Miholjanec is a
village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred ...
in
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 =
, capit ...
and one of the oldest settlements in the country.
History
Ancient times
Miholjanec has been settled since at least the Iron Age. During the late Iron Age, the so-called ''bini populi'' ("two people") lived in the area that would eventually become Miholjanec. Historians are unclear on who exactly the ''bini populi'' were; through the years they have been variously identified as Latin
Romans
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
,
Scythians
The Scythians or Scyths, and sometimes also referred to as the Classical Scythians and the Pontic Scythians, were an ancient Eastern
* : "In modern scholarship the name 'Sakas' is reserved for the ancient tribes of northern and eastern Centra ...
,
Hebrews
The terms ''Hebrews'' (Hebrew: / , Modern: ' / ', Tiberian: ' / '; ISO 259-3: ' / ') and ''Hebrew people'' are mostly considered synonymous with the Semitic-speaking Israelites, especially in the pre-monarchic period when they were still ...
,
Greeks
The Greeks or Hellenes (; el, Έλληνες, ''Éllines'' ) are an ethnic group and nation indigenous to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea regions, namely Greece, Cyprus, Albania, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, and, to a lesser extent, oth ...
,
Alans
The Alans (Latin: ''Alani'') were an ancient and medieval Iranian nomadic pastoral people of the North Caucasus – generally regarded as part of the Sarmatians, and possibly related to the Massagetae. Modern historians have connected the A ...
,
Goths
The Goths ( got, 𐌲𐌿𐍄𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌳𐌰, translit=''Gutþiuda''; la, Gothi, grc-gre, Γότθοι, Gótthoi) were a Germanic people who played a major role in the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the emergence of medieval Europe ...
, and Germans. These people built a
hill fort
A hillfort is a type of earthwork used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typically European and of the Bronze Age or Iron Age. Some were used in the post-Roma ...
on a high plateau. The fort covered and was surrounded by a
moat.
Middle Ages
In the 10th century, a
vineyard
A vineyard (; also ) is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is known as viticulture. Vineya ...
was planted on a hill near Miholjanec. The vineyard's name is translated as is "the seat of the master of the mountain". This vineyard still stands today.
In 1160, a plot of land was donated to the
Knights Templar, who built a monastery in nearby Zdelia. This was the earliest historical mention of the Templars in Croatia and Hungary. There is also a river near Zdelia that has been known by many names.
[Codex diplomaticus Arpadianus continuatus, Volume 1]
pages 229-234
Gusztáv Wenzel, Eggenberger Ferdinánd Akademiai, 1860.
In 1270, an unknown ancient castle was discovered on the land of Mikula. A parish church was built on the spot of the ancient castle in 1334 and called the church of
Saint Michael
Michael (; he, מִיכָאֵל, lit=Who is like El od, translit=Mīḵāʾēl; el, Μιχαήλ, translit=Mikhaḗl; la, Michahel; ar, ميخائيل ، مِيكَالَ ، ميكائيل, translit=Mīkāʾīl, Mīkāl, Mīkhāʾīl), also ...
. Miholjanec is named after the church.
After the
dissolving of the Templars, the
Order of Saint John of Jerusalem came to Miholjanec, who in 1358 swapped their plot in Miholjanec for another plot in another village. The parish church in that village, the
Assumption of Mary
The Assumption of Mary is one of the four Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. Pope Pius XII defined it in 1950 in his apostolic constitution '' Munificentissimus Deus'' as follows:
We proclaim and define it to be a dogma revealed by ...
, was given ''
jus patronatus
The right of patronage (in Latin ''jus patronatus'' or ''ius patronatus'') in Roman Catholic canon law is a set of rights and obligations of someone, known as the patron in connection with a gift of land (benefice). It is a grant made by the c ...
'' over a church of unknown location halfway between the village and
Milengrad, where prisoners of war, war wounded, and war loot were sent.
Early modern period
In 1673, when Miholjanec was part of the
Military Frontier
The Military Frontier (german: Militärgrenze, sh-Latn, Vojna krajina/Vojna granica, Војна крајина/Војна граница; hu, Katonai határőrvidék; ro, Graniță militară) was a borderland of the Habsburg monarchy and ...
, there was a
funfair
A fair (archaic: faire or fayre) is a gathering of people for a variety of entertainment or commercial activities. Fairs are typically temporary with scheduled times lasting from an afternoon to several weeks.
Types
Variations of fairs incl ...
and
public bath
Public baths originated when most people in population centers did not have access to private bathing facilities. Though termed "public", they have often been restricted according to gender, religious affiliation, personal membership, and other cr ...
house for
border guard officers and other gentlemen.
In 1676, a letter mentioned a contract between
parishioners in Miholjanec and their parish priest. This letter confirmed all liberties afforded to the parishioners, but whomever disturbed church on Sunday would be required to pay 10
denarius
The denarius (, dēnāriī ) was the standard Roman silver coin from its introduction in the Second Punic War to the reign of Gordian III (AD 238–244), when it was gradually replaced by the antoninianus. It continued to be minted in very ...
(10 percent of a
ducat) as punishment. In the same year 1676, a new wooden church was built in Miholjanec.
[ Rad Jugoslavenske akademije znanosti i umjetnosti, Volume 406, page 52, ]Yugoslav Academy of Sciences and Arts
The Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts ( la, Academia Scientiarum et Artium Croatica, hr, Hrvatska akademija znanosti i umjetnosti, abbrev. HAZU) is the national academy of Croatia.
HAZU was founded under patronage of the Croatian bishop Jo ...
1984.
In 1736, a great flood of the river
Drava raised the waters for several months between
Novigrad Podravski,
Hlebine
Hlebine is a municipality in Koprivnica-Križevci County in Croatia. It consists of two villages, Hlebine and Gabajeva Greda.
Population
Its population is earns its living primarily from agricultural production. The population has been decreasin ...
,
Molve
Molve (in Hungarian ''Molna'') is a municipality in the Koprivnica–Križevci County in Croatia. According to the 2011 census, there are 2,189 inhabitants in the area.
History
In the late 19th century and early 20th century, Molve was part of ...
, and
Virje
Virje is a municipality in the Koprivnica–Križevci County in Croatia. According to the 2001 census, there are 5,197 inhabitants in the area, with Croats forming an absolute majority. St. Martin of Tours is the patron saint of this municipalit ...
. The people of these towns fled to the hill villages of Plavšinac and Miholjanec. This influx led to the rediscovery of Miholjanec's ancient vineyards. Soon after, 300 new vineyards were planted between Plavšinac and Miholjanec in Novigrad Podravski, which by that time had become the seat of a regiment.
In 1779, a new church was built, which stands to this day. During construction, a human skeleton was discovered under the stairs of the old church. In addition, a
cenotaph
A cenotaph is an empty tomb or a monument erected in honour of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been reinterred elsewhere. Although the vast majority of cenot ...
was discovered in the village, which in the 1960s was dated to the late
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age ( Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age ( Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostl ...
, possibly 1209.
In 1780, it was agreed between the Franciscan monastery in Koprivnica and the General of the Military Frontier that
begging
Begging (also panhandling) is the practice of imploring others to grant a favor, often a gift of money, with little or no expectation of reciprocation. A person doing such is called a beggar or panhandler. Beggars may operate in public pla ...
in Miholjanec was the sole right of the Franciscans.
Modern era
In 1836,
Maria Theresa made an unsuccessful attempt to restore the ruins of the
Roman aqueduct in Miholjanec, which comes down the street from St. Michael. Most of it is in ruins, but those of St. John, which is 12
Roman miles
The mile, sometimes the international mile or statute mile to distinguish it from other miles, is a British imperial unit and United States customary unit of distance; both are based on the older English unit of length equal to 5,280 English ...
long, was more than only successful.
The regulation of the Drava river between 1830 and 1844 significantly reduced the frequency of flooding. Settlements in the hills around Miholjanec increased in population, which brought logging and a reduced acreage of forests.
Twentieth century
In 1923, Miholjanec celebrated its 750th anniversary, with guests dancing on a natural dance floor with natural acoustics, similar to an
amphitheatre
An amphitheatre (British English) or amphitheater (American English; both ) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ...
.
In 1937, ''Le Monde Slave'' (''The Slavic World''), published in
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
by
Ernest Denis
Ernest Denis (January 3, 1849 – January 4, 1921) was a French historian. Denis became known as a specialist of Germany and Bohemia, and played a major role in the establishment of the Czechoslovak state in 1918. Along with Louis Léger, he i ...
and Robert de Caix mentioned that the folks songs from Miholjanec had been examined in 1933, and fifty of those songs had been reproduced and recorded.
Robert de Caix (biographical details)
/ref>
References
External links
* {{commonscat-inline
Populated places in Koprivnica-Križevci County
Ancient Croatia
Hill forts in Croatia
Former capitals of Croatia