Sinj (; it, Signo; german: Zein) is a town in the continental part of Split-Dalmatia County,

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 ...

. The town itself has a population of 11,478 and the population of the administrative municipality, which includes surrounding villages, is 24,826 (2011).

Geography

Sinj is located in the heart of the Dalmatian hinterland, the area known as ''Cetinska krajina'', a group of settlements situated on a fertile

karstic field A polje, also karst polje or karst field, is a large flat plain found in karstic geological regions of the world, with areas usually . The name derives from the Slavic languages and literally means 'field', whereas in English ''polje'' specific ...

Sinjsko polje Sinjsko Polje () is a polje (karstic field) in the inner Dalmatia region of Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our ...

through which the river

Cetina Cetina () is a river in southern Croatia. It has a length of and its basin covers an area of . From its source, Cetina descends from an elevation of above sea level to the Adriatic Sea. It is the most water-rich river in Dalmatia.Naklada Naprijed ...

passes. Sinj lies between four mountains: Svilaja,

Dinara Dinara is a long mountain range in the Dinaric Alps, located on the border of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. It has four major mountains or peaks, from north-west to south-east: * Ilica or Ujilica (1654 m) * Sinjal or Dinara (1831 m), ...

, Kamešnica and Visoka. Those mountains give Sinj its specific submediterranean climate (hotter summers and colder winters).

History

Sinj was seized by the Turks in 1524 who maintained control until 1686, when it was taken into possession by the Venetians. The town grew around an ancient fortress held by the Ottomans from 16th until the end of 17th century, and the

Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related Mendicant orders, mendicant Christianity, Christian Catholic religious order, religious orders within the Catholic Church. Founded in 1209 by Italian Catholic friar Francis of Assisi, these orders include t ...

monastery with the church of Our Lady of Sinj (), a place of pilgrimage. The last Turkish siege in 1715, during the

Second Morean War The second (symbol: s) is the unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), historically defined as of a day – this factor derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes and finally to 60 seconds ...

, was repelled. After the

Congress of Vienna The Congress of Vienna (, ) of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon B ...

in 1815 until 1918, the town (bilingual name ''SINJ - SIGN'') 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 ...

(Austria side 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 ...

), head of the district of the same name, one of the 13 ''Bezirkshauptmannschaften'' in the

Kingdom of Dalmatia The Kingdom of Dalmatia ( hr, Kraljevina Dalmacija; german: Königreich Dalmatien; it, Regno di Dalmazia) was a crown land of the Austrian Empire (1815–1867) and the Cisleithanian half of Austria-Hungary (1867–1918). It encompassed the entire ...

.Die postalischen Abstempelungen auf den österreichischen Postwertzeichen-Ausgaben 1867, 1883 und 1890, Wilhelm KLEIN, 1967 The Italian name alone was used before 1867.

Demographics

Tourism

Sinj and Cetinska Krajina represent an interesting tourist area, and the major attraction is certainly the traditional Tilters Tournament of Sinj (

Sinjska alka The Sinjska alka () is an equestrian competition held in the Croatian town of Sinj every first Sunday in August since 1715. It commemorates a Croatian–Venetian victory in the Ottoman–Venetian war on August 14, 1715 in which the local Christian ...

). It takes place every year on the first Sunday in August to commemorate the victory over the Turkish army in 1715. The tilters, dressed in the traditional costumes, ride on horseback in full gallop, trying to thrust a small ring (alka), hanging from a wire, with a lance. The tilter who scores the highest number of points (punat) is declared the victor. The Museum of the Cetinska Krajina Region is in Sinj.

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

Sinj is twinned with:

Notable natives and residents

Vladimir Beara Vladimir Beara (; 26 August 1928 – 11 August 2014) was a Yugoslav football goalkeeper and manager. He played the vast majority of his professional club career for Hajduk Split and Red Star Belgrade in the Yugoslav Federal League and for the Yu ...

, footballer * Stipe Breko, singer *

Ivica Buljan Ivica Buljan (born 29 March 1965) is a Croatian theater director, playwright, theater critic, and educator whose work is widely known in Croatia and performed around the globe. Career Buljan studied political science, French, and comparative lite ...

, theatre director *

Ivan Klapez Ivan Klapez, (born 1961) is a Croatian sculptor. Early life and family Ivan Klapez has been based in London since 1987. Amongst his collectors are Sebastian Conran and he has produced several commissions such as ‘Liberty’, bronze, 1991, ...

, sculptor *

Leo Lemešić Leo Lemešić (8 June 1908 in Sinj – 15 August 1978 in Split) was a Croatian football striker and later a football manager. He became a referee in his later years. Club career He spent his entire club career with Hajduk Split. In total, Lem ...

, footballer *

Vedran Runje Vedran Runje (; born 10 February 1976) is a Croatian retired association football, footballer who played as a goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper. A product of Hajduk Split academy, Runje spent the majority of his career abroad with St ...

, footballer * Ante Vukušić, footballer *

Mateo Barać Mateo Barać (; born 20 July 1994) is a Croatian football Defender (association football), defender. He plays for PFC Krylia Sovetov Samara, Krylia Sovetov Samara in the Russian Premier League. Club career Early career Born and raised in Sinj ...

, footballer

References

External links

Sinj Airport

Sinj Tourist Board

First news portal of Sinj town

Sinj News and Events

Virtual reality
{{Authority control Cities and towns in Croatia Populated places in Split-Dalmatia County Kingdom of Dalmatia