Vrlika

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Vrlika
Vrlika (Croatia)
Vrlika
Vrlika
Vrlika (Croatia)
County Split-Dalmatia County
Latitude 43.55°N
Longitude 16.24°E
Mayor Ivan Ćorić (HDZ)
Surface (km²) 237,73
Population
(2001)		 2,705
Time zone (UTC) UTC+1 Central European Time

Coordinates: 43°55′N, 16°24′E

Vrlika is a small town and municipality in inland Dalmatia, Croatia. The closest large towns are Sinj, Knin, and Drniš. Vrlika town has a population of 959 while the municipality has a population of 2705 (91.94% Croats, 4.04% Serbs, 4.02% other).[1] By mother tongue, there are 2,670 (98.71%) Croatian speakers, 16 (0.59%) Serbian speakers and 19 (0.70%) speakers of other languages.[2] Vrlika was given the status of city in 1997.[3]

Contents

History

Prior to the arrival of the Croats, the Dalmatae are said to have lived in the region.[4] The known history of Vrlika begins in the 7th century when the South Slavs moved there and formed a village on the spring of the river Cetina, in a field below the mountain Dinara.[5]

The nearby town of Prozor was garrisoned by the Croatian noble Hrvoje Vukčić during the early 15th century.[6] During the medieval period Vrlika, as with the rest of the Balkans experienced the invasion and subsequent occupation by the Ottoman Empire. During the Ottoman rule the local population of Vrlika was forced to convert to Islam or forced to leave. Many of the original settlers from Vrlika left for the island Olib in the Adriatic sea off the Croatian coast.[citation needed] In the late 17th century, the town was liberated from the Ottomans by the Republic of Venice as a result of the Morean War.[7][8] Locally, the uprising against the Ottomans was led by fra Josip Bogić.[8]

The town was occupied by the so-called Republic of Serbian Krajina on August 26, 1991.[9] Soon after, the non-Serb population was expelled from the area.[10] As part of Operation Storm it was liberated by the Croatian Army on August 6, 1995.[9]

Local government

The current city council of Vrlika has the following composition:[11]

Culture

Vrlika has a local branch of the Croatian cultural organization Matica hrvatska, as well as the Croatian Disabled Homeland War Veterans Association.[12][13] Vrlika also has a folklore ensemble KUD "Milan Begović".[14] From Vrlika originates the well-known folklore dance, Vrličko Kolo.[15]

Religion in Vrlika

Church of Sveti Spas (9th century)

Built during the reign of Croatian prince Branimir in the IX century, by župan Gostiha of Cetina, near Vrlika, then called Vrh Rike. This church is one of the most important in Croatia, as it is the only pre-schism churches constructed with a bell tower which is still standing [1]. 1,026 Old-Croatian[16] ancient graves of great archaeological interest have been found in the vicinity of the church indicating that the culture of that time was under the influence of the Frankish Empire.[citation needed]

Monastery Dragović (1395)

Monastery Dragović (Serbian: Манастир Драговић) was founded by Serbian Orthodox inhabitants in 1395 while Vrlika was ruled by Bosnia. Monastary Dragović is situated on a hill downstream the Cetina River not far from Vrlika.[17]

Serbian Orthodox Church (1618)

In 1618, the Serbian Orthodox church dedicated to Saint Nicholas (Serbian: Храм Св. Оца Николаја) [18] [19] was built by the Serbian Orthodox inhabitants in and around Vrlika, where it still stands today. The church of St. Nicholas in Vrlika was badly damaged and desecrated during the recent Yugoslav Wars. [20]

Croatian Roman Catholic Parish Church (1898)

A shot of Vrlika with the Serbian Orthodox church Sv Nikola and fortress Prozor.
A shot of Vrlika with the Serbian Orthodox church Sv Nikola and fortress Prozor.

The Roman Catholic parish church in Vrlika dedicated to the Nativity of the Virgin Mary (Croatian: Župna crkva Gospe Ružarice) was built from the year 1876 to 1898. This simple stone church dominates the Vrlika centre square. During the Second World War, the Catholic church in Vrlika sustained significant damage. In the front of the church a bronze bust dedicated to Filip Grabovac, born in the nearby village of Vinalić and who died in Venice, Italy as a Croatian national hero. The exterior dimensions of the parish church is 27x10,30 metres. The holy day of Gospe Ružarice, the protector of the Vrlika Catholic community is celebrated annually during the first week of October. [21]

Notable People

Surrounding villages in the Vrlika municipality

Civljane / Cetina / Kosore / Vinalic / Podosoje / Jezevic / Koljane / Maovice / Stikovo / Garjak / Kukar / Otisic / Dabar / Vrdovo / Bracev Dolac

References

  1. ^ Population by Nationality, by Cities/Municipalities
  2. ^ Population by Mother Tongue, City/Municipality, 2001 Census
  3. ^ The FAME: Split and Dalmatia County - Cities
  4. ^ From the History of Omiš Krajina and Poljica
  5. ^ grad Vrlika - Povijest
  6. ^ Vrlika
  7. ^ Croats and the Ottoman Empire
  8. ^ a b History of Visovac
  9. ^ a b Vrlika Liberated
  10. ^ Hague: Investigation into suicide of Milan Babić in his cell
  11. ^ City government
  12. ^ Vrlika
  13. ^ Croatian Disabled Homeland War Veterans Association Vrlika
  14. ^ KUD "Milan Begović" - Vrlika
  15. ^ KUD Jedinstvo Split
  16. ^ Srednji vijek
  17. ^ Manastir Dragović
  18. ^ Pravoslavne crkve u sjevernoj Dalmaciji
  19. ^ Namjesništvo Splitsko
  20. ^ Novosti
  21. ^ grad Vrlika - RKT Župni ured

External links

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