The following is a list of notable people who were born in the Croatian town of

Zadar Zadar ( , ; historically known as Zara (from Venetian and Italian: ); see also other names), is the oldest continuously inhabited Croatian city. It is situated on the Adriatic Sea, at the northwestern part of Ravni Kotari region. Zadar serv ...

. Zadar natives are referred to as ''Zadrani''. For people born in

Zadar County Zadar County ( hr, Zadarska županija ) is a county in Croatia, it encompasses northern Dalmatia and southeastern Lika. Its seat is the city of Zadar. Geography Among the largest towns in the county of Zadar are: Zadar, Benkovac, Bibinje, Bi ...

, see

List of people from Zadar County The following is a list of notable people from Zadar (Zara) and the geographical area corresponding to present-day Zadar County. Artists, musicians and actors * Steve Bacic (born 1965), actor * Nikola Bašić (born 1946), architect * Tomislav B ...

People from Zadar

A

* Ingrid Antičević-Marinović (born 1957), lawyer, politician, Minister of Justice, Public Administration and Local Self-government, justice of the Constitutional Court

B

* Silvio Ballarin (1901 – 1969), mathematician and university professor *

Juraj Baraković Juraj Baraković (1548 – August 1, 1628) was a Croatian Renaissance poet from Zadar. Baraković was born in the village of Plemići, Rtina. He wrote several distinguished pieces (''"Jarula"'', Venice 1618 - Old and New Testament in story ...

(1548–1628), poet *

Nikola Bašić Nikola Bašić (born 1946) is a Croatian architect internationally known for the conception of the Sea Organ in Zadar. He was born on the island Murter and eventually attended the gymnasium in Zadar. In Sarajevo, he graduated from the Faculty of A ...

(born 1946), architect *

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 ...

(born 1979), football player *

Sava Bjelanović Sava Bjelanović ( sr-cyr, Сава Бјелановић; 15 October 1850 – 1897) was a Dalmatian journalist and politician, the leader of the Serb People's Party in Dalmatia and one of the most prominent Dalmatian Serbs of the 19th century. ...

(1850–1897), politician and journalist * Spiridon Brusina (1845-1909), malacologist * Zoran Bujas (1910–2004), psychiatrist * Ante Bukvić, football player *

Marijan Buljat Marijan Buljat (born 12 September 1981, in Zadar) is a Croatian retired football player who last played as a wingback for Arbanasi Zadar. Club career Born in Zadar and a product of the NK Zadar academy, Buljat moved soon after finishing his yo ...

(born 1981), football player

C

Tullio Carminati Tullio Carminati (September 21, 1894 – February 26, 1971) was an Italian actor. He rose to fame in Italy and the United States initially as a silent film actor, starring in such films as '' The Duchess of Buffalo'' (1926), '' The Bat'' (1 ...

(1894–1971), actor * Stefan Cebara (born 1991), professional soccer player * Andrea Cippico (1877–1935), Italian senator *

Arturo Colautti Arturo Colautti ( Zara, 9 October 1851 – Rome, 9 November 1914) was an Italian journalist, polemicist and librettist. He was a strong supporter of Italian irredentism for his native Dalmatia. Biography Youth in Dalmatia Born in Zara, the ...

(1851–1914), journalist,

polemicist Polemic () is contentious rhetoric intended to support a specific position by forthright claims and to undermine the opposing position. The practice of such argumentation is called ''polemics'', which are seen in arguments on controversial topics ...

and librettist *

Igor Crnadak Igor Crnadak (born 28 July 1972) is a Bosnian Serb politician who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2015 to 2019. He is currently a member of the National Assembly of Republika Srpska. Crnadak is also a member of the Party of Democrati ...

(born 1972), politician *

Branko Culina Branko Culina (; born 1 October 1957 in Zadar, Socialist Republic of Croatia, FPR Yugoslavia) is a football (soccer) coach and former player. He previously managed Sydney FC and the Newcastle Jets in the A-League. Club career Culina was born in ...

(born 1957), football player and trainer * Čika (died 1095), founder of the Benedictine monastery of St. Mary * Hrvoje Ćustić (1983–2008), football player

D

* Renzo de' Vidovich (born 1934), politician, historian and journalist *

Vladan Desnica Vladan Desnica ( sr-cyr, Владан Десница; 17 September 1905 – 4 March 1967) was a Yugoslav writer and translator. Life He was born in Zadar, Austria-Hungary to Uroš Desnica (von Desnica), a politician from the noble Orthodox Serbia ...

(1905–1967), writer * Valter Dešpalj (1947-2023), cellist and music professor * Natali Dizdar (born 1984), singer * Donatus of Zadar, Catholic saint and bishop

G

* Giorgio da Sebenico (1410–1475), sculptor and architect * Gjon Rënësi, Albanian rebel (1567-1624) *

Mladen Grdović Mladen Grdović (born 28 July 1958) is a Croatian pop singer. Biography Originally from the city of Zadar, he began to start singing in his hometown of Zadar, he is a well-known author of many articles in Croatia. Only in Croatia, in the opus ...

(born 1958), singer

H

Helen of Zadar Helen of Zadar ( hr, Jelena) (died 8 October 976), also known as Helen the Glorious, was the queen consort of the Kingdom of Croatia, as the wife of King Michael Krešimir II, from 946 to 969, a period which was marked by "peace, order and exped ...

(?-976), queen consort of the

Kingdom of Croatia Kingdom of Croatia may refer to: * Kingdom of Croatia (925–1102), an independent medieval kingdom * Croatia in personal union with Hungary (1102–1526), a kingdom in personal union with the Kingdom of Hungary * Kingdom of Croatia (Habsburg) (152 ...

I

Tomislav Ivčić Tomislav Ivčić (6 January 1953 – 4 March 1993) was a Croatian pop singer, songwriter and politician. He died in a car accident and is buried in Zagreb at the Mirogoj Cemetery. A native of Zadar, Tomislav Ivčić became one of the most pop ...

(1953–1993), singer and composer

J

Jakov Varingez Jakov Varingez (c. 1400 – 27 April 1485 or 1496), also known as Giacomo Illirico, Giacomo of Bitetto or in English James of Sclavonia, was a Croatian Roman Catholic monk of the Order of Friars Minor (Franciscans). He assumed the name "Giacomo" ( ...

(c. 1400 – 1485), blessed of the Roman Catholic Church, patron of the Italian town of Bitetto *

Toni Jeričević Toni Jeričević (born July 17, 1983) is a businessman turned actor and TV host who appeared in American and Croatian theatre plays, commercials and national television productions. He is best known as a TV host of the prime time reality sports TV ...

(born 1983), businessman, actor, TV host *

Joanna II of Naples Joanna II (25 June 1371 – 2 February 1435) was reigning Queen of Naples from 1414 to her death, upon which the Capetian House of Anjou became extinct. As a mere formality, she used the title of Queen of Jerusalem, Sicily, and Hungary. Earl ...

(1373–1435), Queen of Naples *

Pope John IV Pope John IV ( la, Ioannes IV; died 12 October 642) was the bishop of Rome from 24 December 640 to his death. His election followed a four-month vacancy. He wrote to the clergy of Ireland and Scotland to tell them of the mistakes they were maki ...

(died 12 October 642) reigned from 24 December 640 to his death in 642.

K

Pavle Kalinić Pavle Kalinić (born 6 June 1959) is a Croatian politician, political scientist and Croatian literature, writer. Life Kalinić was born in Zadar. He graduated from the Faculty of Political Science, University of Zagreb, Faculty of Political Science ...

(born 1959), politician and writer *

Božidar Kalmeta Božidar Kalmeta (; born 15 January 1958) is a Croatian politician and member of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party. From 2003 to 2011 he served in the Croatian Government as Croatia's Minister of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure und ...

(born 1958), politician and Mayor of Zadar * Tomislav Karamarko (born 1959), politician and First Deputy Prime Minister of Croatia *

Brne Karnarutić Brne Karnarutić (1515–1573) was a Croats, Croatian Renaissance poet. His most famous work was ''Vazetje Sigeta grada'', a historical epic on the Battle of Szigetvár. Life He was born in Zadar, probably in 1515, from an old noble family. Afte ...

(1515–1573), poet * Emilija Kokić (born 1968), singer *

Šimun Kožičić Benja Šimun Kožičić Benja (ca. 1460 – March, 1536) was a Croatian-Dalmatian orator, humanist and printer, who served as the bishop of Modruš from 1509. He is primarily known for his speech ''De Corvatiae Desolatione'' (On the desolation of Croatia ...

(1460-1536), orator, humanist and printer * Marie Kraja (1911–1999), opera singer * Ante Krapić (born 1985), basketball player

L

* Boris Labar (born 1947), physician and scientist in the field of hematology and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation * Francesco Laurana (1430–1502), sculptor and architect *

Luciano Laurana Luciano Laurana (Lutiano Dellaurana, hr, Lucijan Vranjanin) (c. 1420 – 1479) was an Italian architect and engineer from the historic Vrana settlement near the town of Zadar in Dalmatia, (today in Croatia, then part of the Republic of Venice) Af ...

(c. 1420 – 1479), architect and engineer *

Tihana Lazović Tihana Lazović (born 25 September 1990) is a Croatian film actress. She is best known for the lead role as Jelena / Nataša / Marija in The High Sun ''The High Sun'' ( hr, Zvizdan) is a 2015 Croatian drama film directed by Dalibor Matanić. ...

(born 1990), actress

M

* Oliver Maric (born 1981), football player *

Stelvio Mestrovich Stelvio Mestrovich (, born 20 June 1948) is a writer, born in Zadar, then part of Yugoslavia, today in Croatia. His parents were Italian people, Italian. He has contributed to the Viennese magazine ''LOG (magazine), LOG'', under the auspices of ...

(born 1958), writer, musicologist, and critic * Luka Modrić (born 1985), football player

N

Antun Nalis Antun Nalis (9 February 1911 – 14 February 2000), a.k.a. Tonči Nalis, was a Croatian actor. Antun Nalis was born in Zadar, which was part of Austria-Hungary at the time. After World War I Zadar became part of Italy, which later helped Nalis to ...

(1911–2000), actor

P

* Pier Alessandro Paravia (1797–1857), writer, scholar, philanthropist and professor of Italian eloquence * Bernarda Pera (born 1994), tennis player *

Doris Pinčić Doris Pinčić (born 4 September 1988) is a Croatian actress and TV and radio presenter. She is known for her role as Lara Božić-Zlatar in the Nova TV series, ''Larin izbor''. Biography She graduated from Academy of acting and puppetry in O ...

(born 1988), actress and TV and radio presenter *

Joseph Plachutta Joseph Plachutta, (13 May 1827 in Zadar, Austrian Empire, today's Croatia – 22 July 1883) also called Josef Plachutta or Josip Plahuta, was a Slovene-descent chess problemist and chess player, known for his famous problem with the Plachutta t ...

(1827–1883), chess player *

Herdi Prenga Herdi Besnik Prenga (born 31 August 1994) is a professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for RFS in Latvian Optibet Virslīga. Born in Croatia, he represents Albania internationally. Early life and youth career Herdi Prenga was born ...

(born 1994), football player *

Zoran Primorac Zoran Primorac (born 10 May 1969) is a retired male table tennis player from Croatia. He is a two-time winner of the World Cup and one of only three table tennis players to have competed at seven Olympic Games. His highest ITTF world ranking w ...

(born 1969), table tennis player *

Dado Pršo Miladin "Dado" Pršo (born 5 November 1974) is a Croatian former professional footballer who played as a forward. Pršo played for seven different teams and made over 300 league appearances as a professional. He was included in the Monaco team t ...

(born 1974), football player

R

* Ivana Radovniković (born 1985), singer

S

* Andrea Schiavone (c. 1510/1515–1563), painter * Giorgio da Sebenico (1410-1473), sculptor and architect from

Dalmatia Dalmatia (; hr, Dalmacija ; it, Dalmazia; see #Name, names in other languages) is one of the four historical region, historical regions of Croatia, alongside Croatia proper, Slavonia, and Istria. Dalmatia is a narrow belt of the east shore of ...

. *

Mima Simić Mima Simić (born Ana Marija Simić; 4 February 1976) is a Croatian writer, an awarded film critic, translator and an LGBTIQ+ media activist. She holds degrees in Comparative Literature and English Language and Literature from the Faculty of Humanit ...

(born 1976), writer, film critic, translator, LGBT activist *

Velimir Škorpik Velimir Škorpik (April 2, 1919 – November 7, 1943) was a Croatian and Yugoslav Partisan commander, best known for his role in development of the Yugoslav Partisan navy after the invasion of Yugoslavia in April 1941. Škorpik was born in Zad ...

, Yugoslav Partisan commander * Tamara Šoletić (born 1965), actress *

Simone Stratigo Simone Stratigo ( gr, Συμεών Φίλιππος Στρατηγός, ''Symeon Filippos Stratigos''; it, Simone Filippo Stratico; 1733–1824) was an Italian Greek mathematician and a nautical science expert who studied and lived in Padua and ...

(1733–1824), mathematician and a nautical science *

Jovan Sundečić Jovan Sundečić (Serbian Cyrillic: Јован Сундечић; 24 June 1825 – 19 July 1900) was a Serbian poet, priest of the Serbian Orthodox Church and a secretary to Prince Nikola I of Montenegro. He is most famous for writing lyrics o ...

(1825–1900), poet, Orthodox Christian priest, secretary of

Prince Nikola I of Montenegro Nikola I Petrović-Njegoš ( sr-cyr, Никола I Петровић-Његош; – 1 March 1921) was the last monarch of Montenegro from 1860 to 1918, reigning as prince from 1860 to 1910 and as the country's first and only king from 1910 to 19 ...

Ivan Santini Ivan Santini (; born 21 May 1989) is a Croatian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Swiss club Zürich. Club career Ivan Santini, born in Zadar, played for his hometown side's youth team, until the summer of 2006, when he moved ...

(born 1989), football player

T

Carlo Tivaroni Carlo Tivaroni (1843 – 1906) was a Dalmatian Italian historian and politician. He was born in Zara (Dalmatia), Zara (Croatian language, Croatian: Zadar), which at the time still had a significant Italian component and was part of Austrian Empire ...

(1843–1906), historian and politician * Enrico Tivaroni (1841–1925), Italian senator and

magistrate The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judici ...

Georg von Trapp Georg Ludwig Ritter von Trapp (4 April 1880 – 30 May 1947) was an officer in the Austro-Hungarian Navy who later became the patriarch of the Trapp Family Singers. Trapp was the most successful Austro-Hungarian submarine commander of World W ...

(1880–1947), K.u.K. Submarine commander and father of "singing Trapp family"

V

(1400–1496), Roman Catholic professed religious of the Order of Friars Minor * Vekenega (died 1111), abbess of the Benedictine monastery of St. Mary *

Vladimir Velebit Vladimir "Vlatko" Velebit, PhD (19 August 1907 – 29 August 2004) was a Yugoslav politician, diplomat and military leader who rose the rank of Major-General during World War II. A lawyer by profession, after the war he became a diplomat an ...

(1907–2004),

Yugoslav People's Army The Yugoslav People's Army (abbreviated as JNA/; Macedonian and sr-Cyrl-Latn, Југословенска народна армија, Jugoslovenska narodna armija; Croatian and bs, Jugoslavenska narodna armija; sl, Jugoslovanska ljudska a ...

Major-General, lawyer, historian, diplomat *

Giorgio Ventura Giorgio Ventura (also Zorzi Ventura) was an Italian mannerist painter of the Venetian school, active mainly in Venice, Istria and Dalmatia at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries. Life At present, almost nothing is known about his life, e ...

(c. 1570 – c. 1610), painter * Dalibor Veselinović (born 1987), football player *

Jeronim Vidulić Jeronim Vidulić (around 1430 – 1499 in Zadar) was a 15th-century Catholic priest and notary from Zadar, Venetian Dalmatia (today Croatia). He is best known for recording one of the earliest Petrarchist poems in Croatian, written using Gla ...

(c. 1430 – 1499), poet

W

Felix Weingartner Paul Felix Weingartner, Edler von Münzberg (2 June 1863 – 7 May 1942) was an Austrian conductor, composer and pianist. Life and career Weingartner was born in Zara, Dalmatia, Austria-Hungary (now Zadar, Croatia), to Austrian parents. T ...

(1863–1942), composer

Z

Anđeo Lovrov Zadranin Anđeo Lovrov Zadranin or Anđeo Lovrin (active during the fourteenth century) was a Croatian architect, born in Zadar and mostly active in Dubrovnik. He was a member of an architect family from Zadar. He had brothers Nikola, Juraj and Petar, wh ...

, 14th-century architect *

Juraj Lovrov Zadranin Juraj Lovrov Zadranin or Juraj Lovrin (; active during the fourteenth century) was a Croatian architect and builder, born in Zadar and mostly active in Dubrovnik. He was a member of an architect family. His father Lovro /Laurence/ was a master bu ...

, 14th-century architect *

Luigi Ziliotto Luigi Ziliotto (8 February 1863 – 6 February 1922) was an Italian politician and irredentist. Ziliotto was an Italian senator. He was ''podestà'' of Zara (Zadar) several times. Bibliography * L.Monzali, Italiani di Dalmazia. Dal Risorgime ...

, politician, podestà of

(Zara) (1863–1922) *

Ksenija Zečević Ksenija Zečević (Ксенија Зечевић; February 16, 1956 in Zadar – November 21, 2006 in Belgrade) was a popular Serbian pianist and composer. She worked on film and theatre music. She worked in Belgrade. She was of Montenegrin and Istr ...

(1956–2006), pianist and composer *

Petar Zoranić Petar Zoranić (1508 – before 1569) was a Croatian writer and poet from Zadar. He is most important as the author of ''Planine'', regarded as the first Croatian novel. Pastoral in nature, the novel was written in 1538 and published in 1569. ...

(c. 1508, died 1543–1569), writer * Katija Zubčić (born 1958), actress

References

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