Vrana
Encyclopedia
Vrana is historic settlement located north of the Vrana Lake, 6 km from Pakoštane
, a few kilometers from the Adriatic coast, in Zadar County
, Dalmatia
, Croatia
. Today it is a small rural settlement.
was closely connected with three religious communities: the Benedictines, Knights Templar
and Knights Hospitaller
. Arrival of these three orders in Vrana and their cultural and political influence was conditioned by the medieval circumstances in Croatia and by the Roman Pope. Vrana has become one of the most important centers of political life, especially in the period from 1070, until the Turkish
conquest of Vrana in 1537.
. Vrana is a first permanent diplomatic headquarters of pope's deputies in the entire Slavic
area. Insignia of Croatian Kingdom were kept within Vrana walls for a long time, that is why Coloman of Hungary in 1102 came to the coronation in Biograd, as nearest royal residence.
In 12th century Church gives this property to Knights Templar
. At that time, Vrana was fortified with walls
, towers and moat
. There are assumptions that the present ruins of a fortified facility above the village were part of a fortified town with a church. After Knights Templars, Vrana was a property of Knights Hospitallers from 1312.
Pakoštane
Pakoštane is a municipality in Croatia in the Zadar county. According to the 2001 census, there are 3,884 inhabitants, 98% which are Croats.North of the Vrana Lake, 6 km from Pakoštane, there is historic settlement of Vrana.-Attractions:...
, a few kilometers from the Adriatic coast, in Zadar County
Zadar County
Zadar County is a county in Croatia, it encompasses northern Dalmatia and southeastern Lika. Its center is the city of Zadar.- Population :According to the 2001 census, Zadar County has population of 162,045...
, Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
. Today it is a small rural settlement.
Intro
The significance of Vrana for the medieval Croatian historyKingdom of Croatia (Medieval)
The Kingdom of Croatia , also known as the Kingdom of the Croats , was a medieval kingdom covering most of what is today Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Balkans.Established in 925, it ruled as a sovereign state for almost two centuries...
was closely connected with three religious communities: the Benedictines, Knights Templar
Knights Templar
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple or simply as Templars, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders...
and Knights Hospitaller
Knights Hospitaller
The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta , also known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta , Order of Malta or Knights of Malta, is a Roman Catholic lay religious order, traditionally of military, chivalrous, noble nature. It is the world's...
. Arrival of these three orders in Vrana and their cultural and political influence was conditioned by the medieval circumstances in Croatia and by the Roman Pope. Vrana has become one of the most important centers of political life, especially in the period from 1070, until the Turkish
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
conquest of Vrana in 1537.
History
After the pope's deputies crowned him for the king of the Croatia, King Zvonimir Dmitar in 1076 donated the city of Vrana and Benedictine monastery of St. Gregory, as a sign of loyalty to Pope Gregory VIIPope Gregory VII
Pope St. Gregory VII , born Hildebrand of Sovana , was Pope from April 22, 1073, until his death. One of the great reforming popes, he is perhaps best known for the part he played in the Investiture Controversy, his dispute with Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor affirming the primacy of the papal...
. Vrana is a first permanent diplomatic headquarters of pope's deputies in the entire Slavic
Slavic Europe
Slavic Europe is a region of Europe where Slavic languages are spoken. This area is situated in Central and Eastern Europe and the Balkans, and includes the nations of Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, the Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Russia,...
area. Insignia of Croatian Kingdom were kept within Vrana walls for a long time, that is why Coloman of Hungary in 1102 came to the coronation in Biograd, as nearest royal residence.
In 12th century Church gives this property to Knights Templar
Knights Templar
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple or simply as Templars, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders...
. At that time, Vrana was fortified with walls
Walls
- Other uses :*Wall's , a company that makes ice cream*Wall's sausages, a British sausage brand*Walls, an episode of Power Rangers S.P.D.- Music :*Walls EP, a 2005 album by The Red Paintings*Walls , 2007...
, towers and moat
Moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices...
. There are assumptions that the present ruins of a fortified facility above the village were part of a fortified town with a church. After Knights Templars, Vrana was a property of Knights Hospitallers from 1312.
Attractions
- Benedictine monastery or fortress Vrana
- Vrana Lake (Vransko jezero)
- Han Jusufa Maškovića HanHan-China:* China , an abbreviation or adjectival modifier for things Chinese* Han Chinese , the dominant majority ethnic group of China and overseas Chinese...
External links
- http://hakave.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1419&Itemid=151
- http://www.templari.hr/slike/Vrana_i_templari.pdf
- http://www.vjesnik.hr/pdf/1999%5C09%5C05%5C21A21.PDF