The Branimir inscription ( hr, Natpis kneza Branimira) is the oldest preserved monument containing an inscription defining a Croatian medieval ruler as a duke of

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, ...

– '. The inscription was originally a part of

templon A templon (from Greek τέμπλον meaning "temple", plural ''templa'') is a feature of Byzantine churches consisting of a barrier separating the nave from the sanctuary near the altar. The solid templon first appeared in Christian churches aro ...

of a church in

Šopot Šopot is a 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 = , m ...

Benkovac Benkovac () is a town in the interior of Zadar County, Croatia. Geography Benkovac is located where the plain of Ravni Kotari and the karstic plateau of Bukovica meet, 20 km from the town of Biograd na Moru and 30 km from Zadar. Th ...

built by

Duke Branimir Branimir ( la, Branimiro) was a ruler of Croatia who reigned as duke ( hr, knez) from 879 to 892. His country received papal recognition as a state from Pope John VIII on 7 June 879. During his reign, Croatia retained its sovereignty from both F ...

, who ruled Croatia from 879–892.

Description

The

inscribed {{unreferenced, date=August 2012 An inscribed triangle of a circle In geometry, an inscribed planar shape or solid is one that is enclosed by and "fits snugly" inside another geometric shape or solid. To say that "figure F is inscribed in figu ...

beam and

gable A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesth ...

fragments contain a

Latin language Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of t ...

reference to Branimir as ("the count Branimir… considered duke of the Croats…"). The first two words are inscribed on the beam fragment, and the rest on the wide and tall gable fragment. Both of the fragments have matching ornamentation along the top edge, with a cross executed in

Croatian interlace The Croatian interlace or Croatian wattle, known as the or in Croatian, is a type of interlace, most characteristic for its three-ribbon pattern. It is one of the most often used patterns of pre-romanesque Croatian art. It is found on and with ...

on the gable and a pair of birds, one to either side of the cross. The fragments were originally parts of a

in a church completed in the 9th century and consecrated to

Saint Jerome Jerome (; la, Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus; grc-gre, Εὐσέβιος Σωφρόνιος Ἱερώνυμος; – 30 September 420), also known as Jerome of Stridon, was a Christian priest, confessor, theologian, and historian; he is co ...

. The church was built by Branimir, who reigned in 879–892. The inscription is kept in

Museum of Croatian Archaeological Monuments The Museum of Croatian Archaeological Monuments ( hr , Muzej hrvatskih arheoloških spomenika) located at Meštrovićevo šetalište 18, Split, Croatia, is the only museum in the country dedicated to researching and presenting cultural artifacts of ...

Split Split(s) or The Split may refer to: Places * Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia * Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay * Split Island, Falkland Islands * Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua Arts, entertai ...

The inscription is significant for the

history of Croatia At the time of the Roman Empire, the area of modern Croatia comprised two Roman provinces, Pannonia and Dalmatia. After the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century, the area was subjugated by the Ostrogoths for 50 years, before b ...

as it represents one of the oldest surviving references to a Croatian ruler, but also the earliest fully recorded use of the particular name for

. There are five other preserved stone inscriptions mentioning Branimir, found in Nin, Ždrapanj near

Skradin Skradin ( it, Scardona; grc, Σκάρδων) is a small town in the Šibenik-Knin County of Croatia, with a population of 3,825 (2011 census). It is located near the Krka river and at the entrance to the Krka National Park, from Šibenik and ...

, Otres near Bribir, in Muć Gornji near Split, and latest found in Lepuri near

. The one found in Muć contains the consecration year, dating the inscription to year 888. The oldest epigrahic inscription of a Croatian ruler are most probably those of

Mislav of Croatia Mislav ( la, Muisclavo) was a duke () in Croatia from around 835 until his death around 845. Mislav came to power at some point after Vladislav as the Duke of Dalmatian Croatia. He ruled from Klis in central Dalmatia, when he made Klis Fortress ...

. A possibly older references to a Croatian ethnonym have been confirmed in a church inscription found in

Bijaći Bijaći ( it, Santa Marta) is a village in Croatia, northeast of Trogir, at the contact point between the Trogir part and the Lower Kaštela part of the Velo field. It was first mentioned in two old Croatian documents from AD 852 (Byaci) and AD ...

near

Trogir Trogir (; historically known as Traù (from Dalmatian language, Dalmatian, Venetian language, Venetian and Italian language, Italian: ); la, Tragurium; Greek language, Ancient Greek: Τραγύριον, ''Tragyrion'' or Τραγούριον, '' ...

dated to the end of the 8th or early 9th century; and a charter of duke

Trpimir I of Croatia Trpimir I (, la, Trepimerus/Trepimero) was a duke ( hr, knez) in Croatia from around 845 until his death in 864. He is considered the founder of the Trpimirović dynasty that ruled in Croatia, with interruptions, from around 845 until 1091. ...

from the year 852, however, its original is lost, and analyses of its 1568 copy indicate it might not indeed be older than the Branimir inscription.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Branimir Inscription 9th century in Croatia Croatian culture Old Croatian inscriptions 888 Benkovac Medieval Latin inscriptions