Šibenik (Croatian:[ʃîbeniːk]ⓘ) is a historic town inCroatia, located in centralDalmatia, where the riverKrka flows into theAdriatic Sea. Šibenik is one of the oldestCroatian self-governing cities[4] on theAdriatic, the capital and cultural, educational, administrative and economic center ofŠibenik-Knin County, and is also thethird-largest town in the Dalmatian region. As of 2021, the town has 31,115 inhabitants, while the municipality has 42,599 inhabitants.[5]The seat is theŠibenik Diocese.
It was first mentioned onChristmas 1066 in a grant ofPeter Krešimir IV, so it is also calledKrešimir's Town. Until theplague pandemic in 17th century it was the largest city on the entire eastern coast of the Adriatic.[6][7] Šibenik was thede facto capital of theCroatia from December 1944 to May 1945. It is also significant as the place offoundation of theCroatian Navy.
There are multiple interpretations of how Šibenik was named. In his fifteenth-century bookDe situ Illiriae et civitate Sibenici,Giorgio Sisgoreo describes the name and location of Šibenik. He attributes the name of the city to it being surrounded by a palisade made ofšibe 'switches/twigs'.[8] Some argue the name is of Illyrian origin, or derived from the family name of theŠubićs.[8] Another interpretation is associated with the forest through the LatintoponymSibinicum, which covered a narrower microregion within Šibenik on and around the area ofSt. Michael's Fortress.[9]
Unlike other cities along the Adriatic coast, which were established by Greeks, Illyrians and Romans, Šibenik was founded bySlavs.[10] It was mentioned for the first time under its present name in 1066 in a Charter of theCroatian KingPetar Krešimir IV[10] and, for a period of time, it was a seat of this Croatian King. For that reason, Šibenik is also called "Krešimirov grad" (Krešimir's city).
Between the 11th and 12th centuries, Šibenik was tossed back and forth amongVenice,Byzantium, andHungary. It was conquered by theRepublic of Venice in 1116,[11] who held it until 1124, when they briefly lost it to the Byzantine Empire,[12] and then held it again until 1133 when it was retaken by theKingdom of Hungary.[13] It would change hands among the aforementioned states several more times until 1180.
The city, like the rest ofDalmatia, initially resisted theVenetian Republic, but it was taken over after a three-year war in 1412.[10] Under Venetian rule, Šibenik became in 1412 the seat of the maincustoms office and the seat of the salt consumers office with amonopoly on the salt trade inChioggia and on the wholeAdriatic Sea.
In August 1417, Venetian authorities were concerned with the "Morlachs and other Slavs" from the hinterland, that were a threat to security in Šibenik.[15] TheOttoman Empire started to threaten Šibenik (known asSebenico), as part of their struggle against Venice, at the end of the 15th century,[11] but they never succeeded in conquering it. In the 16th century,St. Nicholas Fortress was built and, by the 17th century, its fortifications were improved again by the fortresses of St. John (Tanaja) and Šubićevac (Barone).
In 1872, at the time in theKingdom of Dalmatia,Ante Šupuk became the town's first Croat mayor elected under universal suffrage. He was instrumental in the process of the modernization of the city, and is particularly remembered for the 1895 project to providestreet lights powered by the early ACJaruga Hydroelectric Power Plant. On 28 August 1895, Šibenik became the world's first city withalternating current-powered street lights.[18]
Šibenik'sBorgo di Terra (land-side borough) in 1907 - today'sPoljana. In the foreground the National Theatre and in the background theFortress (Tvrđava sv. Mihovila/Castel vecchio).
DuringWorld War I, the Austro-Hungarian navy used the port facilities of Šibenik, and the light cruisers and destroyers which escaped the Allied force after the battle of Cape Rodoni (or Gargano) returned to safety in the city, where some battleships were based.[19] After the war Šibenik was occupied by theKingdom of Italy until 12 June 1921 within the framework of theoccupation of the eastern Adriatic. As a result of theTreaty of Rapallo, the Italians gave up their claim to the city and it became a part of theKingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. After World War I, the exodus of theDalmatian Italians from the city began.[20] DuringWorld War II, Šibenik was annexed byItaly and was part of the ItalianGovernorate of Dalmatia from 1941 to 1943 being part of theprovince of Zara. Communist partisans liberated Šibenik on 3 November 1944.
After World War II it became a part of theSFR Yugoslavia until Croatia declared independence in 1991.
During theCroatian War of Independence (1991–95), Šibenik was heavily attacked by theYugoslav People's Army and Serbian paramilitary troops.[11][better source needed] Although under-armed, the nascentCroatian army and the people of Šibenik managed to defend the city. The battle lasted for six days (16–22 September), often referred to as the "September battle". The bombings damaged numerous buildings and monuments, including the dome of theŠibenik Cathedral of St James and the 1870-built theatre building.
In an August 1995military operation, the Croatian Army defeated the Serb forces and reconquered the occupied areas,[11] which allowed the region to recover from the war and continue to develop as the centre of Šibenik-Knin county. Since then, the damaged areas of the city have been fully restored.
Šibenik has amediterranean climate (Csa), with mild, humid winters and hot, dry summers. January and February are the coldest months, July and August are the hottest months. In July the average maximum temperature is around 30 °C (86 °F). TheKöppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Csa" (Mediterranean Climate).[21]
Since records began in 1949, the highest temperature recorded at the local weather station at an elevation of 77 metres (253 ft) was 39.4 °C (102.9 °F), on 10 August 2017.[22] The coldest temperature was −11.0 °C (12.2 °F), on 10 February 1956.[23]
Several successive architects built it completely in stone between 1431 and 1536,[10] both inGothic and inRenaissance style. The interlocking stone slabs of the cathedral's roof were damaged when the city was shelled byYugoslav forces in 1991. The damage has since been repaired.
In the city of Šibenik there are four fortresses, each of which has views of the city, sea and nearby islands. The fortresses are now tourist sightseeing destinations.
Roughly 18 kilometres (11 mi) north of the city is theKrka National Park, similar to thePlitvice Lakes National Park, known for its many waterfalls, flora, fauna, and historical and archaeological remains.
TheKornati archipelago, west of Šibenik, consists of 150 islands in a sea area of about 320 km2 (124 sq mi), making it the densestarchipelago in theMediterranean Sea.[26]
The composerJakov Gotovac founded the city's "Philharmonia Society" in 1922. The 19th-century composerFranz von Suppé was part of the city's cultural fabric, as he was a native of nearbySplit.
Each summer, a number of concerts and events take place in the city, many of them in the St. Michael Fortress. Also, starting in 2016 on a nearby island of Obonjan (6 kilometres (3.7 miles) southwest of the city), an annual music, art, health and workshop festival is being held.
The annual Šibenik International Children's Festival (Međunarodni Dječji Festival) takes place every summer and hosts children's workshops, plays and other activities.From 2011 to 2013 the Terraneo festival (music festival) was held in August on a yearly basis on a former military area in Šibenik, and since 2014 Šibenik (and other nearby towns) are the home of its spiritual successor Super Uho festival. Šibenik hosts the Dalmatian Chanson Evenings festival (Večeri Dalmatinske Šansone), held in the second half of August.[27]
The famous multi-purpose Baldekin Sports Hall was the home arena ofKK Šibenik, the famous basketball club which played in the final of theFIBA Korać Cup twice, as well as in the final of the1982–83 Yugoslav league championship. The team was led by then 19-year-old Dražen Petrović.[28]
The dissolved men's basketball club,Jolly Jadranska banka, played in the play-offs semifinals of the Croatian league championship twice, as well as in theKrešimir Ćosić Cup final game in the 2016–17 season.[30][31]
Šubićevac stadium, which is located in the neighbourhood of the same name, has been the home ground of theHNK Šibenik football club, which had played many years in theYugoslav Second League, and later many years in theCroatian First League. In the 2009–10 season, the club played in theCroatian Cup final, which they lost to powerhouseHajduk Split. As of 2021, the club again competes in the Croatian First League.
Croatian water polo internationals, Perica Bukić and Renato Vrbičić, are Olympic medalists. They won gold medals at the1996 Summer Olympics inAtlanta. Ivica Tucak has been the most successful coach of the senior men's Croatian national team ever.
Source: Naselja i stanovništvo Republike Hrvatske 1857–2021,DZS
In the 2021 Croatian census, Šibenik's total city population was 42,599 which makes it the eleventh-largest city in Croatia, with 31,115 in the urban settlement.[5]
Throughout history, there was a significantItalian-speaking community in Šibenik. According to the Austrian censuses, there were 1,018 residents of the central settlement that usedItalian as theirhabitual language[36] (14.5% of the total population) in 1890, and 810 (6.4%) in 1910.[37] The commune as a whole had 1,090 (5.3%) Italian speakers in 1890, and 836 (2.8%) in 1910.[37] In 2011, only 16 people declared themselves as Italians, corresponding to 0.03% of the total population.[38]
Šibenik is one of the best protected ports on the Croatian Adriatic and is situated on the estuary of theKrka River. The approach channel is navigable by ships up to 50,000 tonnesdeadweight. The port itself has depths up to 40 m.[39]
^Monumenta spectantia historiam Slavorum meridionalium: Edidit Academia Scienciarum et Artium Slavorum Meridionalium, Volume 1. Croatia: Jugoslavenska akademija znanosti i umjetnosti. 1868. p. 171.
^Skračiċ, Vladimir (2003).Kornat Islands. Zadar: Forum.ISBN953-179-600-9.
^"Dalmatian Chanson Evenings".Šibenik Tourist Board.Archived from the original on 9 January 2021. Retrieved6 January 2021.Live performances with orchestra and choir accompany the best Croatian artists, composers and songwriters.
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