Grožnjan

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Grožnjan
Grisignana
settlement_type = Village

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image_caption =
image_shield =
pushpin_

map_caption = Location of Grožnjan/Grisignana in Croatia
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = Croatia
subdivision_type1 = County
subdivision_name1 = Istria
area_total_km2 = 68
population_as_of = 2001
population_note =
population_total = 785
latd = 45
latm = 23
latNS = N
longd = 13
longm = 43
longEW = E
leader_title = Mayor
leader_name = Rino Duniš
timezone = CET
utc_offset = +1
timezone_DST =CEST
utc_offset_DST =+2
website = http://www.groznjan-grisignana.hr/
notes =

Grožnjan ( _it. Grisignana) is a village and a municipality in inner Istria, Croatia.

Demographics

According to 2001 census municipality of Grožnjan had 785 inhabitatants of which 51,2% were Italians which makes Grožnjan the only municipality with a majority share of ethnic Italians in Croatia. Other ethnic groups include Croats 26,2% and regionally declared (Istrians) 18,6%. 66% declared their native language Italian and most of inhabitants use local form of Venetian dialect in daily communication. The town itself had 185 inhabitants.

History

First mention of Grožnjan dates from 1102. when istrian Markiz Ulrich II and his wife Adelaida granted their land to Patriarch of Aquileia. In this document fort is called "Castrum Grisiniana". In 1238 Grožnjan was in property of Vicardo I. Pietrapalosa. In 1277 certain number of Slavic families were invited to settle the area and to cultivate non-cultivated land of family Pietrapalosa. In 1286 lended Grožnjan fort to Aquileian patriarch during war with Venice but changes sided in 1287 and gives Grožnjan to Venice.

Vicard’s son Pietro inherited Groznjan after his father’s death in 1329, and when he died in 1339 it again became patriarch’s property. The patriarch rented it to Furlanian noble family de Castello. In 1354 Grožnjan’s new owner became Volrich, or Ulrich, Reifenberg, who in 1358 sold it to Venice for 4,000 ducats in order to pay his debts. Volrich was a son of Deitalm, a descendant of Aquileian patriarch Volcher, and in 1356, during the war between Venice and Hungary, his army, entrenched in Grožnjan, strongly resisted the Hungarian army. Yet it seems that at the same time Volrich negotiated the surrendering of Grožnjan in Venice.

The town was probably taken by Hungarian and Croatian troops led by Mikiza, a son of the Croatian vice-roy. Archdeacon of Budim, who documented it, called the town Krisignan of Volrich Rosumberk. Venice took Grožnjan over in 1358 and ruled until its demise in 1797. Slavic families, invited by German feudal lords, settled in the abandoned villages of the area as early as the 14th century, before Venice bought Grožnjan. In 1359 the Umag captain Pietro Dolfin moved to his new residence in Groznjan, and in 1360 and 1367 he fortified the town walls and renovated the palace.

Captain’s Office moved from Grožnjan to Raspor in 1394, when a central rule, which included Sveti Lovrec Pazenaticki, was established for the whole area. Since then Groznjan was governed by Venetian noblemen who were given the title of "podesta". From the early 16th century Groznjan’s podestas were chosen among Koper noblemen. In the 15th century judicial duties were performed by the Pietrapelosas, and in 1446 the town walls were fortified in order to protect from possible Turkish attacks. After the terrible plague in 1630 the Groznjan area became almost completely deserted. In order to revitalize the area the St. Mark’s Republic brought Italian families from Veneto and Friuli; these were mostly tradesmen who settled in towns. Slavic families were settled in villages in order to develop agriculture.

All settlers in Istria were given free land and were exempt from fiscal duties and work obligations for twenty years; the only condition was to cultivate the land within five years. Economic success of colonization of villages reflected on the towns as well: trade and transportation developed and demographics improved. After the fall of Napoleon’s Empire in 1813, his Illyrian provinces, including Groznjan, became part of the Habsburg Empire. In 1816 Austrian emperor Francis II visited Grožnjan on his tour through Istria and met with the local clergy and population.

During the Austrian rule the Grožnjan area flourished. Building of the Parenzana railroad in 1902 enhanced development of trade and agriculture. Wine, olive oil, eggs and other produce were sold in Koper and Trieste. According to the 1910 census, the town of Groznjan had 1,658, and the municipal area 4,028 inhabitants. Grožnjan had a doctor, post office, school, lawyer, notary public, oil- processing plant, bakery, groceries and clothing stores, two butcher’s, several inns and various trade shops (shoemakers, blacksmiths, tailors, carpenters, etc.). The fall of the Austrian Empire, the subsequent Italian rule and the Great Depression had its consequences. In the 1920s people started to emigrate, looking for work in Triest and overseas.

During the rule of the Kingdom of Italy Grožnjan attained waterworks, the area was electrified, and the Mirna river valley was reclaimed. After the fall of Italian fascist regime in 1943, the popular uprising spread, and Croatian, Slovenian and Italian anti-fascists liberated the area from the Germans in 1945. In September 1943 the People’s Liberation Committee proclaimed that Istria would unite with the Croatian homeland. The newly-founded Provincial People’s Liberation Committee of Istria confirmed the decision; ZAVNOH and AVNOJ followed. In 1947 the Peace Treaty with Italy was signed. Istria was divided into two parts, the Yugoslav one and the Free Territory of Trieste, which was divided into Zone A, controlled by the US Army, and Zone B, controlled by the Yugoslav Army. Groznjan become a part of Zone B. On October 5, 1954 the London Memorandum was signed and Zone A was assigned to Italy, and Zone B to the People’s Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

The London Memorandum provided a possibility of opting out which - together with nationalization, confiscation, forced cooperatives, poor agrarian policy (instead of traditional crops like grapes, olives and fruits, farmers had to grow wheat), severing of traditional ties with Koper and Trieste, limitation of religious freedoms, forced school reform, and various other restrictions and fear-mongering - contributed, along with strong Italian propaganda, to a mass exodus. By April 1956 half of the population emigrated from the area.

In 1955. Grožnjan lost its municipality status and became part of Buje municipality. Some of Groznjan’s empty houses were taken over by people from the surrounding area. In 1965, when the Town of Arts was founded, some houses were given to artists from Croatia, Slovenia and Vojvodina, and some were assigned to the Cultural Centre of the International Music Youth Federation in 1969. In 1993. Grožnjan got its municipality status again.

Economy

Today Grožnjan is the meeting point of young musicians from all over the world because the International Cultural Centre of Young Musicians has its seat here. Every year Groznjan organizes music courses (violin, cello, viola, piano, organ, etc.), orchestra courses, ballet courses, recital, directing, video and audio recording courses, seminars for architects, panel discussions about environmental protection and yoga courses. The area offers good opportunities for walking, cycling, hunting and spelaeology. A restaurant in Grožnjan offers Istrian specialities. During summer months concerts and music events are held almost every day. At the end of summer, the international art ex tempore is held.Grožnjan is also the location of an annual jazz festival, organized by Bosko Petrovic of the BP jazz club in Zagreb and attracting international musicians. In 2008 it won the European award for best small jazz festival. It is normally held for two weeks at the end of July and early August. From 2009 it will last for three weeks.

Images Gallery

Villages in the municipality

*Antonci/Antonzi *Bijele Zemlje/Terre Bianche

*Kostanjica/Castagna *Kuberton/Cuberton

*Makovci/Macovzi *Martinčići/Martincici

*Šterna/Sterna *Završje/Piemonte

External links

* [http://www.groznjan-grisignana.hr/ Municipality Official Website]