https://starigrad-paklenica.com/cultural-attractions/ en marijana@wmd.hr Copyright 2008 2008-08-27T09:15:00+00:00 https://starigrad-paklenica.com/cultural-attractions/zadar/cultural_attractions https://starigrad-paklenica.com/cultural-attractions/zadar/cultural_attractions#When:10:29:00Z The lives of the local inhabitants of the Paklenica Riviera are deeply intertwined with the mountains. Velebit hides many villages where you can experience the magic of the native cuisine, and in some villages you can spend your entire vacation in the spirit of past times. The history here has left many trails: rich artefacts from times of antiquity, the Paklarić and Večka fortresses from the times of the Turkish attacks, the Early Croatian Church of St. Peter, as well as the mirila, the stone monument markings connected to the former funeral customs of the local population which is a unique phenomenon of this region. The Church of St. Mary – a votive sanctuary where there is a traditional pilgrimage on 15 August, the Feast of the Assumption, stands on Veliko Rujno, the highest Velebit plateau. VEČKA KULA (Večka Tower) Situated on the very tip of a cape with the most stunning of the Starigrad beaches, the "Kulina", on the edge of Večko polje (Večka Field). It was likely built as a watchtower in the late Middle Ages (14th to 16th century). However, according to the legend of King Pasoglav (King Dogshead), the tower was a royal court. HILL FORTS AND BURIAL MOUNDS Defensive fortifications of drystone (stone walls without mortar or other binding material) known as GRADINE (hill forts) were built in the Bronze and Iron Ages on rocky hilltops and prominent Velebit ridges. They served as shelter for the populations of the surrounding hamlets when danger threatened, while some may have been permanent residences inhabited by powerful locals. Today they are in ruins, but in places one can still make out ring-shaped embankments up to several metres high in places. In the direct vicinity of the hill forts there are often BURIAL MOUNDS – heaps of large round stones under which powerful individuals of the time were buried in burial chests made of stone slabs. Most have been dug up and their graves plundered, but they can still be discerned in places, like in the area of the hamlet of Ljubotić above Tribanj-Kruščica. CHURCH OF THE MOTHER OF GOD AT VELIKO RUJNO At Veliko Rujno, the largest plateau on Velebit, at 900 metres above sea level overlooking Starigrad-Paklenica, we find the ruins of the old and the new Church of the Mother of God.In the past, the local inhabitants lived predominantly from cattle breeding, and spent most of the year in distant Velebit hamlets taking their cattle out to graze. This is why this small church was built so high in the mountains. Over time, the church became too small for all of the people of the Starigrad area. In 1930, thanks to the dedication of the legendary Starigrad priest and alpinist Don Ante Adžija, the people built a new church right next to it, using all of the masonry of the old church. And although the way of life in this region has changed, as the inhabitants moved to the coast in the 1960s and dedicated their efforts to tourism, the tradition of making a pilgrimage to the Church of the Mother of God on the Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, every August 15 remains. And so, every year, a large number of pilgrims make their way up the mountain trail to Veliko Rujno, where a magnificent procession is held after a festive holy mass in the Church of the Mother of God. On that day every household prepares a special meal and invites their relatives and friends to be their guests, and a grand festival known as the Bikarija is held in the evening hours on the central Starigrad waterfront. *Taken from www.rivijera-paklenica.hr 2008-08-27T10:29:00+00:00 https://starigrad-paklenica.com/cultural-attractions/zadar/st_peters_church https://starigrad-paklenica.com/cultural-attractions/zadar/st_peters_church#When:10:20:00Z A medieval church situated on the Adriatic highway between Starigrad and Seline. In the vicinity, there is a graveyard dating back to the mid-13th century. Its eye-catching tombstones, made from hefty stone slabs, are still standing, sometimes decorated with simple, shallow relief forms from the period between the 14th and 16th centuries. The church was built in the pre-Romanesque, old Croatian style, probably at the turn of the 10th century. Near the church, there is also a small building, which was probably used as a baptistery. ‘From the fragments, we are led to believe that the church was built with the help of the votive gift of a benefactress, as was the case with the construction of churches and chapels in the old Croatian period.’ – Rukavina, A., Zvona ispod zvijezda (A bell under the stars), ‘Ličke župe’, Gospić, 1984. Over the past few years, archaeological research has been carried out at the site, which will certainly lead to new discoveries about the church. Aside from the Church of Saint Peter, several other medieval monuments are situated in the area and are well worth visiting: the Holy Trinity fortress, situated approximately 6km west of Starigrad Paklenica, close to the small town of Tribanj-Šibuljina – one of the largest known fortresses from Mljet to Istria, dating back to the 6th century; a late Classical military hill fortress located above the town of Modrič; the Paklarić fortress, located in close proximity to Paklenica National Park at 100m above sea level. It is reached by a well-maintained, educational trail, and offers a magnificent view of the entire Podvelebit Channel; the Church of St. George in Rovanjska, a town situated approximately 10km from Starigrad-Paklenica. *Taken from www.rivijera-paklenica.hr 2008-08-27T10:20:00+00:00 https://starigrad-paklenica.com/cultural-attractions/zadar/ethno_house_marasovi https://starigrad-paklenica.com/cultural-attractions/zadar/ethno_house_marasovi#When:09:57:00Z In ethno-house Marasović, there is a small exhibition of household furniture and agricultural tools, representing the long tradition, history, customs and beliefs of people from the Velebit area. A small info-centre and souvenir shop is also in the house. In authentic atmosphere of the Marasović ethno-house traditional food of this area can be found - simple food but rich in tastes and aromas. Mount Velebit is for Croatian people what Olympus Mount is for the Greeks, Mont Blanc for the Europeans, Fuji for the Japanese or Kilas for the Indians and Tibetans. Lush with distinctive botanical and animal species, this karst mountain has been enabling the survival of humans since prehistoric times. Indo-Europeans, Ilirs, Japodes, Liburnians, Romans, Croats… All these peoples who lived around Velebit have never completely disappeared but have remained in the area and assimilated with new settlers, retaining some of their own and accepting new ways of living, customs, beliefs... Since ancient times cattle breeding has been the main economy. The ways of living and earning have almost remained unchanged for centuries, and they have only started to change recently. In dry summer months the shepherds used to take their numerous goat and sheep flocks from the coastal areas higher into the mountain, and they would stay there for five to six months. They would build their shelters - modest habitats built of rocks - near the pastures and streams. Quite a number of people used to spend some time on Velebit during the summer, which can be seen from many remaining sacral structures such as small churches, chapels, “mirila” (tombstones), altars... Merchants and caravans crossed the mountain as well. People from the coast used to load horses or donkeys with their products - primarily salt, handmade wooden artefacts, figs and other agricultural products - and take them over the mountain inland to Lika, where they would exchange them for flour, furniture and other goods. One of the usual crossings was Velika Paklenica and it took about 10 hours to arrive to Lika. Besides cattle breeding people used to make dairy products (cheese) and wool. Women were using wool to make clothes, blankets and other products, either for their own usage or for sale or exchange. Men carved wood to make some pieces of furniture or tools. In coastal area grape growing was quite developed and more widespread than nowadays, while olive growing is picking up again. Settlements in coastal areas are small and dense, mostly of Mediterranean type. Houses were modest, with basic, home-made furniture. On the ground floor there was a fire place („komin“) and the room for the cattle or the wine cellar while the bedroom was upstairs. The roofs were covered with tiles and at the beginning of 20 century cement was used to make barrel type roofs without steel structure („krov na kubu“). This style is unique, although there are some similarities to the roofs in other Mediterranean areas. Since 1950s, or to be more precise, since the main coastal road called „Jadranska magistrala“ had been built, tourism started to develop and connections with the urban centres became easier, the life for the people of Velebit area has rapidly changed. *Taken from www.rivijera-paklenica.hr 2008-08-27T09:57:00+00:00 https://starigrad-paklenica.com/cultural-attractions/zadar/argyruntum_roman_glass https://starigrad-paklenica.com/cultural-attractions/zadar/argyruntum_roman_glass#When:09:53:00Z It is a poorly known fact that today’s Starigrad-Paklenica emerged from the foundations of the ancient Roman city of Argyruntum. However, in his work Naturalis historia, Pliny the Elder (Caius Plinius Secundus) included Argyruntum on the list of municipia, which implied that the citizens of the settlement were granted Roman rights. The city was located on a small 3.5 hectare peninsula and was surrounded by city walls, clearly seen in one epigraphic monument. The monument reveals that Argyruntum was granted the title of a municipium during the reign of Emperor Tiberius (31-35 A.D.). Like Zadar, Poreč and other cities dating back to the Early Imperial period, it is believed that there was a straight grid of streets (cardus and decumanus) within the walls. Along the main road leading to the entrance of the city was the "city of the dead" – the cemetery. Investigation of the Roman necropoli has offered many testaments of the high cultural and civilization level of the town’s citizens. The ashes of the cremated were placed in glass, stone or ceramic urns, and, as was the tradition throughout the Roman Empire, various items were placed next to the urns as offerings for the deceased to carry them over "to the other side". This is how various glass and ceramic dishes, bone, metal and amber jewellery, oil lanterns, and tools were discovered. The amber jewellery is deserving of special mention – from simple pearls to rings with female portraits and richly decorated boxes, as well as a large number of oil lanterns – lucernes. The most interesting find is certainly the collection of Roman glass – 146 dishes of various shapes (bowls, glasses, bottles). Based on the research and discoveries to date, it can be said that Starigrad-Paklenica survived the era of antiquity in the full glory of the Roman Empire. The collection of Roman glass is on exhibit at the Zadar Archaeology Museum. *Taken from www.rivijera-paklenica.hr 2008-08-27T09:53:00+00:00 https://starigrad-paklenica.com/cultural-attractions/zadar/mirila https://starigrad-paklenica.com/cultural-attractions/zadar/mirila#When:09:22:00Z Mirila, stone monuments to the departed, can be found along the mountain paths, passes, elevations and clearings of Mt. Velebit. Mirila date from the times of the Velebit hamlets (17th–20th centuries), that mainly survived from animal husbandry. They preserve the memories of persons who died on the mountain slopes and had to be carried to the village church and then to the cemetery where they were buried. On such arduous journeys, it was only permitted to stop, rest and place the deceased on the ground in one place - the place where the deceased would greet the sun for the last time. On this place was erected a mirilo, the resting place of the deceased. Flat stone tablets were generally laid at the head and foot of the deceased, marking his height, to be connected at a later date by a row of stone tablets. The headstones were also sometimes subsequently adorned with symbols carved in shallow relief. These mirila were venerated and visited more than graves, as it was believed that the grave only contained “the body without the soul, which remained at the mirilo.” Mystical artistic markings on the headstones, among which the cross and solar circle were the most common, bear witness to a continuity of artistic adornment from prehistoric cultures, via early Christianity and the iconography of the stećak (medieval Bosnian standing tombstone), while inscriptions are rare and belong to more recent times. As the stone markers of a unique funeral cult, mirila convey the customs, way of life and creativity of an entire era. The path includes 6 localities with mirila in the immediate vicinity of the village of Ljubotić, the former hub of this part of Velebit, to which the population of all the surrounding hamlets gravitated. This is also the location of the local cemetery - the starting place for the processions that carried the deceased to burial. Each of these localities contributes to a part of the story of this unique custom through words and pictures. The largest preserved group of over 300 mirila is the so-called Vukićeva mirila (6), located along an old path that connected the hamlet of Bristovac with Ljubotić. From the elevation on which the so-called Renjevačka mirila are located (5), there is a beautiful view of the entire Velebit Channel, all the way to the Zadar Archipelago. On the return trip, there is an opportunity to rest at the village household of Vrata Velebita, visit an ethno-house and a permanent exhibit on the development of beekeeping in Dalmatia and the Mediterranean. With advance notice, it is also possible to savor domestic specialties. - Time necessary for the tour: 2 hours; - Necessary equipment: sports clothing and shoes, water; - Difficulty of path: easy, with the exception of the ascent to Locality 5 and the descent to the village Ljubotić. - Length of path: 5 km *Taken from www.rivijera-paklenica.hr 2008-08-27T09:22:00+00:00 https://starigrad-paklenica.com/cultural-attractions/zadar/short_journey_trough_history https://starigrad-paklenica.com/cultural-attractions/zadar/short_journey_trough_history#When:09:15:00Z   Educational path Mesolithic Neolithic and Copper Age Bronze Age and Iron Age Classical Antiquity Middle Ages and Modern Age   Educational Path At a first glance, the maritime slope of Velebit range looks like a stone desert, unsuitable for human occupation. This appearance is misleading, however, since the area has been settled some ten thousand years ago, if not earlier. Ancient in ha bi tants have left behind many traces of their presence, their history and prehistory. Our journey through the past has five short chapters. The first three deal with prehistory, from huntergatherers of the final Ice Age, thr ough Neolithic sheph erds, to Liburnian chiefs and the dawn of history. The last two cover the historical period of roman rule and the troubled times of the Middle Ages. Mesolithic First evidence of people in Velebit During the last Ice Age, this region probably was inhabited by small bands of Paleolithic huntergatherers, just like the rest of the Mediterranean. At that time, the sea level was some 120 meters lower than today. The entire northern Adriatic was dry land, a sprawling grassy plain supporting large herds of wild cattle and horses. Velebit Channel was a wide valley traversed by a river, while Velebit range itself was cold and uninviting, its highest reaches covered by glaciers. Paleolithic huntergatherers kept close to their food sources, mostly located in valleys that were later flooded by the sea. Therefore, it is not surprising that we have not found any trace of them so far. It was only at the end of the Ice Age, when the sea levels began to rise, that the people had to seek out new ways of subsistence in higher, mountainous ground. They still hunted and gathered wild foods, but instead of cattle and horses, which disappeared together with the Adriatic plain, they hunted mountain goats and other animals inhabiting the rugged mountain terrain. The earliest evidence of human presence in the Velebit range, the unremarkable Mesolithic flint artifacts from the deepest layers of Vaganacka Cave near Veliko Rujno, belong to that period. Neolithic and Copper Age Arrival of the herders Some eight thousand years ago, the earliest farmers entered the Adriatic from the southeast. They arrived by boats, in small groups, bringing wheat, do mesticated sheep and goats, and the basic knowledge of cultivation and herding. Hunting and gathering soon ceased to be im portant and was replaced by farming. Since then, and until quite recently, pastoral life has remained one of the most important economic activities in Velebit. The karstic environment of fers little cultivable soil, but is fairly suitable for raising sheep and goats. Pastures are scattered across the mountain at different altitudes, allowing seasonal use. When grass near the coast dries out in the late spring, herds move up to the still green meadows hidden among the limestone crags. They spend the summer in the highest part of the mountain, on the largest and most abundant pasture grounds. With the coming of autumn rains, as the weather gets colder, the herds descend once again towards the coast. This seasonal movement of herds and shepherds has been going on for thousands of years, since the beginning of the Neolithic. Time and erosion removed all traces of the modest prehistoric shepherd’s huts and sheepfolds, but there are many caves in the karst that also served as shelter for people and their animals. About two dozen such caves are located in the National Park and its immediate neighborhood. Often they are walled off by drystone walls. The largest among them could have accommodated substantial herds of sheep and goats. Archaeological layers that accumulated inside those caves contain informative material remains - numerous bones of domestic animals, as well as discarded tools and accessories of the shepherds. Broken clay pots, variously shaped and decorated, are of particular interest. Pottery styles changed in time and, thanks to that, we can approximately determine the periods during which some of the caves were being used. Bronze Age and Iron Age Social hierarchies and monumental structures Communities grew during the Bronze Age, when first monumental structures were erected under the leadership of the emerging elites. Many strategic hilltops and prominent ridges were fortified by enclosing ramparts. Such prehistoric fortifications, usually occupying high ground, are known as hillforts. Hillforts clearly had a defensive purpose. In dangerous times, they could serve as shelter to inhabitants of the surrounding villages. Some of them may have been permanent settlements, seats of power of the local chiefs. Their ramparts, built without mortar of large un dressed stones, today lie in ruins. Resembling large, ring-shaped cairns, their remains can be several meters high. Hillforts overlooking Modric, Seline, Starigrad and Milovac protected the largest tract of arable land in the area. They also controlled the important shepherds’ trails and trade routes that led into Velebit and across the mountain range into Lika. The sea was the most important avenue of travel and trade, especially during the Iron Age, when Liburnian seafarers controlled the northern Adriatic. The probable purpose of a small hillfort on Veliki Vitrenik was navigation control. Located on a prominent peak above the entrance to Velika Paklenica gorge, this hillfort overlooks a large stretch of Velebit Channel. From it, timely warning could have been issued about approaching enemy ships, or return of friends and relatives announced. Most of the hillforts are surrounded by burials of Bronze Age and Iron Age chiefs who held power over the area. They were buried under large, circular stone cairns, in rectangular tombs made of stone slabs. Most of the cairns have been dug up in antiquity and the burials plundered. At the northern edge of Starigrad, in the area called Matkovaca, there are several prehistoric burial cairns. Classical Antiquity Raise and fall of the Roman rule During the last two centuries B.C., Roman legions gradually conquered the eastern Adriatic coast. Lasting Roman authority arrived with the creation of the province of Dalmatia at the beginning of the 1st century A.D. With the Romans came literacy, bringing the area previously controlled by Liburnians into the folds of history. Centuries of “Roman piece” followed, characterized by monetary economy and foundation of the earliest towns. Starigrad, roman Argyruntum, was founded at that time. It was located on a small peninsula, covering an area of only 3,5 hectares. Due to natural and artificial filling, the peninsula is today completely incorporated with the mainland. Argyruntum soon developed into a fairly important market town. The Roman Emperor Tiberius had it fortified by walls and towers in the fourth decade of the 1st century A.D. The town’s cemetery stretched along the road that led from the town towards the southeast. About 400 graves were excavated, yielding rich and variable archaeological finds: jewelry made of silver, bronze and amber, pottery, glass and metal vessels, tools and weapons. They show that the community was relatively affluent and kept lively trade links with many parts of the Mediterranean. Judging by the finds from the cemetery, Argyruntum was abandoned early in the 4th century A.D. Peace was shattered by incursions of the “barbaric peoples” who eventually brought down the once-powerful Roman state. The last attempt to reintegrate the Adriatic coast with the remains of the Empire was made by the Eastern Roman emperor Justinianus. In mid-sixth century A.D., Justinianus built a system of fortifications in order to secure shipping routes and protect the coastal population. Ruined walls and towers above Modric (east of Seline) and Sveta Trojica (near Tribanj) were a part of that defense system, which only briefly postponed the final collapse of the Classical civilization in the Adriatic. Middle Ages and Modern Age Croats, Turks, Venetians and Bunjevci The Early Middle Ages were marked by turmoil known as “the Great Migrations”. That was the time when Croats arrived to Dalmatia. The earliest preserved evidence of their presence in the neighborhood is the Early Medieval church of St. George in Rovanjska, built in 9th or 10th century A.D. The medieval church of St. Peter shows that Starigrad was again inhabited. The cemetery around the church was used since 13th century, while the most impressive burial monuments - massive stone slabs, sometimes decorated by simple, shallow reliefs - date from the very end of the Middle Ages (14th to 16th century). Two forts were probably built at that time: Vecka Tower, on a cape just east of Starigrad, and Paklaric, on top of a longabandoned prehistoric hillfort, overlooking the entrance to Velika Paklenica gorge. Wars with the Turks that followed lasted for two centuries, devastating the coast and the maritime slope of Velebit. In 1527, Turks occupied Lika and the hinterland of Dalmatia, including the near-by Obrovac on the river Zrmanja. Three decades later they occupied a large part of Ravni Kotari and reached the bay of Novigrad, severing the link between northern and southern parts of Croatia. Velebit’s maritime slope became a “no man’s land”, the scene of action of frequent clashes and raids. Its inhabitants fled and emigrated, leaving the area deserted. Desolation lasted for some 150 years. With the decline of the Turkish might, Venetian authorities began repopulating Starigrad in 1671. By the end of 17th century, almost the entire maritime slope was settled once again. The settlers were Bunjevci, a Croatian population from the neighboring areas that were still under Turkish occupation. When the Turks finally withdrew in year 1700, the area was reunited with the rest of Dalmatia under Venetian rule. *Taken from www.rivijera-paklenica.hr 2008-08-27T09:15:00+00:00