrian settlement dates back
to the 9th century BC, which dates back to the 7th and 6th centuries
BC. an important center of the Illyrian tribe Liburni, for whom the
port of Zadar was the starting point for numerous trade trips and a
safe anchorage. The Jadasins as the inhabitants of Idassa or Jader
are first mentioned in 384 BC. on a Greek inscription from Faros
(today's Stari Grad on Hvar) as allies of Hvar's natives in the
fight against the newly arrived Greek colonists. The Greek
geographer Skilaks Skarianderis mentions Zadar under the name
Idassa, Jadar, and calls the inhabitants Jadasins.
In the
middle of the 2nd century BC. the Zadar area was gradually conquered
by the Romans, who systematically settled in Zadar. The colony of
Roman citizens - Colonia Julia Jader was founded in 48 BC. most
likely I am Julius Caesar. Zadar became an independent municipality
of mostly worn-out Roman soldiers, to whom, in addition to the city
itself, the land for cultivation was divided.
Jader was
arranged according to all the principles of Roman urbanism: five
longitudinal and a number of transverse streets created a regular
network of city communications, which divided the city in a strict
geometric order into rectangular neighborhoods - insulae. At the
western end of the city, the main square was built - the Roman
Forum, and next to it a slightly elevated capitol with a temple.
Both areas were bordered by a two-storey porch, and an economic
square - emporium - was built on the sea-facing area. Roman Jader
was protected by strong walls, in several places fortified with
monumental towers, and had public water supply with water from 40 km
away Vrana, sewer system, thermal baths, amphitheater and other
features of highly developed urban life.
Early Middle Ages
During the period of migration and barbarian penetration, Zadar
gradually stagnated, and in the 5th century, already under the rule
of the Eastern Goths, the city became completely impoverished, and
due to dilapidation, many public buildings became ruins. Zadar at
that time (6th century) was certainly hit by a severe earthquake in
which entire complexes of monumental Roman architecture were
destroyed, fragments of which would later serve as building
material. In the period between the 4th and 6th centuries, a new
religion developed in Zadar - Christianity; the city has its own
bishop, a new religious center is being built north of the forum
with a basilica and a baptistery, as well as other sacral buildings.
After the withdrawal of the Eastern Goths from the area of
Dalmatia in 537 and the final fall of the Western Roman Empire,
Zadar came under Byzantine rule. At the same time, the invasions of
the Avars and Slavs began, which in the early 7th century completely
destroyed and devastated Salona, making Zadar, as the only city
that resisted the attacks of new invaders, take over the role of the
new administrative center of the Byzantine province of Dalmatia. It
will retain the role of the capital of Dalmatia until 1918.
At the beginning of the 9th century, a lively diplomatic activity of
Bishop Donat and the city prince Pavle in the dispute between the
Frankish state of Charlemagne and the Byzantine Empire was recorded
in Zadar. Namely, the French briefly conquered Zadar, but by peace
in Aachen in 812 the city was returned to Byzantium. Zadar has
completely turned to the sea, shipping and trade, and thanks to its
new strategic position it is becoming the master of the area from
the Kvarner islands to the Kastela Bay. Byzantine Dalmatia was not a
territorially unified entity, but a set of urban municipalities led
by Zadar, and broad urban autonomy contributed to the development of
Dalmatian cities as free communes. In all this, Zadar was in the
forefront, whose position at that time was equal to that of Venice.
Zadar in the Middle Ages
At the time of the great rise of medieval Zadar, the city became
an increasing obstacle to the ambitions of the more powerful Venice,
and in the hinterland the Croatian state was formed and grew. Zadar
is gradually establishing first trade and then political ties with
Croats, who are increasingly accepted and integrated into city life.
In the 10th century, Croatian names were recorded in Zadar, such as
priors, judges, priests, nuns and nuns, which testifies that the
Croatian ethnic element conquered all city classes. The people of
Zadar are making efforts for their own independence from Byzantium,
in which the most powerful Zadar patrician family - the Madijevci -
is certainly in the forefront. In agreement with Byzantium, Zadar
was annexed to other Dalmatian communes by Croatian King Petar
Krešimir IV in 1069, and after the dynastic struggles and death of
King Dmitar Zvonimir in 1089, Zadar recognized the rule of the first
Croatian-Hungarian king Koloman in 1105. Since then, Zadar has been
increasingly at war with Venice. For the first time, the Venetians
attacked and captured Zadar for 1000 years, and violent attacks and
occasional conquests with the resistance and rebellion of Zadar will
last until 1358 and the conclusion of the Peace of Zadar.
Zadar was particularly badly damaged in 1202 when the Venetian doge
Enrico Dandolo used the Crusaders for an attack and siege on the 4th
expedition to Palestine when one of the most cruel crimes in the
history of Zadar was committed. The Crusaders undertook to pay the
Venetians for transport by ship to Egypt, and since they could not
pay them, the Venetians used them to destroy, demolish and plunder
Zadar. Croatian-Hungarian King Emeric condemned the crusade because
there was a conflict over whether it was orthodox for God's army to
attack a Christian city. Zadar, however, was destroyed and
conquered, and the population displaced. Pope Innocent III
excommunicated the Venetians and the Crusaders who took part in the
conquest. After new revolts, the city came under the rule of the
Croatian-Hungarian King Louis I (peace in Zadar) in 1358.
The
population of Zadar in the developed medieval period was
predominantly Croatian, as evidenced by the records of Cardinal
Boson, who in 1177 accompanied Pope Alexander III. on the way to
Venice. When the papal ships took refuge in the port of Zadar due to
the storm, the people of Zadar welcomed the pope by singing in the
Croatian language. The period from the 11th to the 14th century,
although turbulent and full of sieges and sufferings, was the golden
age of Zadar. Through skilful politics and trade, and capable
sailors, Zadar secured a key role among the cities on the eastern
Adriatic coast, which was reflected in its appearance and culture
(numerous churches, rich monasteries, luxurious palaces of prominent
families were built, the chest of St. Simon was built). . One of the
best examples of the splendor and power of the then Zadar is the
first University on Croatian soil, which was founded in 1396 by the
Dominicans.
From the 15th to the 18th century
After
Louis's death, Zadar recognized the rule of King Sigismund, and then
Ladislav of Naples, who in 1409, seeing that he was losing more and
more influence in Dalmatia, sold Zadar and his dynastic rights to
Dalmatia to Venice for 100,000 ducats. Thus Venice took over Zadar
again on July 31, 1409, this time without a fight, but with the
tensions and resistance of the Zadar nobility, which were stifled by
the persecution and seizure of property. Zadar is still the
administrative center of Dalmatia, this time under Venetian rule,
which spread over the entire Dalmatian area (except the Republic of
Dubrovnik). The Venetians significantly limited the political and
economic autonomy of Zadar, which, despite all this repression, is
still a city of pronounced prosperity. At that time, one of the most
famous Croatian sculptors and builders was born in Zadar - Juraj
Matejev Dalmatinac, famous primarily for his work at the Šibenik
Cathedral, then the great names of Renaissance art - brothers
Lucijan and Franjo Vranjanin (Laurana), who with their sculptural
and architectural works especially celebrated in Italy.
The
period of the 16th and 17th centuries was marked in Zadar by the
incursions of the Turkish conquerors who conquered the Zadar
hinterland at the beginning of the 16th century, and the city itself
is almost constantly within range of Turkish artillery. Therefore,
the construction of a new system of fortifications and walls began,
which significantly changed the appearance of the city. For the
needs of building new powerful pentagonal fortifications, many
houses and churches were demolished, and even the entire Zadar
suburb - the town of Sv. Martina. Upon completion of its 40-year
construction, Zadar became the largest fortress city in the Venetian
Republic with a system of fortifications, bastions, defensive canals
filled with the sea and new large public city cisterns. During the
thorough reconstruction of Zadar, a number of completely new public
buildings were built (City Lodge and City Guard on the then Lord's
Square, several new barracks and warehouses, but also luxurious new
palaces).
With generally uncertain weather and a series of Turkish sieges
and destructions, a high culture of living developed within the city
fortifications. In the 16th and 17th centuries, the activity of
Croatian writers who wrote in the vernacular (Jerolim Vidolić, Petar
Zoranić, Brne Karnarutić, Juraj Baraković, Šime Budinić) was
significant. It is worth mentioning the famous painter Andrija
Medulić - Andrea Meldoll (around 1510 / 1515-1563), who signed
himself as "Andrea Schiavone" or just "Schiavone".
Due to the
constant Turkish threat, the population became significantly thinner
and there was a general stagnation of the economy. In the 16th and
17th centuries, the city was plagued by several severe plague
epidemics. After more than 150 years of Turkish threat, Zadar has
been weakened in terms of humanity, but also materially
impoverished. Venice is inhabiting a new population, and under
Archbishop Vicko Zmajević, the Arbanassis are settling on three
occasions, forming a new settlement in the suburbs. Despite the
scarcity, the "Noble Theater" (Teatro Nobile) was built in Zadar in
1783 and will be in operation for more than a hundred years.
After the fall of Venice (1797), Zadar and Dalmatia were annexed to
Austria, but the first Austrian rule over Zadar lasted only until
1806.
Zadar in the 19th and 20th centuries
After eight
years of rule, Austria ceded Venice, western Istria, Dalmatia and
Venetian Albania to Napoleon in peace. French rule over Zadar began
in February 1806 and lasted until December 1813. In that short time
there were significant social reforms, and a number of new
institutions were established, including the renewed University of
Zadar (study of medicine, lower and higher surgery, pharmacy, law,
construction and geodesy). Already in June 1806, the first newspaper
in the Croatian language "Kraljski Dalmatin" was launched in Zadar,
which would be published until 1810.
In November 1813, the
Austrian siege of Zadar began, aided by British troops, and on
December 7, the Austrian army re-entered Zadar. The second Austrian
rule lasted until 1918, and Zadar still retains the status of the
capital of the Kingdom of Dalmatia and is the seat of the Dalmatian
Parliament (founded in 1861) and the church metropolis for the whole
of Dalmatia. The administrative functions of Zadar resulted in a
larger settlement of foreign bureaucrats (in 1910, 60% of the city's
population were Italians). Also, Zadar is the only municipality in
Dalmatia where the autonomists have never lost power.
With
the Austrian rule, Zadar got a grammar school (1816), the first
public park was opened (1829), and the National Museum was founded
(1832); In 1833, the road that connected Zadar with Zagreb and
Vienna via Velebit was completed, and in 1838 the first modern city
water supply system was put into use.
In the second half of
the 19th century, Zadar was also the focus of the movement for
cultural and national revival in Dalmatia, and this period is of
special importance for the history of the city, which is rapidly
developing as a modern European city. By decree of the Emperor,
Zadar ceased to be a city-fortress in 1868, which quickly affected
its urban development. Numerous public and private buildings were
built, including the New Theater (later Teatro Verdi) in 1865. Zadar
is becoming a city of richly decorated shops and public spaces,
luxury cafes and hotels, public libraries and reading rooms. Zadar
had 6 printing houses and published about 40 different newspapers
and magazines, including Narodni list (1862) - today the oldest
living Croatian newspaper. Many important Croatian writers are
working in the city again, such as Ivo Vojnović, Rikard Katalinić
Jeretov, Milan Begović, Vladimir Nazor and others.
At the end
of the century, the processing industry began to develop rapidly in
Zadar, especially the production of 33 types of liqueurs, of which
Maraschino became known around the world. On New Year's Eve 1894 in
Zadar, electric city lighting shone, the first systematically
implemented electric network in Croatia.
In the First World
War, the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy experienced the collapse and
disintegration of several states. Thanks to the diplomatic games of
the allies in gaining Italy to their side, but also to the unclear
position of the negotiators from the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and
Slovenes, the Treaty of Rapallo (November 12, 1920) annexed Zadar to
Italy as an enclave on the eastern Adriatic coast. Zadar remained
part of it until 1945. In 1921 it was declared a free port, and
lived through a period of Italian rule in a strange atmosphere of
false abundance. It was a period of intensive Italianization and
emigration of Croats and the economic decline of the city due to
unnatural isolation from the hinterland. The role of the center of
Dalmatia is completely taken over by Split.
In World War II,
Zadar was exposed to heavy Allied bombing during 1943 and 1944,
destroying 80% of the city's historic core.
Finally annexed to Croatia, which was then one of the constituent
Yugoslav republics, Zadar welcomed the end of the war almost
completely devastated and abandoned, with barely 6,000 inhabitants.
After the war, the Italian population, but also a large number of
Croats, emigrated to Italy. In their place soon and in large numbers
come the inhabitants of the Zadar islands and hinterland.
After the Second World War, the city developed into a strong
economic and cultural center, especially after the construction of
the Zadar-Knin railway and the establishment of the Faculty of
Philosophy. In 1991, Krajina rebels and the Yugoslav People's Army
(JNA) attacked Zadar, which was then on the edge of the occupied
territory. Connections with Zagreb took place exclusively through
the island of Pag. Zadar has again experienced serious destruction,
including some historic buildings. The siege of Zadar lasted until
1993, when the Zadar hinterland was liberated in the military
operation "Maslenica". Occasional attacks on the city continued
until 1995, when Operation Storm ended the war in Croatia.