Croats of Italy
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Croats The Croats (; hr, Hrvati ) are a South Slavic ethnic group who share a common Croatian ancestry, culture, history and language. They are also a recognized minority in a number of neighboring countries, namely Austria, the Czech Republic ...
form a part of the permanent population of
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
( hr, Hrvati u Italiji). Traditionally, there is an autochthonous community in the
Molise it, Molisano (man) it, Molisana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 ...
region known as the
Molise Croats Molise Croats ( hr, Moliški Hrvati) or Molise Slavs ( it, Slavo-molisani, Slavi del Molise) are a Croat community in the Molise province of Campobasso of Italy, which constitutes the majority in the three villages of Acquaviva Collecroce (''Kr ...
, but there are many other Croats living in or associated with Italy through other means. In 2010, persons with Croatian citizenship in Italy numbered 21,079.


Analysis

Croats of Italy could mean any of the following: *Molise Croats - a long-established Croatian population in the
Molise it, Molisano (man) it, Molisana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 ...
region. *Ethnic Croats to have relocated to Italy from any region to which Croats may be autochthonous (e.g.
Republic of Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = " Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capi ...
,
Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and ...
and other countries).


Molise Croats

Molise Croats Molise Croats ( hr, Moliški Hrvati) or Molise Slavs ( it, Slavo-molisani, Slavi del Molise) are a Croat community in the Molise province of Campobasso of Italy, which constitutes the majority in the three villages of Acquaviva Collecroce (''Kr ...
, who were the first Croats to settle in Italy, at the time of the Ottoman expansion in the Balkans, are one of the linguistic minority officially recognised by the Italian Republic. They achieved protection as a minority on 5 November 1996 by an agreement signed between Croatia and Italy. According to 2001 census, there were 2,801 Molise Croats, of which 813 lived in San Felice del Molise ( hr, Štifilić; Filić), 800 in Acquaviva Collecroce ( hr, Kruč) and 468 in Montemitro ( hr, Mundimitar). The number of Molise Croats is in decline.


Associations, publications and media

In the region of
Molise it, Molisano (man) it, Molisana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 ...
, there is the Federation of Croatian-Molise Cultural Associations which unifies the Association "Luigi Zara", the Foundation "Agostina Piccoli", the Association "Naš život" ( en, Our Life) and the Association "Naš grad" ( en, Our Town). The main association of all Croats of Italy is the Alliance of Croatian Associations as founded in 2001; this association consists of: the Croatian-Italian Association of Rome, the Croatian Union of Milano, the Croatian Union of Trieste, the Croatian Union of Venetia, the Croatian-Italian Association of Udine and the Association "Luigi Zara". Also, the Club of Friends of Croatia is active in Milano. A Croatian organization that has a longer history in Italy is the
Pontifical Croatian College of St. Jerome The Pontifical Croatian College of St. Jerome ( hr, Papinski hrvatski zavod svetog Jeronima; it, Pontificio Collegio Croato Di San Girolamo a Roma; la, Pontificium Collegium Croaticum Sancti Hieronymi) is a Catholic college, church and a society ...
, a Catholic college. Known as the ''Collegium Hieronymianum Illyricorum'' (
Illyria In classical antiquity, Illyria (; grc, Ἰλλυρία, ''Illyría'' or , ''Illyrís''; la, Illyria, ''Illyricum'') was a region in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula inhabited by numerous tribes of people collectively known as the Illyr ...
n Hieronymian College; ''San Girolamo degli Illirici'' in Italian) since 1902, the college served Croatian Catholics, before being renamed ''Pontificium Collegium Chroaticum Sancti Hieronymi'' (''Pontifical Croatian College of St. Jerome'') in 1971. Another Croatian Catholic organizations in Italy is the Domus Croata "Dr. Ivan Merz", an organization of Croatian pilgrims. The Foundation "Agostina Piccoli" and the Association "Naš život" are issuing the bilingual magazine "Riča živa/Parola viva" ( en, Living Word), while the Alliance of Croatian Associations prints also the bilingual magazine "Insieme" ( hr, Zajedno, en, Together).


Famous Croats of Italy and Italians with Croatian ancestry

* Lidia Bastianich, celebrity chef, television host, author, and restaurateur. *
Saša Bjelanović Saša Bjelanović (; born 11 June 1979) is a Croatian retired footballer who played as a striker. He has held an Italian passport since 2007, as his grandmother was from Trieste, Venezia Giulia; this made him eligible to acquire Italian nationa ...
, Croatian footballer * Antonio Blasevich, footballer and coach *
Michael Bublé Michael Steven Bublé ( ; born September 9, 1975) is a Canadian singer. A four-time Grammy Award winner, he is often credited for helping to renew public interest and appreciation for traditional pop standards and the Great American Songboo ...
, Canadian singer and record producer whose ancestors were Croats from Italy * Giulio Clovio, Croatian painter * Matthaeus Ferchius, Italian-Croatian theologian *
Gino Gardassanich Gino Gard, born Gino Gardassanich ( hr, Gardašanić); (November 26, 1922 – February 12, 2010) was a soccer goalkeeper who was a member of the United States team at the 1950 FIFA World Cup. He was born in Fiume, Free State of Fiume and died in ...
, American footballer * William Klinger, late Italian historian * Giovanni Martinolich, late Italian chess master * Denis Majstorovic, Italian rugby player *
Predrag Matvejević Predrag Matvejević (7 October 1932 – 2 February 2017) was a Bosnian and Croatian writer and scholar. A literature scholar who taught at universities in Zagreb, Paris and Rome, he is best known for his 1987 non-fiction book ''Mediterranean: A ...
, Croatian writer *
Nina Morić Nina Morić (22-07-1976) is a Croatian-Italian fashion model. She became an Italian citizen after her marriage with photojournalist Fabrizio Corona. Biography Morić was born in Zagreb into an upper-middle class household. After finishing hig ...
, model *
Nikola Radulović Nikola Radulović (born 26 April 1973) is a Croatian-born Italian former professional basketball player. He was born in Croatia but later gained Italian citizenship and played for the Italian national basketball team. Professional career Radulo ...
, Italian basketball player * Max Romih, late Italian chess master *
Antonio Smareglia Antonio Smareglia (5 May 1854 – 15 April 1929) was an Italians, Italian opera composer. Life Antonio Smareglia was born in Pula, Pola (in the Istrian peninsula, under the Austria-Hungary, Austria-Hungarian Empire, now in Croatia). In the house ...
, late Italian opera composer born in Pula to an Italian father and a Croatian mother *
Uros Vico Uros Vico ( hr, Uroš Vico, ; born 19 February 1981) is a Croatian-born Italian retired tennis player. Vico had a career high ATP Tour singles ranking of World No.166, achieved on 26 July 2004. He also had a career high ATP Tour doubles rank ...
, Italian tennis player *
Antonio Vojak Antonio Vojak (, ; 19 November 1904 – 9 May 1975) was an Italian footballer who played as a striker or midfielder. His playing career was played out during the 1920s and 1930s. He is most noted for his time with Italian sides Juventus and N ...
, Italian footballer * Oliviero Vojak, Italian footballer


See also

* Croatia–Italy relations *
Croats The Croats (; hr, Hrvati ) are a South Slavic ethnic group who share a common Croatian ancestry, culture, history and language. They are also a recognized minority in a number of neighboring countries, namely Austria, the Czech Republic ...
*
List of Croats The following is a list of prominent individuals who are or were Croatian citizens or of Croatian ancestry. Art Architecture * Viktor Axmann – architect, Jewish * Nikola Bašić – architect * Vjekoslav Bastl – architect * Julio ...


References

{{Croatian diaspora
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
Ethnic groups in Italy