Škabrnja
Encyclopedia
Škabrnja is a village in northern Dalmatia
, Croatia
, located halfway between Zadar
and Benkovac
in the lowland region of Ravni Kotari. Its municipality is called Škabrnje, and it includes Škabrnja with a population of 1,424 as well as the smaller village of Prkos, population 348; 1,772 in total (census 2001). The total area of the municipality is 22.93 km².
family and located in the area around today's village cemetery.
The oldest two buildings in the village are the two Catholic churches: the church of St. Mary in the hamlet of Ambar, and the church of St. Luke at the village cemetery.
The church of St. Mary dates from the 11th century and is built from stone, forming a hexagonal shape, one of several such old Croatian churches from northern Dalmatian towns and villages. The church of St. Luke was built in the 13th century, with a Gothic
dome dated 1440. It has a single nave
which ends in an apsis
, as well as a bell tower which was also built later.
According to the census of 1991, Škabrnja was inhabited by 1,953 people in 397 households, and the vast majority of them were Croats
, there wasn't a single Serb resident. When the Croatia's Serbs rebelled in the Croatian War of Independence
, aiming to form Republic of Serbian Krajina
, Škabrnja was attacked by the Yugoslav People's Army
and Serb paramilitary
forces, resulting in the Škabrnja massacre
.
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....
, 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 ...
, located halfway between Zadar
Zadar
Zadar is a city in Croatia on the Adriatic Sea. It is the centre of Zadar county and the wider northern Dalmatian region. Population of the city is 75,082 citizens...
and Benkovac
Benkovac
Benkovac is a town and municipality in the interior of Zadar County, Croatia.- Geography :Benkovac is located where the plain of Ravni Kotari and the karstic plateau of Bukovica meet, 20 km from the town of Biograd na Moru and 30 km from Zadar. The Zagreb-Split motorway and Zadar-Knin...
in the lowland region of Ravni Kotari. Its municipality is called Škabrnje, and it includes Škabrnja with a population of 1,424 as well as the smaller village of Prkos, population 348; 1,772 in total (census 2001). The total area of the municipality is 22.93 km².
History
The first mention of "the forest of Škabrnje" dates from a medieval contract which mentions the village of Kamenjani located near Škabrnja. The village of Kamenjani itself was first mentioned in 1070, and the last time in 1700; it was a property of the ŠubićŠubic
The Šubić were one of the twelve tribes which constituted Croatian statehood in the Middle Ages; they held the county of Bribir in inland Dalmatia.-Origins:...
family and located in the area around today's village cemetery.
The oldest two buildings in the village are the two Catholic churches: the church of St. Mary in the hamlet of Ambar, and the church of St. Luke at the village cemetery.
The church of St. Mary dates from the 11th century and is built from stone, forming a hexagonal shape, one of several such old Croatian churches from northern Dalmatian towns and villages. The church of St. Luke was built in the 13th century, with a Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
dome dated 1440. It has a single nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
which ends in an apsis
Apse
In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
, as well as a bell tower which was also built later.
According to the census of 1991, Škabrnja was inhabited by 1,953 people in 397 households, and the vast majority of them were 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...
, there wasn't a single Serb resident. When the Croatia's Serbs rebelled in the Croatian War of Independence
Croatian War of Independence
The Croatian War of Independence was fought from 1991 to 1995 between forces loyal to the government of Croatia—which had declared independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia —and the Serb-controlled Yugoslav People's Army and local Serb forces, with the JNA ending its combat...
, aiming to form Republic of Serbian Krajina
Republic of Serbian Krajina
The Republic of Serbian Krajina was a self-proclaimed Serb entity within Croatia. Established in 1991, it was not recognized internationally. It formally existed from 1991 to 1995, having been initiated a year earlier via smaller separatist regions. The name Krajina means "frontier"...
, Škabrnja was attacked by the Yugoslav People's Army
Yugoslav People's Army
The Yugoslav People's Army , also referred to as the Yugoslav National Army , was the military of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.-Origins:The origins of the JNA can...
and Serb paramilitary
Paramilitary
A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
forces, resulting in the Škabrnja massacre
Škabrnja massacre
Škabrnja massacre was a war crime committed by Serb Army forces during the Croatian War of Independence. On November 18, 1991, Serb paramilitaries, supported by the JNA, captured the village of Škabrnja and killed 25 Prisoners of war and 61 civilians over the next several days.-Before the...
.
External links
- http://www.skabrnja.com/