|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Senj is an old settlement which was founded on the
hill Kuk, east of the town more than 3000 years ago. In the pre-historic
times under the fortificated settlement, on the place where the
brook flows into the sea bay, there was a port and a trade cener,
a place where people coming from different directions (inland, islands
and the coast) could exchange their goods. As the importance of
the place gradualy grew, the settlers from the hill moved nearer
and nearer to the sea forming there a new place which was mentioned
for the 1st time in 4th century B.C. It was the Greek sailor and
a writer Pseudoskilaks who mentioned the place under the name of
Attienities. |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
In the
2nd century B.C. the Romans came and little by little they overtook
the control over the town which was at that time known as Senia.
From Senia they could easily attack the Japods and other Illyrian
tribes whichwere in the inlad. But, the Romans didn’t lead only
wars. They continued to buikd the town especially from the second
half of the 1st century B.C. till the 4th century. During that period
Senia become the most important port and the main trading, cultural
centre of this part of Adriatic coast. The Town hall, an aqueduct,
thermes, temples ( to the Gods and Godesses Diana, Magna Mater,
Kibela and Liberus) and many other objects build at that time which
we can trace in numerous archeological findings such as stone monuments,
sculptures of Gods and Godesses, pieces of architectural works and
tomb stones.
During the 5th, 6th and 7th centuries, when the Migration took pleace,
many Barbarian tribes from the East invaded the town breaking its
golden age. Due to the danger of the Barbarian invasion, the number
of inhabitants decreased and the economic power of the town was
dropping more and more. It was the era of tension and disorder.
There was no more prosperity and it was, most probably, robbed and
burned down during thease Barbarian attacks. We cannot be sure which
tribe did it but it was very likely that West Ghots started the
process of destruction which was completed by the Avaris and the
Slavs at the begining of the 7th century. |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
In
the 17th century, the Croats along with the Avars settled down on
the ruins of the Roman Senia and they established the mediaeval
settlemant called Senj which in its name preserved the Roman tradition.
This part of history from the 6th to the 10th century is not known.
Center of the Mediaeval Croatian state was moved to the south (in
Dalmatia) and Senj lost its omportance.Much later, after graviting
Pacta Conventa in 1102. The political power moved towards the North,
Senj become once again prosperius town. It was a part of the Ugro-Croat
kingdom. In 1169. The diocese was established and it clearly points
on the importance of the town.
In 1184., owing to the Hungarian king Bela the 3rd who gave Senj
as a present to the Templares, the order of priests and knights,
the town was in their possession for the next seventy years. After
the Templares, from 1271. on, Senj was ruled by the Dukes of Krk
who were later renamed the Frankopans. The town becomed prosperious
both in its economic and cultural life. A large number of sacred
and profane structures were built not only in the tiwn but in its
surrounding as well.
In the Mediaeval age Senj is known for its glagolic alphabet, the
alphabet which had alredy been created in the 9th century for the
need of the Slavs. From the 12th century on the glagolic alphabet
exsisted only on the Croatian soil and it was particulary developed
in the area of Senj. In 1248. The Bishop of Senj got a permision
from the Pope Inocent the 4th and become the only Bishop who was
allowed to use the glagolic alphabet and the people’s language in
his liturgy service. This fact influenced the development of the
glagolic alphabet during the 14th and 15th centuries so we have
many glagolyan stone board and hand written books and documents.
A glagolic printing press was established in Senj in 1494. Which
was one of the earliest printing press houses in southeast Europe.
Two incunabues “The Glagolic Missal” and “Spovid općena” were printed
at that time. |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| In the
middle of the 15th century the millitary forces of the Hungarian-Croatian
king Matija Korvin came to town. In the 1469. Senj became a center
of its captaincy, established because of danger which was coming
closer and closer from the Turks but also with the aim to defend
from the policy of Venice. The Ottoman campaigns to this area were
especially during the firs half of the 16th century. At that time
the neighbouring places were totally devasteded and the town became
the refuge for a large number of refuges from the occupied areas.
The millitary units were formed of the refuges. They were the famous
Uskoks who successfully defended Senj till the twenties of the 17th
century and who managed to cause hard lossesto the armed forces
of the Ottoman Empire and Venice. In 1558. A construction of the
fortress Nehaj, on the hill Trbušnjak, was finished for the needs
of defence. The Uskoks was placed there. Because of the heroic resistance
to much stronger enemy, these brave worriors got into the legend
and folk songs. In the 17th century they became disturbance and
a danger to a new peaceful policy of the Habsburg Monarchy towards
the Ottoman Empire and Venice, and were evacuated to the other places
in Croatia. |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Peaceful
times enabled a restoration of trade in Senj and with that economic
prosperety of the town wes provided. That was especially expressed
in the second half of the 18th century and in the first half of
the 19th century, when the great constructive works were being taken
out (construction of the new Josephina’s road, restoration of the
port, construction of the big imperial depot, regulation of the
strong current and similar works). At that time started the golden
age of the town which became one of most important in the country.
The import of salt and export of grain and wood were passing through
that port. The sailors fromSenj sailed on their ships all over the
world and they traded especially intensive with the Mediterranean
countries. The entrepreneurs and labour came to that properus town;
the comercial and shipbuilding companies, chamber of commerce, chamber
of trades were founded and the important cultural activity was developed.
Also the town music society, the reading club and other cultural
organisations were founded. Senj became an important cultural center
and its intellectuals and inhabitans were bearers of the Croatian
national ideology. The most famous Croatian writers and poets were
born and lived there: Silvije Strahimir Kranjčević (1865.-1908.),
Vjenceslav Novak (1859.-1905.), Milutin Cihlar Nehajev (1880.-1931.)
and Milan Ogrizović (1877.-1923.). Their busts can be seen in the
Poet’s Park in Senj. |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| The construction
of the railway line Karlovac- Rijeka (1873.), which went round Senj,
had the disastrous consequences for the economy and comertial meaning
of the town. The traffic in the port was very reduced and the goods
took another direction to Trieste and Rijeka. These two towns were
connected with the hinterland by the railway-lines. The rde of Senj
was reduced just to an export port for wood. The obscene of the
economic prosperety and marginalization of the traffic direction
had a negative effect on the town life and the life of the neighbourhood.
In the late 19th century a migration of the inhabitants started.
It was very intensive in the 20th century, especially after the
end of the World war II, when political reasons were added to the
economic reasons. The old town center suffered a great damage in
bombing, when many of the extraordinary valuble cultural inheritance
desappeared. But still many are preserved to the present days and
they make Senj worth visiting both for domestic and foregin tourists.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
| Senj, coppergraving
J.W. Valvasora from yeare 1689. |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Hrvatski
Introduction
