Senj (; it, Segna, la, Senia,
Hungarian and german: Zengg) is a town on the upper
Adriatic
The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) ...
coast in Croatia, in the foothills of the
Mala Kapela
Mala Kapela (, lit. ''Small Chapel'') is a mountain range in Croatia, part of the Dinaric Alps. It stretches in the direction northwest–southeast, and it extends from the mountain pass called "Kapela" or "Vrh Kapele" (alt. 887 m), that separates ...
and
Velebit mountains.
The symbol of the town is the
Nehaj Fortress
The Nehaj Fortress ( hr, Tvrđava Nehaj ) is a fortress on the hill Nehaj in the town of Senj, Croatia.
The name ''Nehaj'' comes from the Croatian term ''Ne hajati'' , which means 'don't care'. In Croatian this fortress has also other names, w ...
( hr, Tvrđava Nehaj) which was completed in 1558. For a time this was the seat of the
Uskoks ( it, Uscocchi), who were Christian refugees from
Ottoman Bosnia resettled here to protect the
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...
borderlands. The
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia, ...
accused the Uskoks of
piracy
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...
and declared
war on them which led to their expulsion following a truce in 1617.
Senj is to be found in the
Lika-Senj County
Lika-Senj County (, hr, Ličko-senjska županija) is a Counties of Croatia, county in Croatia that includes most of the Lika region and some northern coastline of the Adriatic near the town of Senj, including the northern part of the Pag (island ...
of Croatia, the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Gospić-Senj
The Diocese of Gospić–Senj ( hr, Gospićko-senjska biskupija; la, Gospicien(sis)-Senien(sis)) is a diocese located in the cities of Gospić and Senj in the Ecclesiastical province of Rijeka in Croatia.
History
* May 25, 2000: Established as ...
and the
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Rijeka.
History
Senj has apparently been inhabited since prehistoric times. A settlement called ''Athyinites'' in today's Senj was mentioned in
Greek documents dated to 4th century BC. The
Illyrian tribe
Iapydes
The Iapydes (or Iapodes, Japodes; el, Ἰάποδες) were an ancient people who dwelt north of and inland from the Liburnians, off the Adriatic coast and eastwards of the Istrian peninsula. They occupied the interior of the country between the ...
inhabited the area as it was located in Illyria.
''Senia'' was a thriving town in the
Roman
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 letter ...
province of
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 ...
, used by the Romans as a stronghold against the Illyrians in the 2nd century BC. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the
Avars and the
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, G ...
eventually settled here in the 7th century AD.
The Catholic
diocese
In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, pro ...
of Senj was established in 1169. King of
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...
Béla III
Béla may refer to:
* Béla (crater), an elongated lunar crater
* Béla (given name), a common Hungarian male given name
See also
* Bela (disambiguation)
* Belá (disambiguation)
* Bělá (disambiguation) Bělá, derived from ''bílá'' (''whit ...
gave the town to the
Knights Templar
, colors = White mantle with a red cross
, colors_label = Attire
, march =
, mascot = Two knights riding a single horse
, equipment ...
in 1184, and in 1271 it became the property of the
Frankopan
The House of Frankopan ( hr, Frankopani, Frankapani, it, Frangipani, hu, Frangepán, la, Frangepanus, Francopanus), was a Croatian noble family, whose members were among the great landowner magnates and high officers of the Kingdom of Croati ...
counts of
Krk
Krk (; it, Veglia; ruo, Krk; dlm, label= Vegliot Dalmatian, Vikla; la, Curicta; grc-gre, Κύρικον, Kyrikon) is a Croatian island in the northern Adriatic Sea, located near Rijeka in the Bay of Kvarner and part of Primorje-Gorski Kota ...
.
In 1248 the bishop of Senj was allowed by
Pope Innocent IV to use the
Glagolitic alphabet and the
vernacular
A vernacular or vernacular language is in contrast with a "standard language". It refers to the language or dialect that is spoken by people that are inhabiting a particular country or region. The vernacular is typically the native language, n ...
in liturgy. A Glagolitic
printing press
A printing press is a mechanical device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a printing, print medium (such as paper or cloth), thereby transferring the ink. It marked a dramatic improvement on earlier printing methods in wh ...
was set up in 1494 and produced the ''
incunabula
In the history of printing, an incunable or incunabulum (plural incunables or incunabula, respectively), is a book, pamphlet, or broadside that was printed in the earliest stages of printing in Europe, up to the year 1500. Incunabula were pro ...
'' ''The Glagolic Missal'' and ''
Spovid općena
Spovid općena is the name of the first Croatian language printed book from 1496. It was printed in the printing press of Senj, Croatia and its process was overseen by Blaž Baromić. It was published some thirteen years after the first Croatian ...
''.
The military captaincy of Senj was established in 1469 in order to defend against the invading
Ottoman and
Venetian
Venetian often means from or related to:
* Venice, a city in Italy
* Veneto, a region of Italy
* Republic of Venice (697–1797), a historical nation in that area
Venetian and the like may also refer to:
* Venetian language, a Romance language s ...
armies. The town sheltered thousands of refugees from nearby occupied areas. The
Nehaj Fortress
The Nehaj Fortress ( hr, Tvrđava Nehaj ) is a fortress on the hill Nehaj in the town of Senj, Croatia.
The name ''Nehaj'' comes from the Croatian term ''Ne hajati'' , which means 'don't care'. In Croatian this fortress has also other names, w ...
was completed in 1558 on the hill
Nehaj
Nehaj is the name of the hill that is found above the center of the town of Senj in Croatia. More famous is the Nehaj Fortress that stands on top of the hill.
The name ''Nehaj'' comes from the Croatian term ''Ne hajati'' which means ''Don't car ...
, which at the time was outside of town. Today it is wholly within the town's borders. The
wars with the Ottomans lasted well into the 17th century. During this time the
Uskoks lived in Senj and occupied the fortress. They served an important purpose during the wars since they had small units of men rowing swift boats that proved to be very effective
guerrilla forces. However, after the
Uskok War with Venice, which ended in 1617, they were forbidden to settle in the area. Prince Radic was appointed Prince of Senj by king Rudolf emperor of Austria (1 December 1600). (Radic family) Native noble family from Lika region; members of the family were Uskok military leaders at the headquarters in Senj.
The 18th century brought some prosperity, especially with the construction of the ''
Josephina'' (named after
Emperor Joseph II) linking the Adriatic coast via Senj to
Karlovac
Karlovac () is a city in central Croatia. According to the 2011 census, its population was 55,705.
Karlovac is the administrative centre of Karlovac County. The city is located on the Zagreb- Rijeka highway and railway line, south-west of Zagre ...
. The railway line built in 1873 between Fiume (
Rijeka
Rijeka ( , , ; also known as Fiume hu, Fiume, it, Fiume ; local Chakavian: ''Reka''; german: Sankt Veit am Flaum; sl, Reka) is the principal seaport and the third-largest city in Croatia (after Zagreb and Split). It is located in Primor ...
) and Karlovac did not pass by Senj which held back further development.
Until 1918, the town was part of the
Austrian monarchy
The Habsburg monarchy (german: Habsburgermonarchie, ), also known as the Danubian monarchy (german: Donaumonarchie, ), or Habsburg Empire (german: Habsburgerreich, ), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities ...
(
Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia
The Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia ( hr, Kraljevina Hrvatska i Slavonija; hu, Horvát-Szlavónország or ; de-AT, Königreich Kroatien und Slawonien) was a nominally autonomous kingdom and constitutionally defined separate political nation with ...
,
Lika-Krbava County
Lika-Krbava County ( hr, Ličko-krbavska županija; sr, Личко-крбавска жупанија; hu, Lika-Korbava vármegye) was a historic administrative subdivision of the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia. Croatia-Slavonia was an autonom ...
after the
compromise of 1867
The Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 (german: Ausgleich, hu, Kiegyezés) established the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary. The Compromise only partially re-established the former pre-1848 sovereignty and status of the Kingdom of Hungary ...
), in the
Croatian Military Frontier (''Regiment III'').
In the fall of 1943, during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, when
Fascist Italy
Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian, ultra-nationalist political ideology and movement,: "extreme militaristic nationalism, contempt for electoral democracy and political and cultural liberalism, a belief in natural social hierarchy and the ...
capitulated, the
Partisans took control of Senj and used it as a supply port. Subsequently, the
Luftwaffe
The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...
started bombarding the town. By the end of the year they had demolished over half of the buildings in town and inflicted heavy civilian casualties.
Climate
Senj has a temperate climate which is usually described as temperate Oceanic or Marine west coast, with mild, windy winters and relatively dry and warm summers. According to the Köppen climate classification it falls within a cool, dry-summer subtropical zone (Csb), with cool-summer Mediterranean characteristics such as its usually dry summers.
Economy
Modern Senj is a seaside tourist town. Primary industries are fishing, boating, and tourism.
Population
In 2011 the
settlement
Settlement may refer to:
*Human settlement, a community where people live
*Settlement (structural), the distortion or disruption of parts of a building
*Closing (real estate), the final step in executing a real estate transaction
*Settlement (fina ...
of Senj had 4,810 inhabitants, while the whole administrative area of Town of Senj had 7,182 inhabitants.
Population by nationality:
*
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, G ...
6,971 (97.06%)
*
Serbs
The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history and language.
The majority of Serbs live in their na ...
66 (0.92%)
*
Albanians
The Albanians (; sq, Shqiptarët ) are an ethnic group and nation native to the Balkan Peninsula who share a common Albanian ancestry, culture, history and language. They primarily live in Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Se ...
27 (0.38%)
*
Bosniaks
The Bosniaks ( bs, Bošnjaci, Cyrillic: Бошњаци, ; , ) are a South Slavic ethnic group native to the Southeast European historical region of Bosnia, which is today part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who share a common Bosnian ancestry ...
24 (0.33%)
* Others 94 (1.31%)
There are 27 settlements in the Town of Senj and they include:
Alan
Alan may refer to:
People
*Alan (surname), an English and Turkish surname
* Alan (given name), an English given name
**List of people with given name Alan
''Following are people commonly referred to solely by "Alan" or by a homonymous name.''
*A ...
,
Biljevine,
Bunica,
Crni Kal,
Jablanac
Jablanac is a village in Lika-Senj County, Croatia, located on the Adriatic Sea underneath the Velebit mountain, overlooking the island of Rab. The village used to have a ferry port that connected it to Rab, but that moved up the coast to Stinica ...
,
Klada,
Krasno,
Krivi Put
Krivi Put is a village located in a forested area near Senj, in Lika-Senj County, Croatia.
Its earliest settlers founded the village in 1605, favouring it as good grazing land for their cattle. The nearby villages of Veljun, Serdari, Alan, Krm ...
,
Lukovo,
Melnice,
Mrzli Dol,
Pijavica,
Podbilo,
Prizna
Prizna is a port village 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 = ...
, Senj,
Senjska Draga,
Starigrad,
Stinica,
Stolac,
Sveta Jelena
Sveta Jelena (; en, Saint Helen) is a historic medieval site in Međimurje County, northern Croatia.
Originally a distinct settlement, Sveta Jelena is part of the Šenkovec municipality, about two kilometres away from Čakovec to the north. Th ...
,
Sveti Juraj
Sveti Juraj is a village in Croatia. It is on the Adriatic coast, on the D8 (Croatia), D8 highway between Senj and Karlobag. A minor road leads inland to the Northern Velebit National Park and the village of Krasno, Croatia, Krasno. Offshore from ...
,
Velike Brisnice,
Veljun Primorski
Veljun is a village in Croatia, under the Slunj township, in Karlovac County
Karlovac County ( hr, Karlovačka županija) is a county in central Croatia, with the administrative center in Karlovac.
The city of Karlovac is a fort from the time ...
,
Volarice,
Vrataruša,
Vratnik i
Vrzići.
Notable people
*
Blaž Baromić
Blaž Baromić (before 1450 in Vrbnik – after 1505 in Senj) was a Croatian printer, calligrapher, founder of the Senj printing press in 1494, the second oldest Croatian printing press. He is also known for his special typographic set known as '' ...
(c. 1450 – 1505)
*
Nikola Jurišić
Baron Nikola Jurišić ( hu, Jurisich Miklós; – 1545) was a Croatian nobleman, soldier, and diplomat.
Early life
Jurišić was born in Senj, Croatia.
He is first mentioned in 1522 as an officer of Ferdinand I of Habsburg's troops deployed ...
(1490 – 1545)
*
Ivo Senjanin (c. 1571 – 1612)
*
Pavao Ritter Vitezović
Pavao Ritter Vitezović (; 7 January 1652 – 20 January 1713) was a Habsburg-Croatian polymath, variously described as a historian, linguist, publisher, poet, political theorist, diplomat, printmaker, draughtsman, cartographer, writer and printe ...
(1652 – 1713)
*
Ivan Paskvić Ivan Paskvić (''German: Johann Pasquich, Hungarian: János Pasquich'', 3 January 1754 – 15 December 1829) was an Austro-Hungarian astronomer, physicist and mathematician.
Biography
Paskvić was born in Senj. He was educated in Zagreb, from 177 ...
(1754 – 1829)
*
Vjenceslav Novak (1859 – 1905)
*
Silvije Strahimir Kranjčević
Silvije Strahimir Kranjčević (; 17 February 1865 – 29 October 1908) was a Croatian poet. His reflexive poetry, reaching its zenith in the 1890s, was a turning point that ushered modern themes in Croatian poetry.
Early life
Kranjčevi ...
(1865 – 1908)
*
Eugen Kvaternik
Eugen Kvaternik (31 October 1825 – 11 October 1871) was a Croatian nationalist politician and one of the founders of the Party of Rights, alongside Ante Starčević. Kvaternik was the leader of the 1871 Rakovica Revolt which was an attempt ...
*
Milan Moguš
Milan Moguš (; 27 April 1927 – 19 November 2017) was a Croatian linguist and academician.
Biography
He was born in Senj, where he finished primary school and high school. In the academic year 1948/49 he attended in Faculty of Philosophy in Z ...
*
Vladimir Ćopić
Vladimir "Senjko" Ćopić (8 March 1891 – 19 April 1939) was a Yugoslav revolutionary, politician, journalist and communist leader of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia from April 1919 to August 1920.
Biography
Born into a family of mixed Croat a ...
*
Sandra Šarić
*
Edi Karić
*
Domagoj Krajina
Domagoj is a Croatian name of Slavic origin derived from the Slavic elements ''dom'' ("home") and ''goj'' ("grow, breed, foster, nurture"). Notable people with the name include:
*Domagoj of Croatia, a duke (knez) of Dalmatian Croatia in 864–87 ...
International relations
Twin towns – Sister cities
Senj is
twinned with:
Gallery
File:Senj6.jpg, Senj waterfront
File:Winter bora in Senj.jpg, Senj harbor chained with snow after a cold front
File:Senj statue.jpg, ''The Three Seamen'' statue
File:Suncanik Senj 45 paralela 07.jpg, The Sundial
A sundial is a horological device that tells the time of day (referred to as civil time in modern usage) when direct sunlight shines by the apparent position of the Sun in the sky. In the narrowest sense of the word, it consists of a flat ...
in the town that lies on the north 45th parallel
File:Nehaj Senj Croatia outhouse 090727a.JPG, View of the Adriatic Sea
File:Nehaj Senj Croatia West 090728.JPG, The fortress Nehaj
The Nehaj Fortress ( hr, Tvrđava Nehaj ) is a Fortification, fortress on the hill Nehaj in the town of Senj, Croatia.
The name ''Nehaj'' comes from the Croatian language, Croatian term ''Ne hajati'' , which means 'don't care'. In Croatian this ...
is the most famous monument and symbol of Senj
File:Senj from the sea.jpg, A view of Senj from the sea.
References
External links
Official website of the town of SenjOfficial website of the Tourist Board of Senj
{{Authority control
Cities and towns in Croatia
Populated coastal places in Croatia
Populated places in Lika-Senj County
Illyrian Croatia
Cities in ancient Illyria