Page 39 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Croatia

THE HIST OR Y OF CRO A TIA  37

Balkans and inflicted various defeats on the
Slavs, while at the same time trying to make
them part of the empire. The Byzantine fleet
was able to move the army rapidly and in
this way Greece, part of Macedonia and the
Dalmatian islands and cities were retaken.
Inland areas remained in Slav possession.
The Croats Foundations of one of the churches in Biskupija
At the beginning of the 7th century, perhaps
summoned by the Byzantine emperor Dalmatia. The area was divided into
Heraclius, the Croats, a Slavic people possibly counties which were entrusted to loyal
from what is now Iran, settled in upper nobles or bishops. The Aquileian patriarch
Pannonia and Dalmatia, mixing with the assumed particular importance for these
native Roman people or refugees from lands when, in the 9th century, he sent
the interior. In the 8th and 9th centuries, monks and priests from Byzantium to
the Croats set up territorial bases in the spread the gospel and convert the Croats
inland regions, while the coastal cities and to Christianity. Among the priests were
the islands were governed by Byzantine Cyril and Methodius, who devised the
officials with a fleet based in Zadar. In the Glagolitic script to spread the word in a
9th century, the Croats established a fledg- language intelligible to the Slavs.
ling state in a hilly area now called Biskupija
on the Dalmatian plateau, far from the The First Croatian Towns
Byzantine-controlled coast and away from During the 8th and early 9th centuries,
central Croatia, subject to the Franks. Several the first Croatian towns were built next
churches were built here and the small to the Byzantine-governed towns. Many
settlement was named Pet Crikvah. Recent (Dubrovnik, Zadar, Split and Trogir) were
archaeological digs have unearthed the inhabited by people of mainly Roman
foundations of religious origin. Biograd was
buildings. The finds are founded near Zadar, and
now in Split and Knin. the town of Knin was
repopulated by Croats
The Franks under Prince Višeslav. Later,
Towards the end of the 8th the city of Šibenik was
century the Franks, led by founded. In Pannonia, the
Charlemagne, succeeded in Roman town of Siscia (now
conquering what is now Sisak) and the town of Mursa
northern Croatia, Bohemia, The baptismal font of Prince Višeslav, (Osijek) were revived by
Istria, Slovenia and part of found near Nin Prince Vojnomir.

614 The Slavs and Avars
conquer and destroy Salona; the From 820 Croats found the cities
Roman population seeks refuge of Biograd, Šibenik and Knin;
in Split and the nearby islands Sinj and Osijek revive
500 600 700 800
Early 7th century The 799 Charlemagne defeats and subdues
Croats settle in upper Croats in Laurana (Lovran); beginning
Pannonia and Dalmatia of Croats’ conversion to Christianity.
Their cultural centre is in Aenona (Nin);
first writing in Croat appears Bust of Charlemagne
(742–814)

036-037_EW_Croatia.indd 37 20/10/16 12:31 pm