Šibenik
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| Šibenik | |||
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  Šibenik
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| Coordinates: | |||
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| Country | Croatia | ||
| County | Šibenik-Knin County | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | Nedjeljka Klarić (HDZ) | ||
| Population (2006)[1] | |||
| - Total | 51,553 | ||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
| Postal code | 22000 | ||
| Website: sibenik.hr | |||
Šibenik is a historic town in Croatia, population 51,553 (2001). It is located in central Dalmatia where the river Krka flows into the Adriatic Sea. Located at , Šibenik is a political, educational, transport, industrial and tourist center of Šibenik-Knin county.
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[edit] History
Šibenik was mentioned for the first time under its present name in 1066 in a Charter of the Croatian King Petar Krešimir IV. For a period of time, it was a seat of the Croatian King. For that reason, Šibenik is also called "Krešimirov grad" (Krešimir's city). Unlike other Dalmatian towns that were founded by the Illyrians, Greeks, and Romans, it is the oldest native Croatian town on the eastern shores of the Adriatic.
Šibenik was given the status of a town and its own diocese in 1298. Excavations of the castle of Saint Michael have since proven that the place was inhabited long before the actual arrival of the Croats. The city, like the rest of Dalmatia, resisted the Venetians up to 1412. The Ottoman Empire started to threaten Šibenik at the end of the 15th century, but they never succeeded in conquering it. In the 16th century, the fortress of St. Nicholas was built and, by the 17th century, its fortifications were improved again by the fortresses of St. John (Tanaja) and Šubićevac (Barone).
The fall of the Venetian Republic in 1797 brought Šibenik under the authority of the Habsburg Monarchy. After World War I, Šibenik became a part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, while during World War II it was occupied by Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany. After WWII it became a part of the SFR Yugoslavia until Croatia declared independence in 1991.
During the Croatian War of Independence, Šibenik was heavily attacked by the Yugoslav National Army and Serbian paramilitary troops. Although under-armed, the nascent Croatian army and the people of Šibenik managed to defend the city. The battle lasted for six days (September 16-22) is often referred to as the "September battle". The bombings damaged numerous buildings and monuments, including the dome of the cathedral and the 1870-built theatre building.
In an August 1995 military operation, the Croatian army defeated Serbian forces and freed the occupied areas, which created the basic conditions for its post-war recovery and allowed the region to continue to develop as the centre of Šibenik-Knin county.
[edit] Main sights
The central church in Šibenik, the Cathedral of St. Jacob, is on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
Several successive architects built it completely in stone in the 15th and 16th centuries, both in Gothic and in Renaissance style. The interlocking stone slabs of the Cathedral's roof were damaged when the city was shelled by Serbian forces in 1991. The damage has since been repaired.
[edit] Culture and events
The annual Šibenik International Children's Festival (Međunarodni Dječji Festival) takes place every summer.
The composer Jakov Gotovac founded the city's "Philharmonia Society" in 1922. The composer Franz von Suppé was part of the city's cultural fabric, as he was a native of nearby Split.
[edit] Population
Šibenik's town population is estimated to be 37,124 as of 2007.[2] In the 2001 census, population of the town was 37,060 while the population of the municipality was 51,553. The majority of its citizens are Croats, with 94.02% (2001 census).
[edit] Twin towns
[edit] Notable people
- St. Nikola Tavelić, first Croatian saint
- Faust Vrančić, inventor
- Antun Vrančić, writer
- Natale Bonifazio, woodcarver
- Giorgio Orsini, architect and sculptor
- Roberto Ferruzzi, painter
- Krešimir Baranović, composer and conducter
- Ester Mazzoleni, opera singer
- Mišo Kovač, singer
- Arsen Dedić, musician
- Niccolò Tommaseo, Italian linguist and journalist
- Roberto de Visiani, botanist
- Angelo Antonio Frari, famous physician, epidemiologist, historian of medicine, and protomedicus of Venice
- Dražen Petrović, basketball player
- Ivo Brešan writer
- Goran Višnjić, actor, best known for his role on ER).
- Branko Grgić, former president of Hajduk Split
- Perica Bukić, former water polo player and politician
- Maksim Mrvica, pianist
- Ante Rukavina, football player
- Gordon Schildenfeld, football player
- Anthony Maglica, inventor
[edit] External links
- Official Šibenik City Council website
- CroTouristica.com - Šibenik tourist info
- Šibenik Foto Gallery
- Šibenik on-line
- Historic centre of Šibenik at night - Foto Gallery
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