Page 42 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Croatia

40  INTRODUCING CRO A TIA

Anjou, of the Neapolitan royal family, came
to the throne. Under the Angevin dynasty,
with Matthias Corvinus (1458–90), the
Hungarian-Croatian kingdom enjoyed long
periods of prosperity, competing with Venice
for possession of the coast and Adriatic
islands. However, a Turkish invasion was
imminent and after the battle of Kosovo
The Republic of Ragusa in a contemporary illustration Polje in 1389, the Turks conquered nearby
Bosnia and part of Serbia. In 1463, the Sultan
The Republic of Ragusa Mohammed II began to invade Croatia from
The story of the city of Dubrovnik, for a Bosnia. The Croatian army was defeated in
long time known as Ragusa, takes up an 1493 at the battle of Krbavsko Polje. In the
entire chapter in Croatia’s history. The city Battle of Mohács, on 29 August 1526, the
was founded by exiles from Epidaurum, Hungarian king, Louis II, died without heirs,
which had been destroyed by the Avars. It leaving the way clear for the Turks of
became an important trading port, thanks Suleyman II the Magnificent to conquer
to its central position in the Adriatic and almost all of Croatia and much of Hungary.
its safe mooring. In 1205, it came under
Venetian rule. This lasted for 150 years and
resulted in the city’s current appearance. In
1358, Hungary’s Louis I of Anjou defeated
the Venetians and reunited the Croatian
territories, but in 1382 Ragusa bought its
freedom by means of a treaty with the king
of Hungary. It became an independent
republic and flourished as a great power
and a thriving spiritual and cultural centre.
In 1808, Napoleon Bonaparte’s troops
entered the city and the republic came
to an end.
Turkish Domination
The Kingdom of Hungary went through
a long period of dynastic crisis when the
house of Arpad died out after the death of
Andrew III in 1301. There were numerous
contenders for the crown, provoking fierce
battles until 1308 when Charles Robert of Ottoman army in the Battle of Mohács

1301–08 The Arpad dynasty 1527 The kingdom of Hungary and
dies out with the death of Croatia passes to the Habsburgs
Andrew III. After lengthy Silver coin
controversy, Charles Robert commemorating the 1526 King Louis II dies in the Battle of
of Anjou comes to the throne Battle of Mohács Mohács against the Turks
1300 1350 1400 1450 1500
1409 After a costly war against Sigismund 1493 Croatian troops are
of Habsburg, Ladislaus of Anjou becomes defeated at Krbavsko Polje by
king of Hungary and Croatia. He sells Jacub, a Pasha of Bosnia
Dalmatia to Venice
1520 Marko Marulić writes Judita, the
first work written in Croat

040-041_EW_Croatia.indd 40 20/10/16 12:31 pm
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
History Portrait template “UK” LAYER
(Source v1.2)
Date 20th August 2012
Size 125mm x 217mm