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Biograd na Moru
'Biograd na Moru' (Italian: ''Zaravecchia'') is a city and municipality in northern
Dalmatia,
Croatia. Its population is 6,059 (2005). Biograd is administratively part of the
Zadar county. It is located on the
Adriatic Sea coast, overlooking the island of
Pašman, on the road from
Zadar and
Sukošan towards
Vodice and
Å ibenik. It has a population of 5,259 (2001 census), 95% which are
Croats.
The city of Biograd is a noted tourist resort with a long tradition. Its first tourists started arriving in the
1920s from the
Czech lands and its first hotel was built in
1935.
Geography
Biograd na Moru is located 28 km south from county center Zadar. It is located on small peninsula surrounded by two little bays - Soline on south and Bošane on north and in front islands Planac and Sveta Katarina. Average temperature in january is 7°C and 24°C in july. Biograd is the only settlement in the municipality.
History
The town's name means "white town on the sea". It was first mentioned in the
10th century as a town founded by
Croatian kings. It became the capital of Croatian kings as well as bishops, and was the city where
Coloman of Hungary was coronated in
1102, marking Croatia's joining the
Kingdom of Hungary. In
1202, when the Crusaders of the
Fourth Crusade occupied the city of
Zara (Zadar), many of its citizens took refuge in Biograd, after which the city was also referred to as ''Zara vecchia'' ("Old Zara").
During the 13th and 14th century the city was run by the dukes of
Cetina, the
Knights Templar of
Vrana and the dukes of
Bribir the
Šubićes. It was acquired by the
Venetian Republic in
1409 and would remain its property until its downfall in
1797.
During the Venetian-
Turkish wars, the city was gravely damaged, and on two occasions, in
1521 and in
1646, it was destroyed and burned. In the 16th and 17th century, the Croatian militia formed in Biograd and had much involvement in the wars against the Turks.
In recent history, the
Serbian forces inflicted considerable damage by long-range bombardment in the period
1991-
1993 during the
Croatian War of Independence.
External links
★
Biograd na Moru official web site
★
Biograd.info
★
Biograd.com