Biskupija | |
|---|---|
| Općina Biskupija Општина Бискупија Municipality of Biskupija | |
 Interactive map of Biskupija | |
  Biskupija | |
| Coordinates:44°0′N16°14′E / 44.000°N 16.233°E /44.000; 16.233 | |
| Country |  Croatia |
| Historical region | Dalmatian Hinterland |
| County |  Šibenik-Knin |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Milan Đurđević (SDSS) |
| Area | |
• Total | 133.4 km2 (51.5 sq mi) |
| Population (2021)[3] | |
• Total | 1,177 |
| • Density | 8.823/km2 (22.85/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code[4] | 22300 Knin |
| Website | biskupija |
Biskupija (Serbian Cyrillic:Бискупија)[5] is a village and municipality inŠibenik-Knin County,Croatia. The seat of the municipality is the village of Orlić.[6]
The wordBiskupija inCroatian meansdiocese, referring to the former estate and seat of Croatian bishops in this area. The place was also known asKosovo from 11th til 18th century, after theKosovo field.[7]Kosovo is still used as name for thetrain station located in the municipality.[8]
The municipality covers akarst field calledKosovo field, located between the mountains ofPromina andVeliki Kozjak. The village of Biskupija itself is located in the north of the municipality, just south ofKnin.TheD33 andD1 state roads and theZagreb-Split railway pass through the municipality.
Along withCroatian, which is the official language in the whole country,Serbian language andSerbian Cyrillic alphabet are co-official on the territory of the municipality.[9][5][10]: 2 As of 2023, most of the legal requirements for the fulfillment of bilingual standards have not been carried out. Official buildings do have Cyrillic signage, but not street signs or seals. Cyrillic is not used on any official documents, nor are there public legal and administrative employees proficient in the script.[10]: 133, 134
The shrine of Our Lady of Biskupija, orSt. Mary of Croatia, is situated in the village of Biskupija, 5 km southeast ofKnin, theformer church and cultural centre of theCroatian state in theMiddle Ages. Nearby, the forgotten hamlet ofStari Popovići, with its well-preserved stone houses and unique architecture, stands as a testament to the region’s rich history and rural heritage. Archaeologists have discovered the foundations of five churches in that village, dating from the period of Croatian rulers from the 9th to the 11th century. St. Mary's church was the residence of theBishop of Knin, who was Bishop of Croatia from 1040 to 1522. The earliest known figure of Our Lady in Croatian art was discovered by archaeologists in that same church on a part of the stone partition wall, which separated the shrine from the church nave. It is still venerated asOur Lady of the Great Croatian Vow.
Today, on the foundations of the old Croatian church of the same name there stands a memorial church, decorated between 1937 and 1938 according to the designs of Croatia’s most famous sculptor,Ivan Meštrović. The church is a single-nave building (16 x 8.4 m) with a square niche for the altar, and a 12.5-metre-tall (41 ft) steeple before it. Ivan Meštrović also created the statue of Our Lady, depicting a Mother wearing a folk costume fromDalmatian Hinterland, with a child on her lap, and who is writing the book of life. Regrettably, however, the statue was destroyed bySerbian rebels. Above the niche containing the main altar the renowned Croatian artist,Jozo Kljaković, painted the fresco "King Zvonimir holding Court", which was also riddled by bullets fired by Serbian extremists. The church was thoroughly refurbished in 1966, when Meštrović's statue was restored. Since then, the main pilgrimage occurs on the last Sunday in September, when the Holy Virgin’s name is honoured. The church was once again destroyed during theCroatian War of Independence, and now awaits rebuilding.
In April 1943,Đujić'sChetniks set up a prison and execution site in the village of Kosovo (today Biskupija).[11] Thousands of local civilians, (both Croats and even Serb Anti-Fascists) including women and children, as well as capturedPartisans, were held and mistreated at this prison, while hundreds of prisoners (as many as over 1,000[12]) were tortured and killed at an execution site near a ravine close to the camp.[13]
In August 1995, 15 elderly Serbian civilians were massacres byCroatian forces in the aftermath ofOperation Storm.[14]
As per 2011 census, there were a total of 1,699 inhabitants in the municipality: 1,452Serbs, 231Croats and 16 others.[15] By mother tongue, there were 589Croatian speakers, 417Serbian speakers, 687Serbo-Croatian speakers and 6 speakers of other languages combined.[16]
In 2021, the municipality had 1,177 residents in the following 8 settlements:[3]
| population | 4994 | 5082 | 4387 | 5285 | 5586 | 6027 | 5757 | 7279 | 6698 | 7102 | 7155 | 6503 | 5682 | 5417 | 1669 | 1699 | 1177 |
| 1857 | 1869 | 1880 | 1890 | 1900 | 1910 | 1921 | 1931 | 1948 | 1953 | 1961 | 1971 | 1981 | 1991 | 2001 | 2011 | 2021 |
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)