The beginning of history of manynationsgot lost inthe dark.Few nations know ofits beginningand meaningof thername.Neither weCroats do notknow what it meansand howit becamethe name ofa Croat.It firstappearedas early asthe 2nd and3rd centuries.Azov,at the mouth ofthe Don,thetwo Greekinscriptionsas apersonal nameHoroathosandHorouathosa, whichis thought to beof Iranian origin.In addition, theCroatiannamewas used bythe two 11th century'sSlavic tribes, the Croatsin Poland, GreatorWhiteCroatia andinthe northeasternCzech Republic.Scientists havevariouslyattempted toexplainthe originsandmeaningCroatname,butthat did notwork either.They agreeonlyin the factthat it is notof Slavic origin.Equallytheydid not manageto explainthe originof the Croats.They also knowonly thatthe Croatsin the timeof their migrationto the southin the 7th century were already part of slavic tribes.TheyspokeSlavic language andlivedbyslaviccustoms. Ancient homelandCroats was the WhiteCroatia.It lasteduntilthe end of the9th centuryand belonged to Great Moravic, thenthe Kiev,Czech Republic and Polandstate.Then it disappears andthe nameCroatas a name forthe local population. Before theoncomming Avars, Croats took refugeamong theneighboringSlavic tribesfromtheir ancestral homein the 6th century and migrated further south.They movedinto what is todayCroatia and with thatmigration starts the so called big migration of Croatian people.
One of Vrsar’s storied features is its link with Giacomo Casanova, who visited the town on two occasions. Both his stays, the first in 1743, the second in 1744, were more by accident then by intention, but were still documented in his Memoirs.
The first time, according to his own words, he visited Vrsar for three days in August 1743 as a poor and miserable priest. The second time, however, he arrived to Vrsar as a soldier after sailing during the night from the Venetian islet of Malamocco and coming to anchor in the harbour of Vrsar to take ballast. His ship carried 24 guns and two hundred Slavonian soldiers.
Casanova describes Vrsar as a wretched place that he visited for the first time as a miserable-looking priest, while the second time he was unrecognizable – in a splendid uniform, believing he could not be recognized. In mid 18th century Vrsar had an obsolete and extremely rigid feudal system and the County of Vrsar was not able to blend with the modern age trends, especially not with the dynamic and playful Casanova’s spirit.
In his Memoires Casanova details his second stay in Vrsar, where he met a man who had been practising surgery in this place for 20 years, and in a very poor way, for he had had nothing to do. The surgeon invited him for breakfast mentioning his delicious refosco.
At that time wine production was the main branch of economy in Vrsar, and Casanova fancied that the man wanted to make him purchase some refosco.
The episode mentions also Casanova’s adventure with a Vrsar girl, Don Jerome’s housekeeper. Following a series of fortunate events, the surgeon suddenly became very popular and very rich…
Mirila, stone monuments to the departed, can be found along the mountain paths, passes, elevations and clearings of Mt. Velebit. Mirila date from the times of the Velebit hamlets (17th–20th centuries), that mainly survived from animal husbandry.
They preserve the memories of persons who died on the mountain slopes and had to be carried to the village church and then to the cemetery where they were buried. On such arduous journeys, it was only permitted to stop, rest and place the deceased on the ground in one place - the place where the deceased would greet the sun for the last time.
On this place was erected a mirilo, the resting place of the deceased. Flat stone tablets were generally laid at the head and foot of the deceased, marking his height, to be connected at a later date by a row of stone tablets. The headstones were also sometimes subsequently adorned with symbols carved in shallow relief. These mirila were venerated and visited more than graves, as it was believed that the grave only contained “the body without the soul, which remained at the mirilo.”
Mystical artistic markings on the headstones, among which the cross and solar circle were the most common, bear witness to a continuity of artistic adornment from prehistoric cultures, via early Christianity and the iconography of the stećak (medieval Bosnian standing tombstone), while inscriptions are rare and belong to more recent times. As the stone markers of a unique funeral cult, mirila convey the customs, way of life and creativity of an entire era.
So called Senj doors are known as uncomfortable area for fishermen and sailors, especially during strong nothern bora wind and south wind called jugo.
Each time stronge storm hits this area, a ghost of doomed fishermen can be seen vigorously paddling toward shore with torn sails and nets in the boat, but never manages to sail into safe harbor.
His curse is deserved by engaging a girl he left soon afterwards, and she threw his ring into the sea, saying , " Let the sea swallowe you " . He did not fulfill a vow of local sailors and fishermen who gave part of their annual earnings for maintaining the old church of St. Nicholas, which was built in the 13th century at bay Marne in Senj, on the site of the strongest storms. Because of his behavior he got a punishment from God and sank in stormy sea during one of his fishing trips. To this date he did not succed to sail in safety of harbor...
The old village ofKotle (Istra)-is on the rightside of"Glagolitic alley"whichyou climbto the smallest town in the world - Hum.Rečina,a small riverthat runsthrough the village, makes a smallerwaterfallby whose side tokk place an oldwater mill.The village wasiscompletelyabandoneda lot ofdecades ago.Regardless ofabandonment,home,althoughempty,depictlife as itonce was.Legend says it thatevery Fridayat a crossroadsin the villagebeat "Ghosts andgoblins".
Jules VerneandPazin Cave StrangeCave of Pazin has since old ages attracted theattentionof many who hadthe opportunity to seethisunique workof nature, like thecastle upon it, so we can read about it in the works ofdifferent authors(ValvasorPetronio,Yriarte). Jules Verne- The pioneer ofthe science fictionset inPazin a large partof his novelMathiasSandorfin1885.Subsequentlyactionstook place inTrieste, Count-RebelMathiasSandorfand his two friendsare arrested and imprisonedin theCastle of Pazin.They manage to escapethrough the windowanddown the lightning rodinto the cave, followedbya torrentinto the underground.After some time, two rebellions seethe light of dayin the Limbay on the westerncoast of Istria. The story leads usall over the Adriatic(Rovinj, Dubrovnik)andcontinuesthrough the Mediterranean(Sicily, Malta,Gibraltar).
Church of St..Salvation- the ruins ofan early Croatian church, built in the9th century.Locatedin the village ofCetina,at the sourceof the eponymous river, 8 km fromVrlikain Zagora,Split-Dalmatia County.Village isnamed after theriver Cetina andearly CroatianparishCetinawhichinthe 10th century,first mentioned inByzantineemperor ConstantineVII.Porphyrogenitusinhis Deimperio administrando.This is oneof the best preservedmonuments ofearly medievalsacral architecturein Croatia,andthe only churchfrom the 9th century,whosetowerat the westportal(vestverk-predbrod)still stands.
BaronGautsch was apassenger shipof the AustrianLloyd, builtin 1908in the shipyardGourlayBrothersCompany Ltd.in Dundeein the UK. It's length was 84,55m,11,6mwidthand7.5mhigh,and payloadwas a2,069GRTand861BAT.With64crew members,it could carry 300 passengers. Ship was on itsregular routefrom Trieste toKotor to Trieste when the accident happened. After12.VIII.1914. it sailedfrom Kotor, sailingalongIstrian coast,borderingthe northwestern coastminefield,on 13.VIII.struck a mineandsanksix milessouthwest ofSt.Johnlighthouse at sea.According to official data, there were 246passengers on board (figuredoes not includechildren up to10 yrs.).148passengers and31crew members were rescued. By the Decision ofthe Boardfor theProtection of Cultural Heritage,BGentered in the Registerof Croatian Cultural Monuments.
During the second halfof the 12th centurythe Templarscome to CroatiaandmedievalSlavonia andgetthenicknamebožjaci(thepoor).
Templar's Orderrelativelyquicklycame to Croatia.It was notedthat it is already in 1163, the city ofBelanear Varazdin was in the handsof the Templars. Around1169theirheadquarters werein Vrana, wherethey receivedthe monastery of St..Gregory from Pope.InSenj,Zagreb,Bozjakovina,Nałice,Glogovnicianda number of otherplacesthey had theirhome-offices andvastestates,so they werethe mastersof entirecounties.They had averybig impact on thepublic and political lifein these areas,but theycameinto conflictwith the nobilityand people.After theirabolitionin 1312the Popegrantedtheir estates to Hospitallerswho thenestablishedVrana priory.
Croatian town Dubica isTemplartown in Croatia.Dubicawas built bythe Knights Templarandarrangedaccording totheir laws,and is mentionedthatin 1239, after the settlementof King Colemanwith the TemplarsDubica was returned to the Templarorder.
PlaceDubica is mentioned in decree, issuedin 1240in Dubica,where stays written the factof Masterof the TemplarsJamesstanding asa witnesstothe sale ofsomelandnearDubica.
The tomb of King Arthur: The mythical hero buried in Dalmatia?
The tomb ofKing Arthur:The mythicalheroburiedin Dalmatia?
The storyof King Arthuris a myth,but historians, especially theBritish,havebeen searching forhistorical figuresthat might besupport for the developmentof the storyaboutthe legendaryking.Oneof these storiesleadsto Podstrana, a small townless than tenkilometers fromSplit.In fact,John Matthews,the world's leadingexpert on thestudyof the myth ofKing Arthur, finds the historicalbasis forthe legend of Arthur in thecharacter and work ofa Roman generalfrom the second halfof the second centuryLuciusArtoriusCastus.Andthe onlyundoubted record ofhistorical person LuciusArtoriusarebuilt in thestonefencearound the churchof St. Martinin Podstrana!
"I firstheard of friendandcolleagueJulianMedini, archaeologists andexcellent connoisseur ofantiquity, ofthe idea thatKing ArthurcouldbeLuciusArtorius.He intended topublish a bookabout it,but he diedtoo soon- starts with the story academicianCambi,hedatedplatesandthey undoubtedlydate fromthe second half ofthe second century.The twowerepart of apanelin the wallaround the churchandthey were an inscriptionin a mausoleumin whichthe sarcophagusof LuciusArtorius lays.Artoriuswas alivewhenthe plate isprintedas itsaysitisintended for himselfandhis family"-saysacademicianCambi. He furtherexplains howtheboardsactuallytell about life and work ofLuciusArtoriusCastus.It is abouthis dutiesin the Roman Empire,whichare orderedfrom lowesttohighest in thehierarchy.He started out asa soldier,probablyin the 18thyear.Then,a centurion(commander ofa hundredsoldiers)111GallicandFifth MacedonianlegionandII.ferate.All these arelowermilitary functions-interpretsacademicCambi, adding thatArtoriusmilitary careerprogressed quickly.
"He was obviouslyvery capable.He quicklybecame one of theseniorcommanders, something liketoday'sadmiral, RomanfleetMizenumnearPompeiiin theBay of Naples.He thenspent a long timein theUK.There he was somethinginthe rangeof today'sgenerals andcommandedthelegionswhonumberedabout 7,000 troops.Then,probablybecause ofmerit,returned to theareatodayDalmatia, where he wasprocurator of theprovinceLiburni. That was a greathonor because theprocuratorshadthe so-called"right of the sword"- the rightto condemnto death.Procurator, for example,was aPontius Pilate- comparesacademicianCambi.
Forthe occurance ofthe legend ofKing Arthuris the most important stay of ArtoriusCastusin theUK.Artoriuscommandeda legion ofSarmatian(peoplefrom the area ofpresent-daysouthern Ukraine)atHadrian'sWall.He defended thebordersof the Roman Empire fromthe barbariantribesCel, which was thenin command ofMarcus Aurelius, and laterhis son,Commodus.LuciusArtoriusCastuslivedin the latesecond century.King Arthurlegendlocatesfour centuries later-in theMiddle Ages.JohnMetthewsandhis supportersfeel that it isthe story ofKing Arthurfromthe second centuryslowlyflourished.
This is howthe story ofPrince Marko started, who in fact,was just aTurkish vassal.Peopleat that timewere illiterate, sothestoriespassed downby word of mouth, andsomuchis lost,changedoradded to thestory, saysacademicianCambi.Histhesis aboutCastusasKing Arthurhas alot of fansin the world.
Samobor has recently joined wideworld tradition, where couples put a lock on a specific location (bridge, fence, park) as a symbol of eternal love.
In Samobor love could be locked during the romantic promenade under the old town of Samobor, on the security fence which follows the stream Gradna, next to Vugrinščak.
Locks of love, symbols of modern love, are popular for several years throughout the world. It is believed that the custom of "locking two souls" dates back to ancient China, where locks can be found in temples, the sacred mountains, and even the metal chains tied to the Great Wall of China. Sweethearts, as required by the ritual, lock the padlock with their initials on the railing of a bridge or other specific place and throw away the key to symbolise unbreakable love.
Every love lock carries a unique love story, hopefully happier than Petrarca's Laura in Samobor known as Ljubica of Stanko Vraz.