SIGHTS

Of Ravni kotari

SIGHTS

In the sunny valleys and rocky hills of Ravni Kotari and Bukovica, standing in front of you are the remains of proud towns built in faraway history on the mysterious hills above today's villages with significant names (Zagrad, Podgrad,…), medieval forts that evoke mythical battles at the crossroads of civilizations, little rustic churches from the time when the Christianity was born, lost signs alongside the Roman roads, remains of the birth of the Croatian state and stone buildings made in times of need by the skilled hands of a common genius.

ASSERIA

At the place where the tame fields of Ravni Kotari turn into the karstic barren land of Bukovica, on the strategic hill above the important roads, stands Asseria, as long as the time itself. There, where people travelled from Roman Jader (Zadar) to the metropolis of that time Salona (Solin) 2000 years ago. Asseria was a Liburnian town, formed in the Bronze and Iron Ages, built more in the Roman Empire, and with an intensive life from the 5th century B.C. until the 6th century of our era, after which it was abandoned. The nearest village is called Podgrađe because it was formed „under the town“ ('pod' means under and 'grad' town). Explorations have been conducted systematically and comprise the town with an area of approximately 850 x 200 m, which was huge for that time. One would need 2000 train wagons today to transport that quantity of stones. The town was situated on the significant road that led from the colony Jader (Zadar) towards the mainland and Roman municipal centers Nedinum (Nadin), Varvarija (Bribir) and further towards Scardona (Skradin), military camp Burnum (Ivoševci near Kistanje), and Salona (Solin), the capital of the Roman province Dalmatia, on the strategic Roman road Via Magna. It is a town of remarkable Liburnian gravestones called Cipus, the grand entrance gate of the emperor Trajan and the monumental sacrifice altar with the mould of the wolf with Romulus and Rem.

FORT BENKOVIĆ

The fort called Kaštel Benković is an old Croatian fort that was named after the noble family who had most probably built it in the second half of the 15th century. The history of the town of Benkovac had started with the construction of this fort on the hill that dominates the surrounding area. After the Ottomans had come in the 16th century, the beys had turned it into their castle-fort, carrying the name Benković, as well. That's how the town's name was formed. Kaštel is a stone construction with a courtyard that has a square layout and at the bottom, on the north side, a high tower. The wall corners are reinforced with two round towers built during Ottoman rule. Today, the fort is a museum and one can interpret a part of the Antique history from the Liburnian-Roman Cipus (cylindric gravestones) in its lapidaries. The rare mould showing the she-wolf suckling Romulus and Rem comes from the nearby Asseria, and the museum's pride is a unique three-barrel cannon made according to Leonardo da Vinci's drawing. The large courtyard under the shade of the wild chestnut tree has been a venue for numerous manifestations, among which the leading one is the Wine Fest (Vinfest) which gathers the best winemakers of Northern Dalmatia together with many guests.

FORT KLIČEVICA

Above the plunging stream Kličevica, which got its name after the rising water exultations during the rainy season, in the heavenly natural surroundings, stands the medieval fort with the same name. The fort was built by the princes from Krbava in 1454. A trapezoidal stone building with walls of an average height of 10 m and with a tower preserved up to 16 m of height, with a couple of openings and shooting holes, is merely one of the best preserved medieval fortifications among the numerous ones in Ravni Kotari. It all proves their restless history on the borders of states and empires. Besides the remains of the mills, the Neanderthals' remains were found in the caves next to the stream, and while playing, the local boys found the legendary Da Vinci's three-barrel cannon. After it passes the fort and disappears, the stream plunges into the Nadin Mud and forms the former swamp, which is the biggest vineyard plantation in Northern Dalmatia today. The millennial torrential sediments feed the world-class wines of mainly eco-organic production. Above the stream and near the fort, there is a nicely renovated resting area and the viewpoint under the pine shade, just perfect for a picnic or a short break.

The Remains of the Templar Town and Maškovića Han on Vrana Lake

The remains of the medieval town Vrana, which had been mentioned in the 9th century, are near Vrana Lake. The first monastery in Vrana was the Benedictine monastery, then the Templars came, and after them the Hospitallers. Mystical stories about the hidden treasures of the Templars, who governed their estates across today's Croatia and Hungary from here, and sailed via the nearby port in Pakoštani to the Holy Land and Jerusalem, are being told even today. Hence, Vrana, being the Pope's estate given to them by King Dmitar Zvonimir, was the first embassy of Vatikan. It kept even the insignias of Croatian rulers, the specter and two jeweled crowns, which were used for their coronation in the nearby Biograd na moru until 1102 when the twelve Croatian families from Ravni Kotari decided to coronate the Hungarian ruler Koloman Arpadović. The insignias are being searched for even today. Politically powerful priors from Vrana often decided the kings' fates (Ivan Paližna and Petar Berislavić). A local boy Jusuf Mašković made it all the way to the admiral, i.e. the commander of the Ottoman powerful fleet, and at home he was building a han. Maškovića Han was renovated as a hotel with a restaurant, but also with a museum and endless stories which are at the service of the travellers, nowadays called tourists. Franjo and Lucijan Vranjanin started from here on their way to Louvre and to the inscription of Urbino on UNESCO's World Heritage List.

Crkvine pod Šopotom and the First Inscription That Mentions Croats

Crkvine pod Šopotom is a place where Branimir's inscription with the first mention of the word Croat was found.

Croatian Prince Branimir left lots of inscriptions in this area, but this one is the first one where Croats were mentioned. Branimir was the first prince who received the confirmation of his government from the Pope, which was equal to the international recognition of Croatia in those times.

Janković Tower

This tower, also known as the Tower of Stojan Janković, the most significant representative of the famous serdar family, is a unique historical monument and a mixture of defensive, housing, and economic object, that used to be a significant guard at the border with the Ottoman Empire. Stojan Janković won his glory in the battles against the Ottomans in the 17th century and thus became a legendary hero and the main character of quite a few epic folk poems. Furthermore, he got the noble title Cavaliere from the Republic of Venice for his victories in the battles. Writer Vladan Desnica, who was Janković's heir and whose family owns the Tower until this day, created his most famous works here and was buried here in the church-family tomb next to the Tower. The serdars from Kotari, sung and celebrated in the heroic folk songs as the defenders from the Ottomans, were the commanders of the local uskoks, i.e. of the native and inhabited Christian population. They always had to have a certain number of soldiers with full war equipment and ready for the battles at the restless border.

Vladan Desnica wanted the values and beauties of the tower to be reachable to everyone so, in the middle of the 20th century, after he had restored a few ambiently worthiest rooms of the tower expertly and with good taste, he opened the oldest part of the castle for the public and turned it thus into an exhibition area for some of the collections. The heirs and today's owners have the same goals, so in the summertime in the historical centre, it is possible to see the ethnographic collection „U staroj kužini“(In the old kitchen), exhibitions „Čuvari Kule Jankovića“( Guards of the Janković Tower) and „Ikone Kule Jankovića“ (Icons of the Janković Tower). The visitors can look around the Tower (vantage point), dungeon, surrounding park, and the church of St. Đurađ, which can be seen as a complex from the outside, too. Educational manifestations and meetings are organised here during the summer, too.