Zadar,city from stone age

Zadar (Latin: Iadera, Italian: Zara) is a city in Croatia on the Adriatic Sea, with a population of 72,718 (2006). It is the fifth largest Croatian city. 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.

Prehistory

The entire district of present day Zadar was populated since prehistoric times. The earliest evidence of human life comes from the Late Stone Age, while numerous settlements have been dated as early as the Neolithic. Before the Illyrians, the area was inhabited by an ancient Mediterranean people. The name of the settlement - Iader, Iadra or Iadera (also spelled Jader, Jadra or Jadera) - came from their Pre-Indo-European language and could be related to a hydrographical term. It was later used by other civilisations.

Antiquity

In the 9th century BC Iadera was settled by the Liburnians, a tribe of Illyrians, who were known as great sailors and merchants. By the 7th Century BC it had become an important centre for their trading activities with the Greeks and the Romans. Its population at that time is estimated at 2,000. The people of Jader (the Jadasinei) were first mentioned in a Greek inscription (384 BC) as the leading enemies of the Greek colonists in the Adriatic in the period of Greek colonization (6th – 4th centuries BC). In the middle of the 2nd century BC, the Romans began to gradually invade the region. After 59 BC, Iadera became a Roman municipium, and in 48 BC a Roman colony. In the early days of the Roman domination, Iadera was a flourishing Roman colony. It lasted for several hundred years, until waves of marauding tribes battered the region. In the 4th century it had probably between 20 and 25 thousand citizens, a mix of Romans and indigenous Liburnians. In 441 and 447 Dalmatia was ravaged by the Huns.

The Medieval Period

After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, in 481 Dalmatia was added to the Ostrogothic kingdom, which already included the more northerly parts of Illyricum, i.e. Pannonia and Noricum. In 536 the Byzantine emperor Justinian the Great, started a military campaign to reconquer the territories of the former Western Empire (see Gothic War), Zadar became consequently part of the Byzantine Empire.[1]
In 568 Dalmatia was devastated by the Avars invasion, and throughout the century Slavs (i.e. early Croatian an Serbian tribes), its modern occupants, gradually established themselves in Illyria, where, unlike the earlier barbarian conquerors, they formed permanent settlements. Between 600 and 650 the main body of the immigrants occupied Illyria.[1]
In other parts of the Balkan Peninsula, Serbs and Croats quickly absorbed the native population. However, the coastal cities managed to resist immediate cultural assimiliation (mostly thanks to Byzantine influence). This sociologic process was instead to take many centuries to reach completion. Consequently, The rural aereas were settled by Croats and Serbs, while the native population, mostly consisting of romanised Illyrians, was either eventually assimilated or migrated to the cities (such as Spalatum, Iader and Ragusa. This gradual, long process took place in the 7th and 8th centuries. Dalmatia was, thus, a region culturally divided between the romanic Byzantine cities and the Slavic, more rural, hinterland. These two communities were known to harbor dislike for one another, a grievous circumstance which sometimes resulted in disputes.[1][2]
Other Romanic natives (later called Morlachs) took refuge in the mountainous interior of Dalmatia, where they preserved their culture for several centuries.[1]
Zadar survived the tubulent times, due its strategic position and its strong defensive system and managed to maintain its Roman heritage (such as its dialect of the independent Dalmatian language). Because of the destruction of Dalmatia's capital Salona and the relocation of its people to nereby Spalatum, Zadar in time became the capital of the Byzantine Theme (administrative unit) of Dalmatia, and was the seat of the imperial Governor. Byzantium, as the protector of Dalmatia enjoyed a strong military and political presence there, due to the persistent threat of invasion by the new Venetian Republic.
However, the geographical position of Zadar, suffices to explain the relatively small influence exercised by Byzantine culture throughout the six centuries (535-1102) of Byzantine rule.[2] It maintained a large degree of autonomy throughout this time. Along with other Dalmatian cities it soon came to resemble a typical medieval commune. In 806 Dalmatia was briefly occupied by the Holy Roman empire under Pepin, but this was quickly reversed and the cities were given back to Byzantium in 812, by the Treaty of Aachen.[2]
Meanwhile, the Croatian state formed inland, and trade and political links with Zadar began to devealop [citations needed]. Croatian settlers began to arrive, becoming commonplace by the 10th century.[citations needed] In 925, the Duke of Croatian Dalmatia Tomislav, united Croatian Dalmatia and Pannonia establishing the Croatian Kingdom. He also was granted the position of protector of Dalmatia (the cities) by the Byzantine Emperor. He thus politically united the Dalmatian cities with their hinterland for the first time.
In 998 Zadar sought Venetian protection against the Neretvian pirates, who had settled near the mouth of the Neretva river.[3][2]
The Venetians were quick to fully exploit this opportunity: in 998 a fleet commanded by Doge Pietro Orseolo II, after defeating the pirates, landed in Korčula and Lastovo. Dalmatia was quickly captured by surprise and offered little serious resistance. Trogir, was the exception and was subjected to Venetain rule only after a bloody struggle, whereas the Republic of Dubrovnik was forced to pay tribute. Pietro self-proclaimed himself Dux Dalmatianorum (Duke of the Dalmatians), associating it with his son (carefully agreeing to Byzantine suzerainty).[1][2]
The Croatian kings meanwhile established their own maritime cities, such as Nin and Biograd na Moru (also later Šibenik).[2] The Church, on its part, was involved in general confusion; in 1059 on the church synod in Split it forbade the use of any language but liturgies in Greek or Latin, and so had accentuated the differences between Romanic and Slavic population.[2] In the 10th century the cities came back under Crotian administration and Zadar sought independence from Byzantium. In 1069 the city was joined with Croatia by a treaty for the second time, by the Croatian King Petar Krešimir IV the Great[citations needed].

Rivalry of Venice and Croatia-Hungary in Dalmatia

In 1099, the Kingdom of Croatia was invaded and forced into a personal union with the Hungarian king Coloman. In 1105 Zadar recognized his rule.Zadar was repeatedly invaded by Venice between 1111 and 1154 and then once more between 1160 and 1183.In 1183 it finally rebelled, pleading to the Pope and to the Croato-Hungarian throne for protection, but it the year 1202 the Fourth Crusade began forming in Europe. The crusaders were, however, dependent upon Venice for transportation to Egypt. Ever the opportunist, Doge Enrico Dandolo instructed the crusader army that istead of paying they should lay siege to the troublesome Dalmatian capitol. Forced by their lack of money the Crusaders agreed and besieged Zadar. The overwhelmed city soon fell back under Venetian rule.
This did not break the spirit of the city, however. Its commerce was suffering due to lack of autonomy under Venice. They enjoyed considerable autonomy under the distant, much more feudal Croatian-Hungarian kings. A number of insurrections followed (1242-1243, 1320s, 1345-1346) which resulted finally in Zadar coming back under the crown of the Croatian-Hungarian king Louis I by the Treaty of Zadar, in 1358. After the death of Louis, Zadar recognized the rule of king Sigismund, and after him, that of Ladislas Anjou. During his reign Croatia-Hungary was envealoped in a bloody civil war. In 1409, Venice, seeing that Ladislas was about to be the loser, and eager to exploit the situation despite its relative military weakness, offered to buy his "rights" on Dalmatia for a mere 100, 000 ducats. Knowing he lost the region in any case, Ladislas accepted. Zadar was, thus, sold back to the Venetians for a poultry sum.

Venetian Republic (1409-1797)

The Adriatic in 1560, with Dalmatia and Zadar

In the early 16th century the Ottoman Turks conquered Dalmatia's hinterland, and the city became, in essence, a military stronghold protecting Venetian trade in the Adriatic, as well as the administrative centre for the Venetian conquests in Dalmatia.From 1726-1733 a part of its territory was settled by Catholic Albanian refugees. That Albanian settlement is called "Arbanasi".

Napoleonic era (1797-1813)
After the fall of Venice (1797) with the Treaty of Campo Formio, Zadar come under the Austrian crown and once again became united with the rest of Croatia. In 1806 it was briefly given to the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy, until in 1809 it was added to the French Illyrian Provinces. In 1813 all Dalmatia was reconquered and brought back under the control of the Austrian Empire.
During this time, it maintained its position as the capital of Dalmatia.During the Napoleonic era, the first Dalmatian newspaper, "Kraglski Dalmatin - Il Regio Dalmata" ("The Royal Dalmatian"), was printed in the city.

Austrian Empire (1815-1918): the age of nationalism
After 1815 Dalmatia (including Dubrovnik) came under the Austrian crown. After 1848, Italian and Slavic nationalism became accentuated and the city became divided between the Croats and the Italians, both of whom founded their respective political parties. There are conflicting sources for both sides claiming to have formed the majority in this period.

Italy (1920-1945)

In November 1918 Zadar was occupie by the Italian Army, like most of coastal Dalmatia, under the 1915 Treaty of London. Being the city with most Italians in Dalmatia, it was annexed to Italy in 1920, under the Treaty of Rapallo (1920), with the official name of "Zara".The Italian enclave included Zadar/Zara and the localities of Arbanasi/Borgo Erizzo, Crno/Cerno, Bokanjac/Boccagnazzo, Puntamika/Puntamica and the island Lastovo/Làgosta.According to the census of 1921, this area included 18.623 people. After the advent of the fascism many Croats left the city because of the repressive policies of fascist Italian government. Their place were mainly taken by ethnic Italians.

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, as shown by two stone inscriptions about its completion dating from the 3rd century.
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 unique sea organ[1]
The Great Arsenal [2]
Among the other chief buildings are 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 Split and 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 Kraglski Dalmatin - Il Regio Dalmata was published in Zadar. It was printed in Italian and Croatian; this last used for the first time in a newspaper.

Il Regio Dalmata-Kraglski Dalmatin. Printed in Italian and Croatian.
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:
The Croatian Theatre House
The National Museum
The Archaeological Museum (established in 1830)
The University of Zadar (refounded in 2003)
The Maritime Museum
Permanent Exhibition of Sacral Art
Croatian Singing Musical Society Zoranić (established 1885)
Musical Evenings in St. Donatus [3] (established 1961)
International Choirs Competition (established 1997)

Famous people from Zadar

From the foundation

Donatus - saint
Pope John IV - Pope in the 7th century
Jelena of Zadar - Croatian queen from 10th century
Petar Zoranić - Writer of the first Croatian novel
Giorgio Orsini - architect and sculptor
Luciano Laurana - painter
Francesco Laurana - sculptor and medallist
Giovanni Francesco Fortunio - linguist and writer (author of the first Italian grammar)
Šimun Kožičić Benja - Modruš bishop and founder of glagolitic printing house in Rijeka
Juraj Baraković - renaissance poet
Šime Budinić - poet and writer
Brne Karnarutić- renaissance writer
Jeronim Vidulić - poet
Andrea Schiavone

Georg Ritter von Trapp - Austrian Navy officer and head of the Trapp family singers
Baron Giovanni De Ghetaldi military and diplomat (son of Baron Biagio de Ghetaldi)
Simeone Duca - (Šime Duka) maecena and priest
Simone Stratico - Scientist
Antonio Calebotta - basketball player
Ottavio Missoni - fashion designer; owner of the Missoni fashion brand
Girolamo Luxardo - founder of the Original Marischino brand, Luxardo
Conte Antonio Cippico (1877 - 1935) - Italian politcman and patriot [6]
Spiridon Brusina - scientist
Niccolò Gradi - (1823 – 1894), poet
Roberto Ghiglianovich - (1863 - 1830), Politicman [7]
Carlo Tivaroni - (1843-1906) - historian, Garibaldist [8]
Natko Nodilo - Founder of the oldest running Croatian newspaper Narodni list
Dragutin Blažeković - Austrian governer of Dalmatia, born in Osijek
Vicko Zmajević - archbishop and politician
Vladimir Bersa - composer
Felix von Weingartner - Austrian composer, conductor, pianist and writer
Giuseppe Sabalich - literary worker
Giovanni Smirich - conservation wokrer and painter

Saša Bjelanović- international football player
Krešimir Ćosić - member of the Basketball Hall of Fame
Goranko Fižulić - former Croatian economy minister
Giuseppe Gjergja - basketball player
Ante Gotovina - Croatian Army general
Mladen Grdović - singer
Božidar Kalmeta - current Croatian Minister of Traffic and Tourism
Ive Livljanić - diplomat
Budimir Lončar - diplomat
Duško Lokin - singer
Korina Longin - top model
Gianni Maršan - diplomat and composer
Ivica Maštruko - diplomat
Luka Modrić- Football player
Antun Nalis - actor
Dado Pršo - football player
Riva - pop band, 1989 Eurovision Song Contest winners
Joso Škara - former Croatian Labour and Healthcare Minister
Josip Skoblar - football player, 1974 Golden boot
Joso Špralja - artist
Ana Lovrin- Croatian minister of law, former mayor of Zadar
Zoran Primorac- Croatian prize winning table tennis player
Arijan Komazec- Noted Croatian basketball player
Stojko Vranković- Famous Croatian basketball player
Vladan Desnica - writer
Natali Dizdar - Croatian pop-singer
Pavle Dešpalj - conducter and composer
Valter Dešpalj - cello player
Tomislav Ivčić - composer, singer and politician
Krist Novoselic- Nirvana bassist, went to school in Zadar
Mark Viduka- Australian football international (father from Zadar)
David Zdrilic- Australian football international (father from Zadar)
Teddy Lučić- Swedish football international (father from Zadar)
Zlatan Ibrahimović- Swedish football international (mother from Zadar)
Jason Čulina- Australian football international (father from Zadar)
Ivica Jerak - Former U.S. Army Delta Force Operator, killed in Iraq in 2005.
Agim Çeku- Kosovo prime minister (lived in Zadar for long time period)