Directory talk:Korcula History 2

Directory talk is my work page

• Nikola Ostojic - 1858 : "Because of the islands dark appearance of its woods it was called Corcira Melaena" referring to the Greeks.
• Romans-Latin: Corcyra Nigra

Some of the latest research studies

• Becoming Slav, Becoming Croat: Identity Transformations in Post-Roman and and Early Medieval Dalmatia by Danijel Dzino
• When Ethnicity did not Matter in the Balkans by John Van Antwerp Fine.
• Venice and the Slavs: The Discovery of Dalmatia in the Age of Enlightenment by Larry Wolff.
• The Italians of Dalmatia: From Italian Unification to World War I by Luciano Monzali
• University of Zadar - Sociogeographic Transformation of the Western Part of Korcula Island by Lena Mirosevic
• Identity “ConflIct” of Dalmatian Italians by Mirko Dindic (hrcak.srce.hr)

---

A Bit of Dalmatian History

• The National Party (Narodnjaci) from the Kingdom of Dalmatia (Austro-Hungarian Empire). The second half of the 19th century and early 20th century.

“

According to Costant (Kosta) Vojnovic, one of the principal Dalmatian Slavophile intellectuals, Dalmatia was part of the 'Slav-Hellenic' peninsula and was populated exclusively by the ' Slav race'; there were no Italians in Dalmatia, and so it was necessary to 'nationalize' the schools, the administration, and the courts in order to erase the traces left by Venetian rule and damage it caused. The Italian culture could survive only within the limits of Slav national character of the country and, in any case, without any recognition as a autochthonus element of Dalmatian society.

”

Note: The National Party (Narodnjaci) had very interesting policies. They seem to be German Nazism, Fascism and Communism all in one. One could say Kosta Vojnović predicted future events.

• Lena Mirosevic; Department of Geography, University of Zadar on Old Croatian cemeteries & churches:

“

It appears that the 7th and the 8th century marked the ending of many cult locations in an area short of reliable archaeological traces of that time. Sacral buildings were mostly abandoned before the arrival of the Slavs i.e. Croats on the Adriatic coast. Apparently, it wasn’t until the 14th and the 15th century that the worship of the old protectors was restored, but in new churches and chapels at safer locations in the interior of the island. There are no traces of any old Croatian cemeteries, and this fact itself providesan insight into the processes of settling Korcula Island in the early Middle Ages.

”

Wikipedia and Korcula

• Wikipedia and Korcula-Town:

“

Korčula, like other islands and many coastal cities in Dalmatia, also displays a dual Latin-Slav culture which developed from the late Roman era to the emergence of the modern Croatian state. Until the late 19th century, Italians made up the vast majority of the population of Korčula town while the rest of the island was almost completely inhabited by Croatians. The island therefore possesses a distinct Adriatic or Mediterranean cultural personality which sets it apart from the mountainous Dalmatian hinterland and continental Croatia further north. (dated 9/4/2011)

”

Surnames on the west end of the island around Around 1600s

• de Ismael (Croatisation: Izmaeli)
• de Gabriel (Croatisation:Gabrijeliċ)
• de Giunio (Croatisation:Đunio)
• de Arneri
• de Canavel (Croatisation:Kanavelić). He signed himself as Pietro Canaveli or De Canavellis.
• Nikonitia or Nikoničić (according to Zvonko Maričić this is a Croatian family)
• Kolović
• Draginić (Drahinei)
• Tulić
• Nalošić
• Kostričić
• Cettineo (Croatisation:Cetinić)
• Mirošević
• Xuvella (Croatisation:Žuvela)
• Prižmić
• Marinović
• Dragojevič
• Barčot
• Surjan (Surian)
• Jacobus Bannissius (Croatisation:Jakov Baničević)

A Dalmatian, who was born on Korcula in 1466. He identified with Illyria, mentioning “my Illyria” in his corespondents, not Croatia.

Croatian Identity

Three men: Horoúathos, Horoáthos, and Horóathos (Χορούαθ[ος], Χοροάθος, Χορόαθος) are mentioned in the Tanais Tablets (primary source). They are written in Greek and are from the 3rd century AD from the city of Tanais, today's Azov, Russia. At that time it had mixed Greek - Sarmatian (Iranian) population. Discovered by a Russian archaeologist Pavel Mikhailovich Leontjev in 1853.

Dux Cruatorum Branimero or Prince Branimir inscription, c. 880 AD from town of Nin-Croatia (Old Dalmatia). This is the first primary source mention of the Croatian identity in the Balkans. (John the Deacon, who was chaplain to the doge of the Republic of Venice)

There is archaeological evidence from 16 century where the Croatian identity was used on Korcula. Stone writings in Zavalatica are dedicated to events from 889 AD. It describes a clash between the Slavic population and the Venetian army. Marinko Gjivoje wrote about the find in 1972. The stone writings uses Hrvat Dalmatinac in its writings. Hrvat means Croatian in Slavic.

Slavic Identity

The term Slav was first used by the Byzantines and was written in the 6th century in Greek (Σκλαβῖνοι-Sklabenoi). Later in Latin it was written Sclaveni.

• The Making of the Slavs: History and Archaeology of the Lower Danube Region by Florin Curta

To my knowledge first primary source written about of Slavs and Korcula is Doge Pietro II Orseolo's attack on the island in 998 -1000. (Chronicon Venetum, Chronicle of Grado & John the Deacon, who was chaplain to the doge of the Republic of Venice)

Secondary source is about events from the year 1262:

• Smiciklas, CD V, (p237)
• N. Klaic, Povijest Hrvata u Razvijenom, (p130)

This is interesting:

• Below taken from it.wikipedia.org Link

Additional editing done by Peter Z. 11:26, 8 April 2011 (UTC)

For the original from Goole Translate link here Note: Clearly Google Translate is not 100% accurate.Peter Z. 01:10, 9 April 2011 (UTC)

Korcula (Town)

Korcula (in Croatian Korčula) is the largest city of the island of Korcula in Dalmatia-Croatia.

• The City of Korcula is made ​​up of five settlements (naselje)
• Korcula (Korčula)
• Bùgnore (Žrnovo)
• Poponatta (Pupnat)
• Porto Barbieri (Račišće)
• Villa Chiarra (Čara)

History

Korcula was a Bishopric from 1300 to 1828. Until 1900 the Italians (Venetians) constituted over half the population of Korcula town (and the nearby village of Petrara/Vrnik) . Gradually decreasing their number went with the island's annexation by the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. The massacres of Croatians after World War II caused the flight of the last remaining native Italians in the city.

The Italians in Korcula in the nineteenth and twentieth century

At the census of 1910 Italians were 25% of the population of the centre of Korcula and 15% of the nearby village of Petrara (Vrnik). In the rest of the town, as well as in the rest of the island, there was an Italian population. The majority of Italians were made by small artisans, especially cut-stones, masons and carpenters, trades in which these Curzolani Petrara (Vrnik) and those of teachers and were known and appreciated beyond the borders of Dalmatia. A minority, however, was made up of landowners, merchants and retailers. In 1861 Curzolani political representatives of the Italian language were family members of Auditors Smerchinich (Smerkinić, of Slavic origin or Smrkinić).

In 1867 Mr Smerchinich was elected to parliament in Vienna. However, the Slavicisation of the town had already begun by the Austrian authorities, who considered the Croats more loyal subjects than the Italians. In 1893, there was protests by the local population. The imperial authorities did close the local Italian school and education was provided solely in Korcula in Croatia. But Korcula city continued to vote for Smerchinich compactly. Moreover, in response to the growing work of the City being slavicized. In 1895 , was founded one of the first sites of the National League, which strove for the preservation of Italian language and culture on site. However, despite the forced Slavicisation by the local authorities, in 1909 Korcula still had a bilingual character. With the collapse of Austria-Hungary following the end of World War I fierce disputes started between the Italians and Croatians.

On November 4, 1918 , the Italian navy occupied the city.

Many at the time, also gave some to a shipment of D'Annunzio in Korcula, similar to the story of the River. = ?

However, in 1921, Italy gave up and retreated from the island, throwing the town into turmoil and depression within the local Italian population (then about 900 people). The situation was aggravated by the fact that between 1918 and 1920 , the Italian authorities of occupation had incited and carried on with local anti-Yugoslav political events. This policy had created animosity among Italians and Croats, who were afraid of the risk of reprisals at the time of the advent of the sovereignty of Yugoslavia, and the risk of an exodus of the Italian population. In March 1921, the exodus of Italians Curzolani began. This was accelerated by events and rallies hostile to Italy and the Italians, that were repeated every day. They were fuelled by the Arneri brothers, former Austrian officials.

In May 1921 , more than half of local Italians had left the island. At the end of that year, only 180 Italians who stay on the island, meet at former Italin school. In 1923 , the number of Italians had been reduced to 46. However, some had preferred the Yugoslav citizenship for not losing their economic activities. Indeed, in 1933 the mixed elementary school had 40 pupils Italian town. Korcula also continued to operate the Italian Union, an association chaired by Michele Smerchinich, with 41 members remaining members of the main Italian families (Benussi, Damianovich, Depolo, Perucich, Radizza, Smerchinich, Vinz, Zanetti). At the end of World War II, however, were no longer left on Korcula Italians.

Towns and municipalities in the region of Dubrovnik-Neretva

City: Korcula (Korčula) · Metcovich (Metković) · Fort'Opus (Opuzen) · Porto Toler (Ploce) · Ragusa (Dubrovnik) Common: Blatta (Blato) · Dubrovačko Primorje · Iagnina (Janjina) · Valley Channels (Konavle) · Norino Tower (Kula Norinska) · Lastovo (Lastovo) · Lombarda (Lumbarda) · Mljet (Mljet) · Pojezerje · Sabbioncello (Orebić ) · Slivno · Smoquizza (Smokvica) · Pond (Stone) · Trpanj (Trpanj) · Vallegrande (Vela Luka) · Zažablje · Župa dubrovačka ·