Changes

===Korcula Originally a 'Dalmatian Latin' (Roman) Town===

===Korcula Originally a 'Dalmatian Latin' (Roman) Town===

In this editors opinion todays Korčula started its life originally as a '''Dalmatian Latin''' (Roman) town - Corcyra. Sometime after the collapse of the Roman Empire and the diminishing political presence of Byzantine Greeks a town was built in the middle ages on the current location as a fortification against invaders. Later it became a dual Latin (Romance) and Slavic town. <ref>Smiciklas, ''CD'' V, (p237); N. Klaic, ''Povijest Hrvata u Razvijenom'', (p130): ''"In 1262 the Venetian praised the Slavs and Latins on the island of Korcula for submitting to the prince Venice had sent."''

In this editors opinion todays Korčula started its life originally as a '''Dalmatian Latin''' (Roman) town - Corcyra. Sometime after the collapse of the Roman Empire and the diminishing political and military presence of Byzantine Greeks a town was built in the middle ages on the current location as a fortification against invaders. Later it became a dual Latin (Romance) and Slavic town. <ref>Smiciklas, ''CD'' V, (p237); N. Klaic, ''Povijest Hrvata u Razvijenom'', (p130): ''"In 1262 the Venetian praised the Slavs and Latins on the island of Korcula for submitting to the prince Venice had sent."''

'''Note''': What we can '''safely assume''' is that from the 13th century on-wards there were '''two ethnic''' communities living on the island in the middle ages, one being descendants of the Roman Empire and the other being of Slavic descent </ref><ref>[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=p3oGybOY1w4C&pg=PA103&dq=korcula+Venice++Slavs&hl=en&ei=oMBjTJPQBoicvgPkpPCeCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CE4Q6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=korcula%20Venice%20%20Slavs&f=false When Ethnicity Did not Matter in the Balkans:] by John an Antwerp Fine. (p103)</ref> <ref>Please '''note''': From 16th century onwards ethnically it was becoming more Dalmatian Slavic.</ref> The old town of Korčula continued to evolve as such until the end of the Republic in 1797. The town's old centre is of Venetian construction <ref> Encyclopaedia Britannica (publ. 1911)</ref> and many have pointed out its similarities to Venetian architecture.  

'''Note''': What we can '''safely assume''' is that from the 13th century on-wards there were '''two ethnic''' communities living on the island in the middle ages, one being descendants of the Roman Empire and the other being of Slavic descent </ref><ref>[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=p3oGybOY1w4C&pg=PA103&dq=korcula+Venice++Slavs&hl=en&ei=oMBjTJPQBoicvgPkpPCeCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CE4Q6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=korcula%20Venice%20%20Slavs&f=false When Ethnicity Did not Matter in the Balkans:] by John an Antwerp Fine. (p103)</ref> <ref>Please '''note''': From 16th century onwards ethnically it was becoming more Dalmatian Slavic.</ref> The old town of Korčula continued to evolve as such until the end of the Republic in 1797. The town's old centre is of Venetian construction <ref> Encyclopaedia Britannica (publ. 1911)</ref> and many have pointed out its similarities to Venetian architecture.  

Two languages, the Romance Latin language called ''Dalmatian'' and the old Slavic Chakavian language became the norm on the island. With time these languages started to overlap. The written language was Latin. The fact that Slavs from the then neighbouring [[Directory:Croatia|Kingdom of Croatia]] also spoke old Croatian '''Chakavian''' indicates that this group of Slavs once came from the same ''or'' closely related tribal group.

Two languages, the Romance Latin language called ''Dalmatian'' and the old Slavic Chakavian language became the norm on the island. With time these languages started to overlap. The written language was Latin. The fact that Slavs from the then neighbouring [[Directory:Croatia|Kingdom of Croatia]] also spoke old Croatian '''Chakavian''' indicates that this group of Slavs once came from the same ''or'' closely related tribal group.

===Latins Romanized the Slavs===

===Latins Romanized the Slavs===

The new population of Narentines Slavs invaded and then probably settled in the centre of the island. The centre of the island had its strategic qualities which allowed protection on all sides from attack by sea. It also had fertile land which allowed cultivation.  After the invasion of Slavic tribes, the region stabilised to a certain extent. The Byzantines and the Republic of Venice and others, started to exert a political, economic and culture influence over the region.

The new population of Narentines Slavs invaded and then probably settled in the centre of the island. The centre of the island had its strategic qualities which allowed protection on all sides from attack by sea. It also had fertile land which allowed cultivation.  After the invasion of Slavic tribes, the region stabilised to a certain extent. The Byzantines and the Republic of Venice and others, started to exert a political, economic and culture influence over the region.