Senj
Encyclopedia
Senj is the oldest town
on the upper Adriatic, and it was founded in the time before the Romans
some 3000 years ago (Senia
) on the hill
Kuk. It was the center of the Illyrian tribe
Iapydes
. The current settlement is situated at the foot of the slopes Mala Kapela
and Velebit
. The symbol of the town, the Fortress Nehaj (Croatian
: Tvrđava Nehaj), that is found on the hill Nehaj
, was completed in 1558, and has since then been the seat of the Uskoci until they were banished from the town in the 1617 after the Habsburg Monarchy
made peace with the Republic of Venice
. Senj is now found in the Lika-Senj County
, and is also included in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gospić-Senj, and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Rijeka within the Catholic Church.
Senj has been inhabited since the prehistoric times. A settlement called Attienities in today's Senj was mentioned in Greek
documents dated 4th century BC. The Romans
used Senia as a stronghold against the Illyrians
in the 2nd century BC, and it was a thriving town in their province of Dalmatia
. The Avars
and the Croats
settled Senj in the 7th century (AD).
The Senj Catholic
diocese
was established in 1169. Croatian-Hungarian
king Bela III gave the town to the Templars
in 1184, and in 1271 it became the property of the counts of Krk
, the Frankopan
s.
In 1248 the bishop
of Senj was allowed by the Pope Innocent IV
to use the Glagolitic alphabet
and the vernacular language
in liturgy. A Glagolitic printing press
was set up in 1494, and produced the incunabula "The Glagolic Missal" and "Spovid općena".
The military captaincy of Senj was established in 1469 in order to defend from the invading Ottoman
and Venetian
armies, and the town sheltered thousands of refugees from the nearby occupied areas. The fortress Nehaj was completed on the hill
Nehaj
in 1558 that in that time was beside the town. This hill is today in the towns borders. The wars with the Ottomans
lasted well into the 17th century. In that time in Senj lived uskoci, that where a tribe that dwelled in the fortress Nehaj. For the wars with the Ottomans they were important because they were small units of men rowing swift boats, and so they proved to be very efficient guerrilla
forces.
The 18th century brought some prosperity, especially with the construction of the Josephina
(named after Emperor Joseph II) linking the Adriatic coast via Senj to Karlovac
. The railway line built in 1873 between Fiume (Rijeka
) and Karlovac didn't go past Senj and this deterred its further development.
In the fall of 1943, during World War II
, when Fascist Italy
capitulated, the Partisans
took control of Senj and used it as a supply port. Subsequently, the Luftwaffe
started bombarding the city. By the end of the year they had demolished over one half of the city buildings as well as caused numerous civilian casualties.
There are 27 settlements in the municipality and they include: Alan, Biljevine, Bunica
, Crni Kal
, Jablanac, Klada, Krasno
, Krivi Put
, Lukovo, Melnice, Mrzli Dol, Pijavica, Podbilo, Prizna
, Senj, Senjska Draga, Starigrad
, Stinica, Stolac, Sveta Jelena
, Sveti Juraj, Velike Brisnice, Veljun Primorski, Volarice, Vrataruša, Vratnik i Vrzići.
Population by nationality:
, Hungary
Vratimov
, Czech Republic
Wieluń
, Poland
Sorbiers
, France Senec, Slovakia
Parndorf
, Austria
Vrbovec
, Croatia
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
on the upper Adriatic, and it was founded in the time before the Romans
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
some 3000 years ago (Senia
Senia
Senia may refer to:* Count of Senia, a title of Maltese nobility* Es Sénia, a commune in Algeria...
) on the hill
Hill
A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills often have a distinct summit, although in areas with scarp/dip topography a hill may refer to a particular section of flat terrain without a massive summit A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills...
Kuk. It was the center of the Illyrian tribe
Illyrians
The Illyrians were a group of tribes who inhabited part of the western Balkans in antiquity and the south-eastern coasts of the Italian peninsula...
Iapydes
Iapydes
The Iapydes were an ancient people who dwelt north of and inland from the Liburnians, off the Adriatic coast and eastwards of the Istrian peninsula...
. The current settlement is situated at the foot of the slopes Mala Kapela
Mala Kapela
Mala Kapela is a mountain in Croatia, part of the Dinaric Alps. It stretches in the direction northwest-southeast, and it extends from the mountain pass called "Kapela" or "Vrh Kapele" that separates it from Velika Kapela, down to the mountain pass that connects Otočac and Plitvice and from then...
and Velebit
Velebit
Velebit is the largest though not the highest mountain range in Croatia. Its highest peak is the Vaganski vrh at 1757 m.The range forms a part of the Dinaric Alps and is located along the Adriatic coast, separating it from Lika in the interior...
. The symbol of the town, the Fortress Nehaj (Croatian
Croatian language
Croatian is the collective name for the standard language and dialects spoken by Croats, principally in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serbian province of Vojvodina and other neighbouring countries...
: Tvrđava Nehaj), that is found on the hill Nehaj
Nehaj
Nehaj is the name of the hill that is found above the center of the town of Senj in Croatia.The name Nehaj comes from the Croatian term Ne hajati which means Don't care....
, was completed in 1558, and has since then been the seat of the Uskoci until they were banished from the town in the 1617 after the Habsburg Monarchy
Habsburg Monarchy
The Habsburg Monarchy covered the territories ruled by the junior Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg , and then by the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine , between 1526 and 1867/1918. The Imperial capital was Vienna, except from 1583 to 1611, when it was moved to Prague...
made peace with the Republic of Venice
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
. Senj is now found in the Lika-Senj County
Lika-Senj County
Lika-Senj county is a county in Croatia that includes most of the Lika region and some northern coastline of the Adriatic near the town of Senj, including the northern part of the Pag island...
, and is also included in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gospić-Senj, and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Rijeka within the Catholic Church.
History
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
documents dated 4th century BC. The Romans
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
used Senia as a stronghold against the Illyrians
Illyrians
The Illyrians were a group of tribes who inhabited part of the western Balkans in antiquity and the south-eastern coasts of the Italian peninsula...
in the 2nd century BC, and it was a thriving town in their province of Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
. The Avars
Eurasian Avars
The Eurasian Avars or Ancient Avars were a highly organized nomadic confederacy of mixed origins. They were ruled by a khagan, who was surrounded by a tight-knit entourage of nomad warriors, an organization characteristic of Turko-Mongol groups...
and the Croats
Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
settled Senj in the 7th century (AD).
The Senj Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
was established in 1169. Croatian-Hungarian
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
king Bela III gave the town to the Templars
Knights Templar
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple or simply as Templars, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders...
in 1184, and in 1271 it became the property of the counts of Krk
Krk
Krk is a Croatian island in the northern Adriatic Sea, located near Rijeka in the Bay of Kvarner and part of the Primorje-Gorski Kotar county....
, the Frankopan
Frankopan
The Frankopans are a Croatian noble family. Also called Frankapan, Frangepán in Hungarian, and Frangipani in Italian.The Frankopan family is the leading princely Croatian aristocratic family which dates back to the 12th Century and even earlier to Roman times...
s.
In 1248 the bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of Senj was allowed by the Pope Innocent IV
Pope Innocent IV
Pope Innocent IV , born Sinibaldo Fieschi, was pope from June 25, 1243 until his death in 1254.-Early life:...
to use the Glagolitic alphabet
Glagolitic alphabet
The Glagolitic alphabet , also known as Glagolitsa, is the oldest known Slavic alphabet. The name was not coined until many centuries after its creation, and comes from the Old Slavic glagolъ "utterance" . The verb glagoliti means "to speak"...
and the vernacular language
Croatian language
Croatian is the collective name for the standard language and dialects spoken by Croats, principally in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serbian province of Vojvodina and other neighbouring countries...
in liturgy. A Glagolitic printing press
Printing press
A printing press is a device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a print medium , thereby transferring the ink...
was set up in 1494, and produced the incunabula "The Glagolic Missal" and "Spovid općena".
The military captaincy of Senj was established in 1469 in order to defend from the invading Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
and Venetian
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
armies, and the town sheltered thousands of refugees from the nearby occupied areas. The fortress Nehaj was completed on the hill
Hill
A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills often have a distinct summit, although in areas with scarp/dip topography a hill may refer to a particular section of flat terrain without a massive summit A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills...
Nehaj
Nehaj
Nehaj is the name of the hill that is found above the center of the town of Senj in Croatia.The name Nehaj comes from the Croatian term Ne hajati which means Don't care....
in 1558 that in that time was beside the town. This hill is today in the towns borders. The wars with the Ottomans
Ottoman wars in Europe
The wars of the Ottoman Empire in Europe are also sometimes referred to as the Ottoman Wars or as Turkish Wars, particularly in older, European texts.- Rise :...
lasted well into the 17th century. In that time in Senj lived uskoci, that where a tribe that dwelled in the fortress Nehaj. For the wars with the Ottomans they were important because they were small units of men rowing swift boats, and so they proved to be very efficient guerrilla
Guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...
forces.
The 18th century brought some prosperity, especially with the construction of the Josephina
Josephina (road)
The Josephina is a historic road in Croatia that connects Senj and thus the Adriatic coast and Karlovac and the Pannonian plain...
(named after Emperor Joseph II) linking the Adriatic coast via Senj to Karlovac
Karlovac
Karlovac is a city and municipality in central Croatia. The city proper has a population of 49,082, while the municipality has a population of 59,395 inhabitants .Karlovac is the administrative centre of Karlovac County...
. The railway line built in 1873 between Fiume (Rijeka
Rijeka
Rijeka is the principal seaport and the third largest city in Croatia . It is located on Kvarner Bay, an inlet of the Adriatic Sea and has a population of 128,735 inhabitants...
) and Karlovac didn't go past Senj and this deterred its further development.
In the fall of 1943, during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, when Fascist Italy
Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state...
capitulated, the Partisans
Partisans (Yugoslavia)
The Yugoslav Partisans, or simply the Partisans were a Communist-led World War II anti-fascist resistance movement in Yugoslavia...
took control of Senj and used it as a supply port. Subsequently, the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
started bombarding the city. By the end of the year they had demolished over one half of the city buildings as well as caused numerous civilian casualties.
Climate
Senj have temperate climate which is usually described as temperate Oceanic or Marine west coast, with mild, windy winters and relatively dry and warm summers. According to the Koeppen climate classification it falls within a cool, dry-summer subtropical zone (Csb), with cool-summer Mediterranean characteristics such as its usually dry summers.Economy
Modern Senj is a seaside tourist town. Primary occupations are fishing, boating, and tourism.The municipality of Senj
Bunica
The Bunica river is a short river in Bosnia and Herzegovina and a left bank tributary of the Buna. Its source , located under sharp cliffs between two villages Hodbina and Malo Polje, 14 km south from Mostar. It is very deep and strong karstic spring, very hard to access. Together with the Buna...
, Crni Kal
Crni Kal
Črni Kal is a village in southwestern Slovenia in the Municipality of Koper. It is best known today for the Črni Kal viaduct, the highest bridge in the Slovenia.-Overview:The village has some good examples of traditional Karst architecture...
, Jablanac, Klada, Krasno
Krasno
Krasno may refer to:* Krasno, Croatia* Krasno, Russia, a village in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, Russia* Krasno, Slovenia...
, Krivi Put
Krivi Put
Krivi Put is a village located in a forested area near Senj, in Lika-Senj County, Croatia. The name of the settlement means "wriggly way".Krivi Put is one of the most famous resorts in the Bunjevci-populated areas: its earliest settlers founded the village in 1605, favouring it as good grazing land...
, Lukovo, Melnice, Mrzli Dol, Pijavica, Podbilo, Prizna
Prizna
Prizna is a port village in Croatia. It is connected by the D406 highway and by ferry....
, Senj, Senjska Draga, Starigrad
Starigrad (Senj)
Starigrad is a small village near Senj, Croatia. It is connected by the D8 highway....
, Stinica, Stolac, Sveta Jelena
Sveta Jelena
Sveta Jelena is a historic medieval site in Međimurje County, northern Croatia.Originally a distinct settlement, Sveta Jelena is part of the Šenkovec municipality, about two kilometres away from Čakovec to the north. The site is well known for its Pauline monastery of Sveta Jelena and associated...
, Sveti Juraj, Velike Brisnice, Veljun Primorski, Volarice, Vrataruša, Vratnik i Vrzići.
Population
Administrative unit city of Senj has 8,132 inhabitants.Population by nationality:
- CroatsCroatsCroats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
7,869 (96.77%) - AlbaniansAlbaniansAlbanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
155 (1.91%) - others 108 (2.32%)
Notable people
- Eugen KvaternikEugen KvaternikEugen Kvaternik was a Croatian politician and revolutionary. Kvaternik and Ante Starčević formed the original Croatian Party of Rights together....
- Ivan Paskvić
- Vjenceslav NovakVjenceslav NovakVjenceslav Novak was a Croatian Realist writer and dramatist.He was born into an emigrant Czech family, of which his mother was from an emigrant Bavarian family. He was the most successful Croatian realist writer and was known as the Croatian Balzac. He finished elementary and middle school in...
- Silvije Strahimir KranjčevićSilvije Strahimir KranjcevicSilvije Strahimir Kranjčević was a Croatian poet. His reflexive poetry, reaching its zenith in the 1890s, was a turning point that ushered modern themes in Croatian poetry.-Early life:...
- Milutin Cihlar Nehajev
- Pavao Ritter VitezovićPavao Ritter VitezovicPavao Ritter Vitezović was a noted Croatian writer, historian, linguist and publisher.-Early life:Pavao Ritter Vitezović was born in Senj to a family of a frontier soldier. His father was descended from a German immigrant from Alsace, and his mother was Croatian...
- Mirko Ožegović Barlabaševački
- Nikola JurišićNikola JurišicBaron Nikola Jurišić was a Croatian nobleman, soldier, and diplomat, who led the armies of the territory of the Croatian Krajina in defense against the invasion of the Ottoman Empire under Suleiman I, advancing towards Vienna.After the Battle of Mohács in 1526, Jurisic's vote helped Ferdinand of...
- Milan MogušMilan Moguš-Biography:He is born in Senj, where he finished primary school and high school. In the academic year 1948/49 he attended in Faculty of Philosophy in Zagreb and he graduated in 1953...
- Ivan Đalma Marković
- Ante Glavičić
- Sandra ŠarićSandra ŠaricSandra Šarić is a Croatian taekwondo athlete. Representing Croatia at the 2003 World Taekwondo Championships in Garmisch Partenkirchen, Germany, she won the silver medal in the welterweight division, losing to 2000 Olympic champion Lee Sun-Hee of South Korea in the final...
- Vladimir ĆopićVladimir CopicVladimir Ćopić - Senjko was a Croatian communist, one of the leaders of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia. During the Spanish Civil War, in the period from 1937 to mid-1938, he was the commander of the XV International Brigade....
Twin cities
KőszegKoszeg
----Kőszeg is a town in Vas county, Hungary. The town is famous for its historical character.- History :The origins of the only free royal town in the historical garrison county of Vas go back to the third quarter of the 13th century...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
Vratimov
Vratimov
Vratimov is a town in Ostrava-City District, Moravian-Silesian Region, Czech Republic. It has a population of 6,712 and lies in the historical region of Cieszyn Silesia.There is a Catholic Saint John the Baptist Church in the town.- External links :...
, Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
Wieluń
Wielun
Wieluń is a city in central Poland with 24,347 inhabitants . Situated in the Łódź Voivodeship , it was previously in Sieradz Voivodeship .- History :...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
Sorbiers
Sorbiers
Sorbiers may refer to the following places in France:* Sorbiers, Hautes-Alpes, a commune in the department of Hautes-Alpes* Sorbiers, Loire, a commune in the department of Loire...
, France Senec, Slovakia
Senec, Slovakia
Senec is a town in the Bratislava Region of south-western Slovakia. It is a well known summer tourism and recreation center. The town is attractive not only because of the proximity of Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, but also because of the healthy environment and summer resort "Slnečné...
Parndorf
Parndorf
Parndorf is a town in the district of Neusiedl am See in Burgenland in Austria....
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
Vrbovec
Vrbovec
Vrbovec is city in Zagreb county, Croatia, lying to the northeast of the capital Zagreb.-Geography:The town of Vrbovec lies to the north-east of Zagreb, either along the highway A4 , and then B28 expressway Vrbovec is city in Zagreb county, Croatia, lying to the northeast of the capital...
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...