Vrlika

Vrlika is a small town and municipality in inland Dalmatia, Croatia. The closest large towns are Sinj, Knin, and Drniš. Vrlika town has a population of 959 while the municipality has a population of 2705 (91.94% Croats, 4.04% Serbs, 4.02% other). [ [http://www.dzs.hr/hrv/censuses/census2001/Popis/H01_02_02/H01_02_02_zup17.html Population by Nationality, by Cities/Municipalities] ] By mother tongue, there are 2,670 (98.71%) Croatian speakers, 16 (0.59%) Serbian speakers and 19 (0.70%) speakers of other languages. [ [http://www.dzs.hr/hrv/censuses/census2001/Popis/H01_02_03/H01_02_03_zup17.html Population by Mother Tongue, City/Municipality, 2001 Census] ] Vrlika was given the status of city in 1997. [ [http://public.carnet.hr/fame/descr/hr-st1.html#hr-st-vr The FAME: Split and Dalmatia County - Cities ] ]

History

Prior to the arrival of the Croats, the Dalmatae are said to have lived in the region. [ [http://arhiv.slobodnadalmacija.hr/20030728/feljton01.asp From the History of Omiš Krajina and Poljica] ] The known history of Vrlika begins in the 7th century when the South Slavs moved there and formed a village on the spring of the river Cetina, in a field below the mountain Dinara. [ [http://www.vrlika.hr/podstranice/povijest.html grad Vrlika - Povijest ] ]

The nearby town of Prozor was garrisoned by the Croatian noble Hrvoje Vukčić during the early 15th century. [ [http://vrlika.croatian-adriatic.eu/ Vrlika] ] During the medieval period Vrlika, as with the rest of the Balkans experienced the invasion and subsequent occupation by the Ottoman Empire. During the Ottoman rule the local population of Vrlika was forced to convert to Islam or forced to leave. Many of the original settlers from Vrlika left for the island Olib in the Adriatic sea off the Croatian coast.fact|date=October 2007 In the late 17th century, the town was liberated from the Ottomans by the Republic of Venice as a result of the Morean War. [ [http://www.hercegbosna.org/engleski/crootto.html Croats and the Ottoman Empire] ] [http://www.visovac.hr/Hrvatski%20jezik/povijest/povijest2.htm History of Visovac] ] Locally, the uprising against the Ottomans was led by fra Josip Bogić.

The town was occupied by the so-called Republic of Serbian Krajina on August 26, 1991. [http://www.hrt.hr/arhiv/oluja/950806/I060895112154.html Vrlika Liberated] ] Soon after, the non-Serb population was expelled from the area. [ [http://www.slobodnadalmacija.hr/20060307/novosti01.asp Hague: Investigation into suicide of Milan Babić in his cell] ] As part of Operation Storm it was liberated by the Croatian Army on August 6, 1995.

Local government

The current city council of Vrlika has the following composition: [ [http://www.vrlika.hr/podstranice/vlast.html City government] ]
*Croatian Democratic Union: 11 seats
*Croatian Party of Rights: 4 seats

Culture

Vrlika has a local branch of the Croatian cultural organization Matica hrvatska, as well as the Croatian Disabled Homeland War Veterans Association. [ [http://www.matica.hr/Vijenac/vij215.nsf/AllWebDocs/vrlika Vrlika] ] [ [http://www.datoteka.com/croatia-zute-stranice/U/udrugahrvatskihveteranadomovinskogratavrlika.html Croatian Disabled Homeland War Veterans Association Vrlika] ] Vrlika also has a folklore ensemble "KUD "Milan Begović". [ [http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/4689/str012.htm KUD "Milan Begović" - Vrlika] ] From Vrlika originates the well-known folklore dance, "Vrličko Kolo". [ [http://www.kud-jedinstvo.hr/video/program.asp?2 KUD Jedinstvo Split ] ]

Religion in Vrlika

Church of Sveti Spas (9th century)

Built during the reign of Croatian prince Branimir in the IX century, by župan Gostiha of Cetina, near Vrlika, then called "Vrh Rike". This church is one of the most important in Croatia, as it is the only pre-schism churches constructed with a bell tower which is still standing [http://www.civljane.hr/podstranice/crkva.html] . 1,026 Old-Croatian [ [http://public.carnet.hr/zuh/do1874/srv/srv_2.htm#1 Srednji vijek ] ] ancient graves of great archaeological interest have been found in the vicinity of the church indicating that the culture of that time was under the influence of the Frankish Empire.fact|date=October 2007

Monastery Dragović (1395)

Monastery Dragović (Serbian: Манастир Драговић) was founded by Serbian Orthodox inhabitants in 1395 while Vrlika was ruled by Bosnia. Monastary Dragović is situated on a hill downstream the Cetina River not far from Vrlika. [ [http://www.eparhija-dalmatinska.hr/Manastiri-Dragovic-L.htm Manastir Dragović ] ]

erbian Orthodox Church (1618)

In 1618, the Serbian Orthodox church dedicated to Saint Nicholas (Serbian: Храм Св. Оца Николаја) [ [http://www.benkovac.org.yu/obicaji/crkva/crkve.htm Pravoslavne crkve u sjevernoj Dalmaciji ] ] [ [http://www.eparhija-dalmatinska.hr/Splitsko-L.htm Namjesništvo Splitsko ] ] was built by the Serbian Orthodox inhabitants in and around Vrlika, where it still stands today. The church of St. Nicholas in Vrlika was badly damaged and desecrated during the recent Yugoslav Wars. [ [http://www.eparhija-dalmatinska.hr/arhiva2005/Arhiva-2005-L.htm Novosti ] ]

Croatian Roman Catholic Parish Church (1898)

The Roman Catholic parish church in Vrlika dedicated to the Nativity of the Virgin Mary (Croatian: Župna crkva Gospe Ružarice) was built from the year 1876 to 1898. This simple stone church dominates the Vrlika centre square. During the Second World War, the Catholic church in Vrlika sustained significant damage. In the front of the church a bronze bust dedicated to Filip Grabovac, born in the nearby village of Vinalić and who died in Venice, Italy as a Croatian national hero. The exterior dimensions of the parish church is 27x10,30 metres. The holy day of Gospe Ružarice, the protector of the Vrlika Catholic community is celebrated annually during the first week of October. [ [http://www.vrlika.hr/podstranice/zupni_ured.html grad Vrlika - RKT Župni ured ] ]

Notable People

*Milan Babić - Croatian Serb Politician
*Milan Begović - Croatian Writer
*Filip Grabovac - Croatian Writer

urrounding villages in the Vrlika municipality

Civljane / Cetina / Kosore / Vinalic / Podosoje / Jezevic / Koljane / Maovice / Stikovo / Garjak / Kukar / Otisic / Dabar / Vrdovo / Bracev Dolac

References

External links

* [http://www.vrlika.hr/ Official site] hr icon