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'Šibenik' (Italian: ''Sebenico'') is a historic town in Croatia, population 51,553 (2001). It is located in central Dalmatia where the river Krka flows into the Adriatic Sea. Located at , Šibenik is a political, educational, transport, industrial and tourist center of Šibenik-Knin county.
The majority of its citizens are Croats, with 94.02% (2001 census).

Contents

History

Main sights

Culture and events

Twin towns

Notable people

External links

History

Šibenik was mentioned for the first time under its present name in 1066 in a Charter of the Croatian King Petar Krešimir IV. For a period of time was a seat of Croatian King. For that reason, Šibenik is also called "Krešimirov grad" (Krešimir's city). Unlike other Dalmatian towns that were founded by the Illyrians, Greeks, and Romans, it is the oldest native Croatian town on the eastern shores of the Adriatic.
Šibenik was given the status of a town and its own diocese in 1298. Excavations of the castle of Saint Michael have since proven that the place was inhabited long before the actual arrival of the Croats. The city, like the rest of Dalmatia, resisted the Venetians up to 1412. The Ottoman Empire started to threaten Šibenik at the end of the 15th century, but they never succeed in conquering it. In the 16th century, the fortress of St. Nicholas was built and, by the 17th century, its fortifications were improved again by the fortresses of St. John (Tanaja) and Šubićevac (Barone).
The fall of the Venetian Republic in 1797 brought Šibenik under the authority of the Habsburg Monarchy. After World War I it was part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, while during World War II it was occupied by Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany. After WWII it was a part of the SFR Yugoslavia until Croatia declared independence in 1991. On September 16 that same year, Šibenik was heavily attacked from the air, sea and land by the Yugoslav army. The Theatre of Sibenik, - named "Teatro Sociale di Sebenico", and from 1872 "Teatro Mazzoleni" - which was built in 1870 (and was the biggest and most beautiful theater in the country), was blown up by a Chetnik grenade. It was thoroughly restored and officially reopened in 2001.

Main sights

The central church in Šibenik, the Cathedral of St. James, is on the UNESCO world heritage list.
Several successive architects built it completely in stone in the 15th and 16th centuries, both in Gothic and in Renaissance style. The interlocking stone slabs of the Cathedral's roof were damaged when the city was shelled by Serbian forces in 1991. The damage has since been repaired.

Culture and events

The annual Šibenik International Children's Festival (''Međunarodni Dječji Festival'') takes place every summer.
The composer Jakov Gotovac founded the city's "Philharmonia Society" in 1922. The composer Franz von Suppé was part of the city's cultural fabric, as he was a native of nearby Split.

Twin towns

★ Civitanova Marche, Italy

★ San Benedetto del Tronto, Italy

Notable people

★ St. Nikola Tavelić, first Croatian saint

★ Faust Vrančić, inventor

★ Antun Vrančić, writer

★ Natale Bonifazio, woodcarver

★ Giorgio Orsini, architect and sculptor

★ Roberto Ferruzzi, painter

★ Krešimir Baranović, composer and conducter

★ Ester Mazzoleni, opera singer

★ Mišo Kovač, singer

★ Arsen Dedić, musician

★ Niccolò Tommaseo, Italian linguist and journalist

★ Roberto de Visiani, botanist

★ Angelo Antonio Frari, famous physician, epidemiologist, historian of medicine, and protomedicus of Venice

★ Dražen Petrović, basketball player

★ Ivo Brešan writer

★ Goran Višnjić, actor, best known for his role on ''ER'').

★ Branko Grgić, president of Hajduk Split

★ Perica Bukić, former water polo player and politician

★ Maksim Mrvica, pianist

★ Ante Rukavina, football player

★ Gordon Schildenfeld, football player

★ Anthony Maglica, inventor

External links

★ Official Šibenik City Council website

★ CroTouristica.com - Šibenik tourist info

★ Šibenik Foto Gallery

★ Šibenik on-line

★ Šibenik attractions