Omiš

Omiš
Municipality and town
Omiš

Location of Omiš in Croatia

Omiš

Location of Omiš in Split-Dalmatia County

Coordinates: 43°26′N 16°41′E / 43.433°N 16.683°E
Country  Croatia
County Split-Dalmatia County
Area
 • Total 103 sq mi (266 km2)
Population (2011)
 • Total 14,936
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Cetina River bridge

Coordinates: 43°26′N 16°41′E / 43.433°N 16.683°E

Omiš (pronounced [ɔ̌miːʃ], Latin and Italian: Almissa) is a town and port in the Dalmatia region of Croatia, and is a municipality in the Split-Dalmatia County. The town is situated approximately 25 kilometres (16 miles) south-east of Croatia's second largest city, Split. Its location is where the emerald-green Cetina River[1] meets the Adriatic Sea (Croatian: Jadransko More). Omiš municipality has a population of 14,936[2] and its area is 266 square kilometres (103 sq mi).

Name

It is supposed that the name of this city, Omiš, developed from the Slavic Holm, Hum as a translation from the Illyrian - Greek word Onaion, Oneon, meaning "hill" or "place on the hill", but there is also the possibility that the name of the settlement Onaeum was derived from the name of the river which was called Nestos by the Greek colonists in its lower flow, during Antiquity.

Latin names during Ancient Rome were Onaeum, Oeneum, Alminium, and Almissum. During Medieval times the name was recorded as Olmissium, Almiyssium and from the end of the 15th century, when the city fell to the authority of Venetian Republic, its name was the Italian Almissa.[3]

History

Omiš was well known in the past by the Corsairs of Almissa (Omiški gusari)[4] whose Sagittas (ships) (Genitive case: Sagittae, translated as The Arrow), brought fame to them because they were built for attack and fast retrieval into the mouth of the Cetina River, protecting the town from foreign invaders. At a very early date, neighbours of the Corsairs of Almissa, the highlanders of the Poljica Principality [5] (Poljička Republika), became their friends and allies. This allowed them to harass the seaborne trade, without fear of a sudden attack from inland.

Omiš Historical Coat of Arms from year 1541.

In the Priko neighborhood, on the right bank of the Cetina River, stands the site with the most historic significance: the pre-Romanesque Church of St. Peter (Crkva Sv. Petra) from the tenth century A.D. This single-naved edifice, with a cupola and apse, was used in the 18th century as a Glagolithic seminary for novice priests.

Economy

Today, Omiš's economy is based on farming, fishing, textile and food-processing industries and tourism.

Settlements

Within the limits of the town lie the following settlements:[2]

  • Blato na Cetini, population 465
  • Borak, population 158
  • Čelina, population 222
  • Čisla, population 302
  • Donji Dolac, population 373
  • Dubrava, population 300
  • Gata, population 567
  • Gornji Dolac, population 119
  • Kostanje, population 605
  • Kučiće, population 607
  • Lokva Rogoznica, population 397
  • Marušići, population 151
  • Mimice, population 216
  • Naklice, population 236
  • Nova Sela, population 224
  • Omiš, population 6,462
  • Ostrvica, population 196
  • Pisak, population 202
  • Podašpilje, population 20
  • Podgrađe, population 280
  • Putišići, population 46
  • Seoca, population 140
  • Slime, population 270
  • Smolonje, population 79
  • Srijane, population 270
  • Stanići, population 534
  • Svinišće, population 98
  • Trnbusi, population 162
  • Tugare, population 885
  • Zakučac, population 148
  • Zvečanje, population 202

Tourist attractions

Pirate battle 2009 / Click to enlarge

The Omiš Riviera stretches for twenty kilometers (12 miles) along a coast of exceptional beauty, with many perfect pebble, sandy beaches, bays, steep cliffs and a crystal clear sea. The mood is caught in an inscription on the lintel of a Renaissance palace in Omiš: "GRATIAS AGO TIBI DOMINE QUIA FUI IN HOC MUNDO" (Thanks be to Thee o Lord, that I have lived on this Earth). The destinations of Radmanove Mlinice and the Gubavica waterfalls (Velika and Mala Gubavica) are also points of interest. Radmanove Mlinice, located five kilometers (3.1 miles) up to the canyon of Cetina River, is an excursion/picnic place famous for bread baked under an iron lid (peka) and for fresh trout that can be caught from the river.

The Cetina River is a great place for those who like active holidays (white water rafting, canoeing and kayaking). Recreational activities, in Omiš, also include: free climbing, cycling, tennis, football (soccer), basketball, 9-pin bowling, bocce, paragliding, beach volleyball, windsurfing, water-skiing, sea kayaking, waterpolo and scuba diving.

Culture

Omiš Festival of Dalmatian a cappella singing groups / Click to enlarge

Omiš is best known for the traditional klapa music festival - Festival of the Dalmatian a cappella singing groups.[6][7] This festival is the highlight of Omiš's summer, the expression of the town's beauty. Omiš's Summer Festival - during which various concerts and recitals are performed - takes place at the plazas and in churches.

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

Omiš is twinned with:

References

  1. ↑ Footprint Croatia By Jane Foster
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Population by Age and Sex, by Settlements, 2011 Census: Omiš". Census of Population, Households and Dwellings 2011. Zagreb: Croatian Bureau of Statistics. December 2012.
  3. ↑ "Povijest Grada Omiša" (in Croatian). Retrieved 8 April 2014.
  4. ↑ Frommer's Croatia with Your Family: From Idyllic Islands to Medieval Towns by Jos Simon
  5. ↑ The Late Medieval Balkans by John V. A. Fine Jr.
  6. ↑ Mediterranean Mosaic: Popular Music and Global Sounds by Goffredo Plastino
  7. ↑ www.fdk.hr/indexeng

Bibliography

External links

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Omiš.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Omiš.