Difference between revisions of "Directory:Korcula History 2"

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[[File:The Tower.jpg|thumb|left|360px|One of Kocula's towers built during the rule of the ''Republic of Venice''. Photo by [[Directory:Peter Zuvela|Peter Zuvela]]]]
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{{DISPLAYTITLE:Croatia - Korcula History, Romans & Venice}}
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==If we put aside political correctness, concerning Korcula's history==
 
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If we put aside political correctness, one could ask the question what happened to the '''Roman families''' when the Slavs invaded the island of Korčula? <ref>In Croatian the c in Korcula is pronounced ''ch'' and is written "'''č'''".</ref> The Slavic tribes invaded the [[Directory:Fausto_Veranzio#Dalmatia|Dalmatian]] province of the ''Byzantine Empire'' (Eastern Roman Empire).
 
  
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===Events===
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[[File:The Tower.jpg|thumb|left|275px|One of Kocula's towers built during the rule of the ''Republic of Venice''. Photo by [[Directory:Peter Zuvela|Peter Zuvela]]]]
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Events could have unfolded (and most probably did) which led to the Roman families of Korčula (Corcyra Nigra) <ref>{{citeweb|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/322146/Korcula|title='''"Korcula."''' '''Encyclopædia Britannica'''. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica, 2011. Tue. 8 Mar. 2011. |date=[[2011]]|accessdate=2011-03-8}}
 
  
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* '''Encyclopædia Britannica''': "Korčula, Italian Curzola, Greek Corcyra Melaina, island in the Adriatic Sea, on the Dalmatian coast, in Croatia. With an area of 107 square miles (276 square km), it has a hilly interior rising to 1,863 feet (568 m). The Greeks colonized it in the 4th century bc. Korčula was subsequently occupied by the Romans, Goths, Slavs, Byzantines, and Genoese; the kings of Hungary and Croatia"</ref><ref>[http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Curzola Encyclopaedia Britannica (publ. 1911):]
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[[File:250px-Croatia-Dalmatia-1.jpg|thumb|right|400px|Dalmatia (the dark purple) within todays modern [[Croatia]] The island of Korcula is marked red.]]
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*"CURZOLA (Serbo-Croatian Korcula or Karkar), an island in the Adriatic Sea, forming part of Dalmatia, Austria; and lying west of the Sabioncello promontory, from which it is divided by a strait less than 2 M. wide. Its length is about 25 m.; its average breadth, 4 m. Curzola (Korcula), the capital and principal port, is a fortified town on the east coast, and occupies a rocky foreland almost surrounded by the sea."</ref> being attacked and killed. The survivors could have fled from '''Korčula''' to Ragusa (Dubrovnik), then a place of refuge. Maybe some survived and remained on the island. Nikola Ostojic a 19 century Historian from Korčula (Blato) describes the actual invasion of the Neretljani Slavs in his [[Directory:Korcula History|book]] ''"Historical Compendium of the Island of Korcula"'' which was written in 1858. The old Roman cities of Dalmatia; Epidaurum, Narona and Salona which were then part of the Byzantine (Eastern Roman Empire), were destroyed or just abandoned. This was due to the fact that the cities were not strategically set up for defence from constant invasions. According various sources the Avars participated in these events too. The ''Avars'' were a nomadic people from Eurasian who invaded the Balkans at the same time as the Slavs. In this historic period it is recorded that many of the churches on the island of Korčula were destroyed (then rebuilt at a later stage). <ref>According to recent studies done at the '''University of Zadar''',  Slavs on the island of Korčula accepted Christianity fully in the 14th century. Reference from: University of Zadar-Sociogeographic Transformation of the Western Part of Korcula Island by Lena Mirosevic-2008 (p161)</ref> The Ostrogoths (a Germanic tribe ''related'' to the Goths) also invaded Dalmatia in the 6th century.  According to Nikola Ostojic, the Roman families survived. They spoke the ''Romance language'' - Dalmatian.
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[[File:Korcula Postcard 1902.jpg|thumb|left|250px|A '''Korcula''' postcard from 1902 in Italian. The last Italian language government school was abolished in Korcula on the 13th of September 1876.]]
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==Korcula History - There Needs to be an Historical Reassessment==
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===If we put aside political correctness, concerning Korcula's history===
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During and post Roman Empire the population on Korcula island where Dalmatian Latins who spoke Romance Dalmatian (developed from Vulgar Latin). They were there for centuries.
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In effect now a forgotten people. So to start of with, one can  ask the question, what happened to the '''Roman families''' when the Slavs invaded the island of Korcula'''?'''    The Slavic tribes invaded the old Roman Dalmatian province. This part of Korcula's history is very '''unclear''' (in Croatian the c in Korcula is pronounced ''ch'' and is written "'''č'''").
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When the Slavs conquered Corcyra Nigra (modern: Korčula <ref>[http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/322146/Korcula  www.britannica.com]
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* '''Encyclopædia Britannica''': "Korcula, Italian Curzola, Greek Corcyra Melaina, island in the Adriatic Sea, on the Dalmatian coast, in Croatia. With an area of 107 square miles (276 square km), it has a hilly interior rising to 1,863 feet (568 m)."</ref><ref>[http://www.theodora.com/encyclopedia/c2/curzola.html Encyclopaedia Britannica (publ. 1911):]
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*"CURZOLA (Serbo-Croatian Korcula or Karkar), an island in the Adriatic Sea, forming part of Dalmatia, Austria; and lying west of the Sabioncello promontory, from which it is divided by a strait less than 2 M. wide. Its length is about 25 m.; its average breadth, 4 m. Curzola (Korcula), the capital and principal port, is a fortified town on the east coast, and occupies a rocky foreland almost surrounded by the sea."</ref>), events could have unfolded for the Roman families as:
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* Being attacked, killed and some of the population sold off as slaves.  
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* The survivors could have fled from Korčula to Ragusa (modern: Dubrovnik), then a place of Roman refuge.  
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* Maybe some survived and remained on the island ''or'' they came back after the Slavs lost control over the island.
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* ''or'' all the above
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It has to be taken into account that maybe the Croatians (Slavs) settled on the island without any conflict as the local Latins didn't have the means to defend themselves or to stop them.
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To this editor's knowledge there are '''no existing''' primary historical sources that actually described the '''event''' of [[Directory:Croatia|Croatian Slavs]] <ref>'''Note''': The first primary source (factual-that its authenticity isn't disputed) to mention the Croatian (Hrvat) identity in the Balkans was '''Duke Branimir''' (Latin:'' "Branimiro comite dux cruatorum cogitavit"''  c. 880 AD). Branimir was a Slav from the Dalmatian Hinterland.</ref> invading and settling the island of Korčula in the middle ages. Also there are no contemporary written records about the invasion/migration/settlement, about the events as a whole and the area itself.
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It was the ''Republic of Venice'' who first mentions Slavic peoples (Narrentanos Sclavos<ref>[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=wEF5oN5erE0C&pg=PA39&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Narrentanos%20Sclavos&f=false When Ethnicity Did not Matter in the Balkans:] by John Van Antwerp Fine. (p39)</ref>) and  Corcyra Nigra (modern: Korčula).
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The manner they where first mentioned was in the 9th century when the Republic of Venice recorded that Narentani ''or'' Narentines, who are referred to sometimes in modern times as Neretva pirates (Neretvani), started to disrupt Venice's trade with the east (Levant). It was established that they the newly arrived Sclavos (Slavs) had strategically secured the delta of the river Neretva and some of the islands as well as other surrounding areas in southern Dalmatia. Amongst these was the island of Korčula. It took many decades before Venice could minimise the threat from the Narentines - Slavic pirates. It was doge Pietro II Orseolo who with military means took the island for the Republic of Venice in the year 1000.<ref>[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=B7gzrJDlUv8C&pg=PA60&dq=Pietro+II+Orseolo+Curzola&hl=en&sa=X&ei=DU7dUKKeFYiPkwW02oGoAQ&ved=0CDMQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Pietro%20II%20Orseolo%20Curzola&f=false Venice Triumphant:] The Horizons of a Myth by Elisabeth Crouzet-Pavan (p60)</ref> I guess, it is assumed that a group of Slavs remained on the island. In 1262 the Venetians did mention the Slavs and '''Latins''' <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 Van Antwerp Fine. (p103)</ref> on the island of Korčula. With this reference it  puts the descendants of the Roman Empire on the island who were living side by side with the Slavs.
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It is difficult to determine the exact history from 476 - 999 (even from 1000 -1250) because the sources are very scarce (people can easily spin any historic theme). It has been written many, many times that they, the Croatians, settled on Korčula and assimilated the remaining  of the Romans and quickly and firmly spread the Croatian language. This interpretation of history in modern times is a heavily politically driven and defined within a political context and agenda, perspectives of the Pan-Slavism and Nationalistic movements. I believe this was a process of many centuries rather than the settlers just overwhelming the locals with their arrival.
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For example 'The Statute of Korčula' was drafted in 1214 (Liber Legum Statutorum Curzola 1214). It was most likely written (the first one) by the Korčula Latins (not Slavs). Later the new island's Slavic nobility started to make contributions to it.
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Korčula history - there needs to be an historical reassessment.
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== Korcula in the Context of Old Roman Cities of Dalmatia ==
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The old Roman cities of Dalmatia; Epidaurum, Narona and Salona which were then part of the Byzantine-Eastern Roman Empire (Eastern Roman Empire, please '''note''' they referred to themselves as 'Empire of the Romans' '''Latin''': ''Imperium Romanum''), were destroyed or just abandoned. This was due to the fact that the cities were not strategically set up for defence from constant invasions. It is quite possible that settlements on Corcyra Nigra (Korčula) had similar fates.
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The Ostrogoths (a Germanic tribe related to the Goths) invaded Roman Dalmatia in the 5th century. They ruled parts of Roman Dalmatia from 480 to 535 AD. 
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Later according to various sources both Slavs and Avars participated in raiding Roman Dalmatia. The ''Avars'' were a nomadic people from Eurasian who invaded the Balkans at the same time as the Slavs. In this historic period it is recorded that many of the churches on the island of Korčula were abandoned (or destroyed) and then rebuilt at a later stage. <ref>According to recent studies done at the '''University of Zadar''',  Slavs on the island of Korčula accepted Christianity fully in the 14th century. Reference from: University of Zadar-Sociogeographic Transformation of the Western Part of Korcula Island by Lena Mirosevic-2008 (p161)</ref>  
 
</div>
 
</div>
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The new population probably settled in the centre of the island (near the village of Cara) and they spoke  old '''Chakavian'''-Croatian. 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 Byzantine (Eastern Roman Empire) and the ''Republic of Venice''  and others,<ref> Neretljani Slavs (Narantani or ''Arentanoi'' )</ref> started to exert a political influence over the region. These events have been recorded historically by both Empires in chronicles of the time.
 
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====Romanized Slavs====
 
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Dalmatians of Roman ancestry brought ''Mediterranean cultural'' to the Slavs. Christianity was one aspect of this. In essence Slavs on the island were ''Romanized''.
 
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The 19th century theories concerning the identity of these '''early Slavs''' is flawed. The latest scholarly and archaeological research <ref>Some of the latest research studies:
 
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* [http://books.google.com.au/books?id=6UbOtJcF8rQC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Becoming+Slav,+Becoming+Croat:+Identity+Transformations+in+Post-Roman+and+Early+Medieval+Dalmatia&hl=en&ei=MLFCTbjaBYaecLnwkf4N&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCoQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false Becoming Slav, Becoming Croat:] Identity Transformations in Post-Roman and and Early Medieval Dalmatia by Danijel Dzino
 
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* [http://books.google.com.au/books?id=wEF5oN5erE0C&printsec=frontcover&dq=When+Ethnicity+did+not+Matter+in+the+Balkans&hl=en&ei=Xr9ETaLAN4--uwO7j8SDAg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCgQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false When Ethnicity did not Matter in the Balkans] by John Van Antwerp Fine.
 
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* [http://books.google.com.au/books?id=B2LFRiT1nfYC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Venice+and+the+Slavs&hl=en&ei=2r9ETfzgCoS0vwOShpndAQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCwQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false Venice and the Slavs:] The Discovery of Dalmatia in the Age of Enlightenment by Larry Wolff.</ref> states that the Slavs of Southern Dalmatian were identified as neither Croatians or Serbs. They were called Slavs.This term was first used by the Byzantines and was written in the 6th century  in Byzantine Greek. 
 
  
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Later the Slavic peoples started to identify themselves and separated  (or were separated by others) into different groups. It seems that in Southern Dalmatia the Slavic identity lasted much longer. As centuries went by Dalmatian Slavs started to referer to themselves as just ''Dalmatians''.
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===Korcula Originally a 'Dalmatian Latin' (Roman) Town===
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In this writers  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 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."''
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'''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 Venetian Republic in 1797 (dissolved by France). 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.  
  
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Historic quote taken from ''Researches on the Danube and the Adriatic'' written by Andrew Archibald Paton in 1861 (Chapter 4-The Dalmatian Archipelago, page164). 
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Two languages, firstly the Romance Latin language called ''Dalmatian'' and then the old Croatian 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.
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* Signor Arneri  from the town of Korčula stated:
 
  
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{{Cquote| ''These three pears you see on the wall," said he, "are the arms of my family. Perussich was the name, when, in the earlier part of the fifteenth century, my ancestors  built this palace; so that, you see, I am '''Dalmatian'''. All the family, fathers, sons, and brothers, used to serve in the fleets of the Republic (Republic of Venice); but the hero of our race was ''Arneri Perussich'', whose statue you see there, who fought, bled, and died at the''' Siege of Candia''', whose memory was honoured by the Republic, and whose surviving family was liberally pensioned; so his name of our race. We became Arneri, and ceased to be Perussich'' <ref>[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=LUFlza-oCV0C&pg=PA164&dq=These+three+pears+you+see+on+the+wall,%22+said+he,+%22are+the+arms+of+my+family.+Perussich+was+the+name,&hl=en&ei=Q2NCTNiSCJLqvQO8y9DIDA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCoQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=These%20three%20pears%20you%20see%20on%20the%20wall%2C%22%20said%20he%2C%20%22are%20the%20arms%20of%20my%20family.%20Perussich%20was%20the%20name%2C&f=false Researches on the Danube and the Adriatic:] By Andrew Archibald Paton. Chapter 4. The Dalmatian Archipelago. (p164)
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The Dalmatian (Latin - Romance) language must have started disappearing from the 13th century onwards. There are only small remnants of the extinct language today on the island. Italian Venetian must have replace it the lingua franca of that era
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* Andrew Archibald Paton (1811-1874) was a British diplomat and writer from the 19 century.</ref> (Here is a perfect example of  Slavic family surname becoming later Venetian in character. According to Marinko Gjivoje, Perussich is ''Piruzović''.) <ref>Otok Korčula (2nd edition) by [http://esperanto.net/literaturo/autor/gjivoje.html Marinko Gjivoje], Zagreb 1969.
 
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*The book outlines A-Z about the island of Korčula, from traditions, history, culture to wildlife, politics & geography. Pages 46-47: ''Piruzović ''</ref>}}
 
  
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There is archaeological evidence from 16 century where the Croatian identity was used. 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 use: ''Hrvat Dalmatinac'' in its writings. ''Hrvat'' means Croat in Croatian.<ref>[http://www.korcula.net/history/mmarelic/script.htm History-Korcula.net] Marko Marelic-S. Francisco-USA</ref>
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===Latins Romanized the Coastal Slavs===
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==Korcula Dialect==
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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.
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[[Korcula Dialect|Korčula Dialect]] is a Croatian dialect from the island of Korčula in Croatia. According to the Croatian Anthropological Society in their Collegium Antropologicum  (Volumes 15-16) the language base of the Korčula dialect is Chakavian Croatian (it is also intermixed with Shokavian).<ref>[http://books.google.com.au/books?ei=WmNGTPzMH4GyvgPGq_i4Ag&ct=result&id=KZMjAQAAIAAJ&dq=Dalmatian+language+korcula&q=korcula#search_anchor Collegium Antropologicum, Volumes 15-16] by Croatian Anthropological Society-1991. (p312, p318)</ref> The dialect has remnants of the extinct Romance language, ''Dalmatian''. <ref>[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=KZMjAQAAIAAJ&q=Dalmatian+language+korcula&dq=Dalmatian+language+korcula&hl=en&ei=WmNGTPzMH4GyvgPGq_i4Ag&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CDUQ6AEwAQ Collegium Antropologicum, Volumes 15-16] by Croatian Anthropological Society-1991. (p311)</ref> The Dalmatian remnants within the dialect have been referred to as Corzulot. Additionally it has influences of Venetian:
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[[File:740px-Roman provinces of Illyricum, Macedonia, Dacia, Moesia, Pannonia and Thracia.jpg|thumb|right|375px|The Roman province of Dalmatia (pink colour) in the Western Roman Empire. 476 AD]] When the Narentines, the Slavic pirates lost control of the island, Dalmatian Latins <ref>'''Note''': Recent DNA studies have stated that more than three quarters of today's Croatian men are the descendants of Europeans who inhabited Europe 13 000-20 000 years ago.</ref> and the Republic of Venice brought ''Mediterranean Latin cultural''   to the Slavs who remained on the island. Christianity was one aspect of this. In essence Slavs on the island were Romanized (adopted Latin culture).
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*'''Defora''' in old Venetian means ''"from the outside"''.
 
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Regarding the Shokavian dialect below taken from-[http://ukpmc.ac.uk/articles/PMC2121596/reload=0;jsessionid=7BE5888928AF51ECB79DC33089D0E57A.jvm1The Land of 1000 Islands] by Igor Rudan: {{Cquote|''However, the clashes between the Ottoman Empire and Venetian Republic produced extensive migrations from the mainland areas, especially from today's Bosnia and Herzegovina, to the eastern parts of the islands of Brač, Hvar, Korčula, and Pag. The newcomers brought their gene pool and a variety of cultural specificities, including the “Shokavian” dialect of the Croatian language to the predominantly “Chakavian” area. The most extensive migrations to these islands occurred during the Cypriote (1571-1573), Candian (1645-1669), and Morean wars (1684-1699). The newcomers were given land and awarded special privileges “The Paštrović Privileges”.'' <ref>[http://ukpmc.ac.uk/articles/PMC2121596/reload=0;jsessionid=7BE5888928AF51ECB79DC33089D0E57A.jvm1 The Land of 1000 Islands] by Igor Rudan</ref>}}
 
  
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The new arrivals to the island were predominately Slavic Shokavian speakers. This must have put the Slavic speaks (Old Croatian Slavic - Chakavian '''+''' Slavic - Shtokavian) on the island in a '''majority'''. Interesting today some [[Croatia|Croatians]] and Serbs share this dialect. Venetian was still Lingua franca on the island and must have replaced Latin as the official written language.
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According to Marinko Gjivoje there is archaeological evidence from the '''16th century''' where the Croatian identity was starting to be used. 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 use: Hrvat Dalmatinac in its writings. Hrvat means Croat in Croatian.<ref>It is believed that Hrvat in medieval times was pronounced '''Harvat''' ''or'' Hrovat. It was translated to Latin: Chroatorum and then simplified to Croatorum.</ref>
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===Korcula dialect and Venetian ===
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== A Record of History via the Korcula Dialect==
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[[Korcula Dialect|Korčula Dialect]] is a Croatian dialect from the island of Korčula in Croatia. It '''reflects''' a rich history of the island.  The language base of the Korčula dialect is Chakavian Croatian (it is also intermixed with Shtokavian). Within the Korčula Dialect has small remnants of the extinct Romance (Latin) Dalmatian and has been referred to at times as Corzulot.
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Additionally it has strong influences of Venetian-Italian. '''Defora''' in old Venetian means ''from the outside''.
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====A Record of History the Korcula Dialect and Romance Dalmatian  ====
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Korčula Dialect - English - Romance Dalmatian
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* botilja/ bottle - Dalmatian: botaila
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* botun/ button - Dalmatian: botaun
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* dreto/ straight  - Dalmatian: drat
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* frigati/ to fry  - Dalmatian: fregur
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* kadena/ chain -  Dalmatian: kataina
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* kapula/ onion - Dalmatian: kapula
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* katrida/ chair - Dalmatian: katraida
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* mir/ wall - Dalmatian: mir (Croatian: ''zid'')
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* prusura/frying pan - Dalmatian: prasura  <ref>Nikola Vuletić - Croatian in the Mediterranean Context: Language Contacts in the Early Modern Croatian Lexicography </ref>
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'''Encyclopedia Britannica''' on Romance Dalmatian: {{quote|
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''Romance language formerly spoken along the Dalmatian coast from the island of Veglia (modern Krk) to Ragusa (modern Dubrovnik). Ragusan Dalmatian probably disappeared in the 17th century. The Vegliot Dalmatian dialect became extinct in the 19th century''.}}
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===A Record of History, Korcula Dialect and Venetian Italian===
 
{{col-begin}}
 
{{col-begin}}
 
{{col-break}}
 
{{col-break}}
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* adio/goodbye - Venetian: adio
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* adio/ goodbye - Venetian: adio (addio: meaning in Italian goodbye)
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* afitat/rent - Venetian: afìt
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* afitat/ rent - Venetian: afìt
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* ala/come on - Venetian: ala
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* ala/ come on - Venetian: ala
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* aria/air - Venetian: aria
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* aria/ air - Venetian: aria
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* arma/armed - Venetian: arma
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* arma/ armed - Venetian: arma
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* baba/ grandmother - In Venetian it means ''nanny''
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* baleta/ bullet - Venetian: bal
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* banda/ side -  Venetian ''side & flank''
 
* balun/football - Venetian: balón
 
* balun/football - Venetian: balón
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* banak/bench - Venetian: banca  
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* banak/ bench - Venetian: banca  
 
* baraka/shed ''or'' shack - Venetian: baràca
 
* baraka/shed ''or'' shack - Venetian: baràca
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* barba/uncle - Venetian: barba
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* barba/ uncle - Venetian: barba
 
* barilo/ barrel - Venetian: barìla
 
* barilo/ barrel - Venetian: barìla
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* barka/type of local boat - Venetian: bàrca
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* barka/ type of local boat - Venetian: bàrca
 
* bareta/ cap, hat - Venetian: bareta
 
* bareta/ cap, hat - Venetian: bareta
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* bevanda/wine with water- Venetian: bevànda ''"watery wine"''
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* bat / a type of hammer - Venetian:batu, meaning to strike.
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* beštimat/swear - Venetian: bestiemàr
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* bevanda/ wine with water- Venetian: bevànda ''"watery wine"''
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* bićerin/small glass - Venetian: bicér ''"glass"''
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* beštimat/ swear - Venetian: bestiemàr
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* bira/beer-Venetian: bira
+
* bićerin/ small glass - Venetian: bicér ''"glass"''
−
* biskot/cookies-biscot
+
* bira/ beer-Venetian: bira
−
* boca/bottle - Venetian:boca
+
* biskot/ cookies - Venetian: biscot
−
* bonaca/the sea is dead calm - Venetian:bonàca
+
* boca/ bottle - Venetian:boca
−
* bonbon/sweet - Venetian: bonbon
+
* bonaca/ the sea is dead calm - Venetian: bonàca
 +
* bonbon/ sweet - Venetian: bonbon
 
* botun/ botton - Venetian: boton
 
* botun/ botton - Venetian: boton
 
* bova/ bouy - Venetian: bova
 
* bova/ bouy - Venetian: bova
−
* Brigela/ local nickname - Venetian: brighela ''(meaning joker)''
+
* Brigela/ local nickname - Venetian: brighela ''meaning joker''
−
{{col-break}}
 
 
* britva/ knife- Venetian: britolada
 
* britva/ knife- Venetian: britolada
 
* bura/ northern wind - Venetian: bora
 
* bura/ northern wind - Venetian: bora
 
* burin/ light northern wind - Venetian: borin
 
* burin/ light northern wind - Venetian: borin
 
* buža/ hole - Venetian: bus ''or'' buxa  
 
* buža/ hole - Venetian: bus ''or'' buxa  
−
* čorav/blind - Venetian: ciòro ''"blind person"''
+
* čorav/ blind - Venetian: ciòro ''"blind person"''
 
* '''Defora''' in old Venetian means ''"from the outside"''.
 
* '''Defora''' in old Venetian means ''"from the outside"''.
−
* karoca/ small carriage - Venetian: carosa ''(carriage)''
+
* faca/ face - Venetian: faca
 +
* falso/ fake - Venetian: falso ''"liar"''
 +
* feral/ gas lamp - Venetian: feral ''"lamp"''
 +
{{col-break}}
 +
* feta/ slice - Venetian: feta
 +
* figura/ figure - Venetian: figura
 +
* forma/ shape - Venetian: forma
 +
* fabrika/ factory - Venetian: frabica ''"construction building"''
 +
* fumar/ chimney - Venetian: fuma ''"smoke"''
 +
* gusti/ enjoyment - Venetian: gusto ''"pleasurable"''
 +
* karoca/ small carriage - Venetian: carosa ''carriage''
 
* kartun/ cardboard - Venetian: carton
 
* kartun/ cardboard - Venetian: carton
 
* kasa/ case - Venetian: casa
 
* kasa/ case - Venetian: casa
 
* katrida/ chair - Venetian: carega
 
* katrida/ chair - Venetian: carega
−
* klapa/an a cappella form of music - Venetian:clapa ''"singing crowd"''
+
* klapa/an a cappella form <ref>The traditional '''Klapa''' was composed of up to a dozen male singers (in recent times there are female Klape groups). Klapa singing dates back centuries. The arrival of the Slavic-Croatians to Dalmatia and their subsequent settlement in the area, began the process of the cultural mixing of Slavic culture with that of the traditions of the Roman-Latin population of Dalmatia. This process was most evident in the coastal and island regions of Dalmatia. In the 19th century a standard form of Klapa singing emerged. Church music heavily influences the arrangements of this music giving it the musical form that exists today.</ref> of music - Venetian: clapa ''"singing crowd"''
 
* kužin/ cousin - Venetian:cuxìn
 
* kužin/ cousin - Venetian:cuxìn
 +
* licenca/ licence - Venetian: icenca
 +
* lapis/ pencil - Venetian: apis
 +
* lavadin/ washbasin - Venetian: lavandin
 
* Levant/ strong easterly wind - Venetian: Levantera
 
* Levant/ strong easterly wind - Venetian: Levantera
−
* Maragun/wood worker - Venetian: Marangòn
+
* '''Malandrin'''/ Local nickname. In Venetian it means: ''dishonest  & crook''
−
* mezo/in between - Venetian: mèzo ''"half"''
+
* Maragun/ wood worker - Venetian: Marangòn
 +
* mezo/ in between - Venetian: mèzo ''"half"''
 
* mudante/underwear - Venetian: mudande
 
* mudante/underwear - Venetian: mudande
−
* perun/fork - Venetian: pirón ''from'' [[Greece|Greek]]: pirouni
+
* pandur/ policemen - Venetian: panduro
 +
* '''papit'''/ this ''word'' is used when feeding a child/ (Venetian: papa-means ''baby food'')
 +
* par/ pair - Venetian: par
 +
* perun/ fork - Venetian: pirón ''from'' [[Greece|Greek]]: pirouni
 +
* piat/ plate, dish - Venetian: piat
 +
* pikolo/ small, little - Venetian: picolo
 
* pirula/ pill - Venetian: pirola
 
* pirula/ pill - Venetian: pirola
 +
* pistun/ piston - Venetian: piston
 +
* pištol/ pistol - Venetian: pistola
 
* pitar/ pot - Venetian: pitar (vas, jar)
 
* pitar/ pot - Venetian: pitar (vas, jar)
−
* šiloko/local wind - Venetian: siròco
+
* pitura/ paint - Venetian: pitura  (painting)
−
* šporko/dirty - Venetian: spórco
+
* portela/ boat hatch - Venetian: portela  (hatch, door)
 +
* šiloko/ local wind - Venetian: siròco
 +
* šporko/ dirty - Venetian: spórco
 
* šufit/ attic ''or'' loft - Venetian: sofìta
 
* šufit/ attic ''or'' loft - Venetian: sofìta
 
{{col-end}}
 
{{col-end}}
−
(Referenced from: Venetian-English English-Venetian: When in Venice Do as the Venetians by Lodovico Pizzati)<ref>[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=Jz2V1LL2u1YC&pg=PA19&dq=Bench+seat++in+Venetian&hl=en&ei=DSEbTb--Komlcb6vlLMK&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDEQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false Venetian-English English-Venetian:]  When in Venice Do as the Venetians ''by'' Lodovico Pizzati (p19)</ref>
+
Above referenced from: Venetian-English English-Venetian: When in Venice Do as the Venetians by Lodovico Pizzati <ref>[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=Jz2V1LL2u1YC&pg=PA19&dq=Bench+seat++in+Venetian&hl=en&ei=DSEbTb--Komlcb6vlLMK&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDEQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false Venetian-English English-Venetian:]  When in Venice Do as the Venetians ''by'' Lodovico Pizzati (p19)</ref>
 +
[[File:Venice galley rowing alla sensile1.jpg|thumb|right|455px|A wooden model of a ''Venetian Galley'' with rowers in Museo Storico Navale (navy museum). Photo by Myriam Thyes]]
 +
====Regarding the Old Shtokavian====
 +
Regarding the Shtokavian dialect below taken from-[http://ukpmc.ac.uk/articles/PMC2121596/reload=0;jsessionid=7BE5888928AF51ECB79DC33089D0E57A.jvm1The Land of 1000 Islands] by Igor Rudan: {{quote|
 +
''However, the clashes between the Ottoman Empire and Venetian Republic produced extensive migrations from the mainland areas, especially from today's Bosnia and Herzegovina, to the eastern parts of the islands of Brač, Hvar, Korčula, and Pag. The newcomers brought their gene pool and a variety of cultural specificities, including the “Shtokavian” dialect of the Croatian language to the predominantly “Chakavian” area. The most extensive migrations to these islands occurred during the Cypriote (1571-1573), Candian (1645-1669), and Morean wars (1684-1699).'' <ref>[http://ukpmc.ac.uk/articles/PMC2121596/reload=0;jsessionid=7BE5888928AF51ECB79DC33089D0E57A.jvm1 The Land of 1000 Islands] by Igor Rudan</ref>}}
 +
 
 +
The new arrivals to the island were predominately Slavic Shtokavian speakers. This must have put the Slavic speaks (Old Slavic - Chakavian ''plus'' the '''new''' Old Slavic - Shtokavian  <ref>Croato-Serbian elements</ref>) on the island in a '''majority'''. Venetian was still ''lingua franca'' on the island and must have replaced Latin as the official written language.
  
−
== Historic classifies of Korcula==
+
When the Serbian forces were annihilated in the ''Battle of Kosovo'' by the [[Directory:Turkey|Ottoman Empire]] in '''1389''' a large groups of peoples stated to migrate westward (Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1453). Venetian Dalmatia started to acquire new people in its region (i.e., Eastern Croatians, Albanians, Montenegrins, Serbs & others). When the Black Plague <ref>Korcula was devastated by the plague in 1529, 1558.{{citeweb|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/322146/Korcula|title='''"Korcula."''' '''Encyclopædia Britannica'''. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica, 2011. Tue. 8 Mar. 2011. |date=[[2011]]|accessdate=2011-03-8}}
−
* The indigenous population of Korčula were Mesolithic and Neolithic peoples. Archaeological evidence has been found at ''Jakas Cave'' near the village of Zrnovo and on the west end of the island in a cave called Vela Spila. <ref>[http://hrcak.srce.hr/file/26657 University of Zagreb:] Faculty of Philosophy
+
* '''Encyclopædia Britannica''': " A plague devastated the town in 1529, depleting the population. The burned houses of infected persons, called kućišta..."</ref> and EPIDEMIC of 1617 depleted the island's population the Venetian authorities saw a need to bring new families to the island of Korčula. Amongst these were Shtokavian Slavic speakers.
 +
{{quote|
 +
''13. EPIDEMIC 1617.
 +
It swept all of Dalmatia, but left the most severe consequences on the island of Korčula. It appeared first with the sailors of the Venetian ship (as N. Ostojić describes) who wintered in Korčula that year. Suburban homes had to be emptied to turn into dwellings for diseased sailors. The contagion soon spread to citizens and within a few months more than half of the population had died. A particularly devastating disease was, according to the data, for wealthier residents, so many entire noble families who had a reputation for their homeland were extinct.}}Taken from 'Plague Epidemic on the Island of Korcula 2007' <ref>Nikola Bačić 2007</ref>.
 +
 
 +
As mention before with these new added migrations the Slavic speakers became a majority (this applies more to west end of the island). If the translation of the [[Defence of Korcula|Defence of Korčula from Ottoman Turkish attack in 1571]]
, originally written in Latin by Antun (Antonio) Rozanovic (or Antonio Rosaneo, Latin: Antonii Rosenei)  is ''untainted'', we can see that the majority of the defenders of the island were by 1571 of Slavic decent. If we use this as a reference then from the mid 16th century '''onwards''' the majority of Korčula's population was indeed of Slavic origins.
 +
 
 +
==A Record of History - Surname List from 1830's Korcula (Christening book)==
 +
The surnames below do indicate a very mixed history of families on the island,
 +
{{col-begin}}
 +
{{col-break}}
 +
*Anzulovic (Anzulovic, Anzulovich)
 +
*Basic (Bashich, Basich, Bassich, Basic)
 +
*Batistic (Batistic, Batistich, Battistich, Battisich)
 +
*Bello (Belo)
 +
*Bercic (Bercic, Bercich)
 +
*Bernardi
 +
*Bertoleto (Bertoletto)
 +
*Bonvardo (Bonguardo, Bonuardo)
 +
*Budol (Bodol, Budoll, Bodoll)
 +
*Buja (Buya, Boya)
 +
*Calugera (Kalogjera, Callogera, Callugera)
 +
*Carlesi (Carlessi, Karlesi, Karlessi)
 +
*Damjanovic (Damjanovic, Damjanovich, Damyanovich)
 +
*Depolo (Depollo)
 +
*Despotovic (Despotovic, Despotovich)
 +
*Devecchi (Davechi, Devechi)
 +
*Druskovic (Druskovic, Druskovich, Druscovich)
 +
*Fabris (Fabriss)
 +
*Filipi (Filippi, Fillipi, Fillippi)
 +
*Foretic (Foretic, Foretich)
 +
*Franasovic (Franasovic, Franasovich, Franassovich)
 +
*Gericic (Gericic, Gericich, Gerichich, Jerisich)
 +
*Giasic (Giasic, Giasich, Giassich)
 +
*Giunio (Junio, Gunio, Junnio, Gunnio)
 +
*Grasic (Grasic, Grasich, Grassich)
 +
*Guljelmi (Gulermi)
 +
*Ivancevic (Ivancevic, Ivancevich, Ivanchevich)
 +
*Jericevic (Jericevic, Jericevich, Yericevich, Yerichevich)
 +
*Jurjevic (Jurjevic, Jurjevich, Yuryevic, Yuryevich)
 +
{{col-break}}
 +
*Kapor (Capor, Kaper, Caper, Kappor, Cappor)
 +
*Kastelan (Kastelan, Kastellan, Castelan, Castellan)
 +
*Klesara (Klessara, Clesara, Clessara, Clesarra, Klesarra)
 +
*Klisura (Klissura, Klesura, Klessura)
 +
*Kondenal (Condenal, Condinnal)
 +
*Kuspilic (Kuspilic, Kuspilich)
 +
*Lovricevic (Lovricevic, Lovrecevich)
 +
*Medin (Meddin)
 +
*Medini (Meddini, Medinni)
 +
*Okmasic (Okmasic, Okmasich)
 +
*Paunovic (Paunovic, Paunovich, Panovich, Pannovich)
 +
*Perucic (Perucic, Perucich, Perusich, Peruchich)
 +
*Pesic (Pesic, Pessic, Pessich, Pesich, Peshich)
 +
*Petrusic (Petrusic, Petrusich, Petrasich, Petrushich)
 +
*Portolan (Portollan, Pertolan)
 +
*Sardi
 +
*Sesa (Sessa)
 +
*Sladoevic (Sladoevic, Sladoevich, Sladovich)
 +
*Smrkinic (Smrkinich, Smerkinich, Smerkenich)
 +
*Sponseli (Sponselli)
 +
*Tanisic (Stanisic, Stanisich, Stanissich, Stannisich)
 +
*Tasovac (Tasovatz)
 +
*Trojanis (Troyanis, Troyannis, Troyaniss)
 +
*Vilovic (Vilovic, Vilovich, Villovich)
 +
*Vitaic (Vitaich)
 +
*Zafron (Safron)
 +
*Zmaic (Zmaic, Zmaich, Smaich)
 +
 
 +
 
 +
''Above''' taken from [http://www.croatia-in-english.com/gen/Kor-names.html www.croatia-in-english.com Korcula names-Tom Ninkovich].
 +
 
 +
{{col-end}}
 +
 
 +
===Plus, surnames on the island that are not clearly of Slavic origin===
 +
for example:
 +
* Izmaeli - originally de '''Ismael'''
 +
* Gabrijeliċ - originally '''Gabriel'''
 +
* Đunio - originally de '''Giunio'''
 +
* Bonguardo
 +
* Depolo
 +
* Sambrailo
 +
* Don Marko '''Bono''' of Žrnovo
 +
* D'Angelis
 +
* Sessa
 +
* Bernardi
 +
* Fabris <ref>The Building Technology by the Korčula Wooden Shipbuilding - School by Roko Markovina</ref>
 +
* Vidali - surname of a noble family from the 16th century. <ref>Korčula City and Island by Alena Fazinić, Stanka Kraljević & Milan Babić</ref>
 +
* Buskariol
 +
* Surjan (Ita: Surian, from the Middle East)
 +
* Zuvela (Xuvella)
 +
 
 +
[[File:85px-Coat of arms of Dalmatia crowned.svg.png|thumb|right|125px|Dalmatia's Coat of arms]]
 +
 
 +
== Summary - History of Korcula ==
 +
* The indigenous population of Korčula were Mesolithic and Neolithic peoples. Archaeological evidence has been found at ''Jakas Cave'' near the village of Žrnovo and on the west end of the island in a cave called Vela Spila. <ref>[http://hrcak.srce.hr/file/26657 University of Zagreb:] Faculty of Philosophy
 
* Some of the finds from Vela Spila (Big Cave) are on display at the '''University of Zagreb''' and the ''Center for Culture'' in [http://www.apartments-vela-luka.com/vela-spila.asp Vela Luka.]</ref>  
 
* Some of the finds from Vela Spila (Big Cave) are on display at the '''University of Zagreb''' and the ''Center for Culture'' in [http://www.apartments-vela-luka.com/vela-spila.asp Vela Luka.]</ref>  
−
* The  island was then settled by  Illyrians.<ref>The Cambridge Ancient History Vol. 11 : The High Empire, AD 70-192 by Peter Rathbone</ref> It is believed that the Illyrians arrived in the Balkans approximately 1000 BC. <ref>The Illyrians (The Peoples of Europe) by John Wilkes,ISBN 0631198075-1996</ref>
+
* The  island was then settled by  Illyrians-Dalmatae. <ref>The Cambridge Ancient History Vol. 11 : The High Empire, AD 70-192 by Peter Rathbone</ref>  
 
* A Greek colony was founded on Korčula. <ref>An Inventory of Archaic and Classical Poleis: An Investigation Conducted by The Copenhagen Polis Centre for the Danish National Research Foundation by Mogens Herman Hansen,2005,Index</ref> Greek colonists from Issa (Vis)  formed a small colony on the island in the 4th or 3rd century B.C.  
 
* A Greek colony was founded on Korčula. <ref>An Inventory of Archaic and Classical Poleis: An Investigation Conducted by The Copenhagen Polis Centre for the Danish National Research Foundation by Mogens Herman Hansen,2005,Index</ref> Greek colonists from Issa (Vis)  formed a small colony on the island in the 4th or 3rd century B.C.  
 +
[[File:280px-Republic of Venice 1796.png|thumb|right|200px|Republic of Venice-1796 ''(Created by MapMaster)'']]
 +
 +
Note A: '''Lumbarda Psephisma'''
 +
 +
[[Directory:Historical Compendium of the Island of Korcula#Editors Notes|Lumbarda Psephisma]] is a stone inscription which documented the event and was found on the island of Korčula.<ref>[http://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=clanak&id_clanak_jezik=74289&lang=en Hrcak Portal of scientific journals of Croatia:] Lumbarda Psephisma, the Oldest Document about the Division of Land Parcels in Croatia from the Beginning of the 4th or 3rd Century BC by Miljenko Solaric & Nikola Solaic (University of Zagreb).</ref> The Greeks (from Issa-Vis) established a settlement on the basis of a prior agreement with the representatives of the local Illyrians who were Pil and his son Daz. A literary work from the 1st century AD  ''"Periegesis Hellados"'' <ref>[http://www.dissertations.se/dissertation/834aad3ee7/ Swedish University - Essays Swedish (www.dissertations.se):] Researcher, Traveller, Narrator. Studies in Pausanias' Periegesis-University Dissertation from Almqvist & Wiksell International Stockholm Sweden.</ref> mentions a second Greek Cnidian colony on the island of Nigra Kerkyra (Korčula).<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=a9XI-B449vkC&pg=PA68&lpg=PA74&dq=Greek+colony+in+the+3+century+BC+lumbarda&source=bl&ots=O3bea0TiFw&sig=fSxIeilCNTQP293_TrJkkma3pDM&hl=en&ei=xof7SuDnFsGIkQWgz42YBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CA0Q6AEwAjge#v=snippet&q=korcula&f=false Studi sulla grecità di occidente by Lorenzo Braccesi] (p68)</ref> According to [[Defence of Korcula (part two)|Antun (Antonio) Rosanovic]] (Defence of Korcula in 1571)  the Greeks named it ''Corcyra Melena'' <ref>Greek: Kórkyra Melaena or Κόρκυρα Μέλαινα, and Corcyra Nigra</ref> meaning Black Corfu after their homeland and the dense woods on the island. It is not known what the Illyrians called the island.
 +
 +
* The island became part of the Roman province of Illyricum.<ref>'''Encyclopedia Britannica'''.
 +
* The Roman province of Illyricum stretched from the Drilon River (the Drin, in modern Albania) in the south to Istria (modem Slovenia and Croatia) </ref> The Romans called the island Corcyra Nigra. After the Illyrian Wars, Roman migration followed and Roman citizens arrived on the island.<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=QtppAAAAMAAJ&q=Roman+Junianum+korcula&dq=Roman+Junianum+korcula&lr= Croatian Adriatic:] History, Culture, Art & Natural beauties</ref> The Illyrian population immediately after the Illyrian Wars suffered greatly under the Romans. A large portion of the Illyrians were executed and sold off to slavery. In 10 AD Illyricum was split into two provinces, Pannonia and '''Dalmatia'''.<ref>John Everett-Healu. "Dalmatia." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. Oxford University Press. 2005. Encyclopedia.com</ref> Korčula became part of the ancient Roman province of Dalmatia.
 +
* The Ostrogoths (a Germanic tribe related to the Goths) ruled Roman Dalmatia from 480 to 535 AD.
 +
* In the 6th century it came under the Eastern Roman Empire-Byzantine (Eastern Roman Empire, please note they referred to themselves as 'Empire of the Romans' Latin: Imperium Romanum) 
 +
* Migrations of the early middle ages, brought the Slavic peoples into the Dalmatian region. The term Slav was first used by the Byzantines (i.e. Procopius  cia. 518, Byzantine scholar, Jordanes- Roman bureaucrat, cia. 550) and was recorded in the 6th century . It is belived that the Narrentanos Sclavos invaded the island and occupied it. The Old-Slavic term for Korčula was Krkar.
 +
Note B: '''The Narentines'''
 +
 +
The Narentines, who are referred today also as ''Neretva pirates'' (Neretvani), were a nation of Slavic pirates who got their name from the river Neretva. Also known as ''Arentanoi'',<ref>[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=OJPfAAAAMAAJ&q=arentanoi&dq=arentanoi&hl=en&ei=bMt2TYb7J4ugvQODuaGFBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CDoQ6AEwBA The Age of the Dromon:] The Byzantine Navy ca. 500-1204 by John H. Pryor, Elizabeth & Jeffreys (p67)</ref> modern scholarly research now puts the time of the main invasion of the Slavic tribes in the region to be much later.<ref>[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=6UbOtJcF8rQC&pg=PA212&dq=immigration+Slav+groups+in+Dalmatia+Danijel+Dzino&hl=en&ei=ONB2Tf7SA4vevQOYybjLBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CD0Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false Becoming Slav, Becoming Croat:] Identity Transformations in Post-Roman and Early Medieval Dalmatia by Danijel Dzino (p212): '''Danijel Dzino''' states that the 19 century theories of mass movements of people into the old Roman Province of Dalmatia are questionable. Modern Archaeological and Scholarly research seems to be saying that we are looking at much smaller groups of Slavs and Avars invading the region. 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''. According to Danijel Dzino the term Slavs was first used by outside observers of the day to describe the newcomers. The Slavs used the term to describe themselves at a later stage. Thus began the ''construct identity'' of the new arrivals. Later the Slavic peoples started to identify themselves and separated (or were separated by others) into different groups.
 +
</ref>  Archaeological evidence found in the old Roman city of ''Salon'' and in particularly the artefacts found at the'' Old Croatian'' grave sites <ref>[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=6UbOtJcF8rQC&pg=PA52&dq=croatian+graves+medieval+dalmatian+dating&hl=en&ei=LA6HTan-IsGHcYbf3Y4D&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CD4Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false Becoming Slav, Becoming Croat:] Identity Transformations in Post-Roman and Early Medieval Dalmatia by Danijel Dzino (p52).</ref> in Dalmatia (during recent excavations) seems to confirm this. Some historians have placed the  '''settlement''' of Slavs now to be more in the region of the 8th century.<ref>Historians of this school of thought are D. Dzino, L. Margetic, Ancic, Rapanic and Sokol.</ref> The early sources must have reflected the '''raid''' and mercenary activity of the Slavic tribes within Roman Dalmatia. In Korčula's case a small group of Slavs (Chakavian speakers) settled on the island in mid 9th century.
  
−
'''Note''': [[Directory:Historical Compendium of the Island of Korcula#Editors Notes|Lumbarda Psephisma]] is a stone inscription which documented the event and was found on the island of Korčula.<ref>[http://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=clanak&id_clanak_jezik=74289&lang=en Hrcak Portal of scientific journals of Croatia:] Lumbarda Psephisma, the Oldest Document about the Division of Land Parcels in Croatia from the Beginning of the 4th or 3rd Century BC by Miljenko Solaric & Nikola Solaic (University of Zagreb).</ref> The Greeks (from Issa) established a settlement on the basis of a prior agreement with the representatives of the local Illyrians who were Pil and his son Daz. A literary work from the 1st century AD  ''"Periegesis Hellados"'' <ref>[http://www.dissertations.se/dissertation/834aad3ee7/ Swedish University- Essays Swedish (www.dissertations.se):] Researcher, Traveller, Narrator. Studies in Pausanias' Periegesis-University Dissertation from Almqvist & Wiksell International Stockholm Sweden.</ref> mentions a second Greek Cnidian colony on the island of Nigra Kerkyra (Korčula).<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=a9XI-B449vkC&pg=PA68&lpg=PA74&dq=Greek+colony+in+the+3+century+BC+lumbarda&source=bl&ots=O3bea0TiFw&sig=fSxIeilCNTQP293_TrJkkma3pDM&hl=en&ei=xof7SuDnFsGIkQWgz42YBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CA0Q6AEwAjge#v=snippet&q=korcula&f=false Studi sulla grecità di occidente by Lorenzo Braccesi] (p68)</ref> According to Nikola Ostojic the Greeks named it "Black Corfu"  after their homeland and the dense woods on the island.
+
* Conquered by the Republic of Venice under the management of the doge Pietro II Orseolo. Venice ruled from 1000 to 1100. The Venetians called the island Curzola. Please note in old Venetian 'Repùblega Vèneta' also know as La Serenissima.
−
* The island became part of the Roman province of ''Illyricum''.<ref>'''Encyclopedia Britannica'''.
 
−
* The Roman province of Illyricum stretched from the Drilon River (the Drin, in modern Albania) in the south to Istria (modem Slovenia and Croatia) </ref> After the Illyrian Wars, Roman migration followed and Roman citizens arrived on the island.<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=QtppAAAAMAAJ&q=Roman+Junianum+korcula&dq=Roman+Junianum+korcula&lr= Croatian Adriatic:] History, Culture, Art & Natural beauties</ref> The Illyrian population immediately after the Illyrian Wars suffered greatly under the Romans. A large portion of the Illyrians were executed and sold off to slavery.<ref>Historical Compendium of the Island of Korcula ''by'' Nikola Ostojic (p6)</ref>  In 10 AD Illyricum was split into two provinces, Pannonia and '''Dalmatia'''.<ref>John Everett-Healu. "Dalmatia." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. Oxford University Press. 2005. Encyclopedia.com</ref> Korčula became part of the ancient Roman province of Dalmatia.
 
−
* In the 6th century it came under  the Eastern Roman Empire-Byzantine (by then the Greek families would have been Romanized).
 
−
* Migrations of the late 7th and 8th century, brought the Slavic peoples into the Dalmatian region. The Neretljani Slavs invaded the island and occupied it. The Old-Slavic term for Korčula was Krkar.
 
−
'''Note''': The Narantani, which are referred to today mainly as ''Neretljani'', were a nation of pirates. Firstly known as ''Arentanoi.''<ref>[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=OJPfAAAAMAAJ&q=arentanoi&dq=arentanoi&hl=en&ei=bMt2TYb7J4ugvQODuaGFBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CDoQ6AEwBA The Age of the Dromon:] The Byzantine Navy ca. 500-1204 by John H. Pryor, Elizabeth & Jeffreys (p67)</ref> Modern scholarly research now puts the time of the invasion of the Slavic tribes in the region to be much later.<ref>[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=6UbOtJcF8rQC&pg=PA212&dq=immigration+Slav+groups+in+Dalmatia+Danijel+Dzino&hl=en&ei=ONB2Tf7SA4vevQOYybjLBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CD0Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false Becoming Slav, Becoming Croat:] Identity Transformations in Post-Roman and Early Medieval Dalmatia by Danijel Dzino (p212).
 
−
* Danijel Dzino states that the 19 century theories of mass movements of people into the old Roman Province of Dalmatia are questionable. Modern Archaeological and Scholarly research seems to be saying that we are looking at much smaller groups of Slavs and Avars invading the region. 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''. According to Danijel Dzino the term Slavs was first used by outside observers of the day to describe the newcomers. The Slavs used the term to describe themselves at a later stage. Thus began the ''construct identity'' of the new arrivals. Later the Slavic peoples started to identify themselves and separated (or were separated by others) into different groups.
 
−
</ref>  Archaeological evidence found in the old Roman city of ''Salon'' and artefacts found at the'' Old Croatian'' grave sites in Dalmatia (during recent excavations) confirm this. The arrival of the Slavs has now been placed to be more in the region of 8th ''or'' even early 9th century.
 
−
* Conquered by the Republic of Venice under the management of the doge Pietro Orscolo from 999 to 1100.
 
 
* Held by the Genoese from 1100 to 1129.
 
* Held by the Genoese from 1100 to 1129.
−
* Recaptured by Popone Zorzi, from the Republic of Venice and ruled from 1129 to 1180, from 1252 to 1254, and from 1258 until 1357.
+
* Recaptured by the Republic of Venice and ruled from 1129 to 1180, from 1252 to 1254, and from 1258 until 1357.
−
* Statute of Korčula was drafted in 1214.
+
* In 1184 Miroslav, Stefan Nemanja <ref>Stefan Nemanja  (c. 1114 – 13 February 1199) was a 12th-century Serb royalty, heir to the Vukanović dynasty and Grand Prince of medieval Raška from 1166 to 1196. Nemanja was from Ribnica in Zeta, present day Podgorica which is the capital of Montenegro.</ref> and Costantino, counts of Chelmo (Zahumlje),<ref>Nobles of '''Raška''' who ruled Chelmo (Zahumlje). Raška was a medieval principality created by Serbian Slavs (Costantino is referred to as Stracimir).</ref>  attempted to conquer Korčula.<ref>[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=LvVbRrH1QBgC&pg=PA8&dq=Miroslav+korcula&hl=en&ei=5lisTY7YI4yYvAO7raX_CQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDMQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Miroslav%20korcula&f=false The Late Medieval Balkans:] A Critical Survey from the Late Twelfth Century by John Van Antwerp Fine (p8)</ref>
−
'''Note''':The Statute itself <ref>[http://www.korculainfo.com/history/statute-korcula-town-1214.html Korcula Info (www.korculainfo.com): Korcula Town Statute from 1214]</ref>  was probably written by Latin (Roman Dalmatian) & Slavic nobility.
+
* Statute of Korčula was drafted in 1214 (Liber Legum Statutorum Curzola 1214).
−
Here is a ''Historic quote'' taken from "When Ethnicity Did not Matter in the Balkans" by John Van Antwerp Fine: ''"In 1262 the Venetian praised the Slavs and Latins on the island of Korcula for submitting to the prince Venice had sent."'' <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 Van Antwerp Fine. (p103)</ref>
+
Note C: '''Liber Legum Statutorum Curzola 1214'''
−
* Possessed on behalf of the king of [[Hungary]] from 1257 and with brief interruptions of the Genoese until 1418.
 
−
* Korčula was devastated by the plague in 1529 and 1558.<ref>{{citeweb|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/322146/Korcula|title='''"Korcula."''' '''Encyclopædia Britannica'''. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica, 2011. Tue. 8 Mar. 2011. |date=[[2011]]|accessdate=2011-03-8}}
 
  
−
* '''Encyclopædia Britannica''': " A plague devastated the town in 1529, depleting the population. The burned houses of infected persons, called kućišta..."</ref><ref>[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=ZyOYDrSkX80C&pg=PA239&dq=Italian+population+Curzola&hl=en&ei=3ptXTcqwOIjSuwPI3NyrBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDAQ6AEwADgK#v=onepage&q=Italian%20population%20Curzola&f=false The Shores of the Adriatic (Illustrated Edition)] by F Hamilton Jackson (p239)</ref>
+
The Statute itself <ref>[https://www.korculainfo.com/statute/ Korcula Info (www.korculainfo.com): Korcula Town Statute from 1214]</ref>  was probably written by Dalmatian Latins and maybe the new Slavic nobility. Originally written in Latin. Oldest known copy is from 1265, also written in Latin. It was later translated to Venetian - Italian.
−
* Devoting itself of its own accord to the ''Republic of Venice'' in 1420, and held by it with exemption from any tax until 1797.
+
Here is an ''Historic quote'' taken from 'When Ethnicity Did not Matter in the Balkans' by John Van Antwerp Fine in which it writes about the Slavs and Latins on the island of Korčula (Curzola): {{quote|
−
* Surrendered with the Republic of Venice to [[France]] in 1797.
+
''In 1262 the Venetian praised the Slavs and Latins on the island of Korcula for submitting to the prince Venice had sent.'' <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 Van Antwerp Fine. (p103)</ref><ref>Smiciklas, ''CD'' V, (p237); N. Klaic, ''Povijest Hrvata u Razvijenom'', (p130)</ref>}}
−
* Taken and held by the Russians for a year in 1808.
+
* Possessed on behalf of the king of '''Hungary''' from 1257 and with brief interruptions of the Genoese until 1418.
−
* Taken from the French by the [[England|English]] and guarded for themselves from 1813 to 1815.
+
* Devoting itself of its own accord to the ''Republic of Venice'' in 1420 (part of Dalmazia Veneta, in original Venatian: Dalmàssia).
−
* Occupied by [[Austria]], first by obligation from 1797 to 1806, later by Vienna Treaty from 1815 to 1918.
+
* In 1483, during the war between Republic of Venice and Ferrara (1482 — 1484), King Ferdinand of Naples sent a fleet to conquer Korčula. It was defeated under the Governor Giorgio Viario.
−
* Under the Treaty of Rapallo (Nov. 12, 1920 between [[Italy]] and Yugoslavia), Korčula became part of Yugoslavia. It was interpreted back then as the formation of the Kingdom of Serbia, Croatia & Slovenia.  
+
* Korčula was devastated by the plague in 1529, 1558 <ref>{{citeweb|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/322146/Korcula|title='''"Korcula."''' '''Encyclopædia Britannica'''. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica, 2011. Tue. 8 Mar. 2011. |date=[[2011]]|accessdate=2011-03-8}}
 +
* '''Encyclopædia Britannica''': " A plague devastated the town in 1529, depleting the population. The burned houses of infected persons, called kućišta ..."</ref> and 1617.
 +
*[[ Defence of Korcula]] in 1571 against Ottoman Turks.
 +
* Turkish pirates attack the island on the 10th of June 1715. Some of the islanders were captured and sold off as slaves. Piracy and the slave trade was a constant reality for the island.
 +
* Surrendered with the Republic of Venice to [[France]] in 1797 (it was occupied by the Russians for a year in 1808).
 +
[[File:Blato Graves.jpg|thumb|right|325px|One of the old graves in Blato (Korcula) written in Italian. Photo by [[Directory:Peter Zuvela|Peter Zuvela]]]]
 +
* British Empire rule  from 1813 to 1815 under the command of Peter Lowen.
 +
* Occupied by [[Austria]] (Habsburg Empire - later renamed the Austro-Hungarian Empire), first by obligation from 1797 to 1806, later by the Vienna Treaty from 1815 to 1918 (Kingdom of Dalmatia - Konigreich Dalmatien).
 +
* '''Sir John Gardner Wilkinson''' in his book 'Dalmatia and Montenegro' (his travels during 1844 - published in 1848) writes: '' "The Isle of Curzola is called in Illyric Korçula ..... "'' <ref> Dalmatia and Montenegro: With a Journey to Mostar in Herzegovina by Sir John Gardner Wilkinson. (p256)</ref>
 +
* Historic quote taken from ''Researches on the Danube and the Adriatic'' written by Andrew Archibald Paton in '''1861'''. Chapter 4 - The Dalmatian Archipelago on page 164. Signor Arneri  from the town of Korčula stated:
 +
{{quote|
 +
''These three pears you see on the wall," said he, "are the arms of my family. Perussich was the name, when, in the earlier part of the fifteenth century, my ancestors  built this palace; so that, you see, I am Dalmatian. All the family, fathers, sons, and brothers, used to serve in the fleets of the Republic; but the hero of our race was Arneri Perussich, whose statue you see there, who fought, bled, and died at the Siege of Candia, whose memory was honoured by the Republic, and whose surviving family was liberally pensioned; so his name of our race. We became Arneri, and ceased to be Perussich.''  [Editors note: Republic of Venice] <ref>[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=E_NBAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA164&dq=These+three+pears+you+see+on+the+wall,%22+said+he,+%22are+the+arms+of+my+family.+Perussich+was+the+name,&hl=en&ei=AsG-TYzeBIa0vwOH4OWsDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCsQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=These%20three%20pears%20you%20see%20on%20the%20wall%2C%22%20said%20he%2C%20%22are%20the%20arms%20of%20my%20family.%20Perussich%20was%20the%20name%2C&f=false Researches on the Danube and the Adriatic:] By Andrew Archibald Paton. Chapter 4. The Dalmatian Archipelago. (p164)
 +
* Andrew Archibald Paton (1811-1874) was a British diplomat and writer from the 19th century.</ref><ref>The Siege of Candia (modern Heraklion-Crete) was a military conflict in which Ottoman forces besieged the Venetian ruled city and were victorious. Lasting from 1648 to 1669, it is conceded by some to be the longest siege in history.</ref>}}
 +
'''Note''': Here is a perfect example of a Slavic family surname becoming later Venetian in character. According to Marinko Gjivoje, Perussich in modern Croatian is ''Piruzović''.<ref>Otok Korčula (2nd edition) by Marinko Gjivoje, Zagreb 1969.  
 +
*The book outlines A-Z about the island of Korcula, from traditions, history, culture to wildlife, politics & geography. (p46-p47): ''Piruzović ''</ref>
 +
* The last Italian language government school was abolished in Korčula on the 13th of September 1876.<ref>[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=kMXURN7sxh4C&pg=PA83&lpg=PA83&dq=The+Italians+of+Dalmatia+Curzola+school&source=bl&ots=Sx1bUxdn1A&sig=YCATl36eEUduI42Azs0GVUeepBo&hl=en#v=onepage&q=The%20Italians%20of%20Dalmatia%20Curzola%20school&f=false The Italians of Dalmatia] by Luciano Monzali (p83)</ref><ref>'''Editor's Note''': In the neighbouring '''Kingdom of Croatia''' (Königreich Kroatien) a [[Croatia|Croatian]] nationalistic movement was established and alongside that, within the Balkan region a Pan-Slavic movement was growing (the beginnings of the ill fated Yugoslavia). These political on goings started to be felt in the Kingdom of Dalmatia (Konigreich Dalmatien). The [[Austria|Austrians]] (part of the Habsburg Empire, later renamed Austro-Hungarian Empire) in the 1860s started to introduce (a  process of [[Croatisation]])  within the Kingdom of Dalmatia a standardised Croatian language originally referred to as Illyrian (Illirski). It then replaced Italian altogether. In effect the government undertook culture genocide. For centuries the Italian language was the official language of the Dalmatian establishment. It was also the spoken language in white-collar, civil service and merchant families. Privately Italian schools were still being run in the Kingdom of Dalmatia, i.e the city of Zadar and Split (Lega Nazionale at Spalato).</ref><ref>Beginnings of Formal Education - Vela Luka:
 +
{{quote|
 +
''Italian language was not only the official language in all public Dalmatian establishments, but also was the spoken language in a significant number of white-collar, civil service and merchant families in the cities and major markets within towns"  .... taken from The Early Beginnings of Formal Education - Vela Luka (beginnings of literacy and Lower Primary School 1857 – 1870) (p.8 written in Croatian)}}</ref>
 +
* Under the Treaty of Rapallo between Italy and Kingdom of Serbia, Croatia & Slovenia (Nov. 12, 1920),<ref> '''Encyclopedia Britannica'''-Dalmatia:
 +
* "Finally, the Treaty of Rapallo, (Nov. 12, 1920 between [[Italy]] and Yugoslavia gave all Dalmatia to the Yugoslavs except the mainland Zadar (Zara) enclave and the coastal islands of Cres, Losinj (Lussino), and Lastovo. </ref> Korčula became part of the Kingdom of Serbia, Croatia & Slovenia which was renamed Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1929. After [[World War II]] Dalmatia was divided between three republics of [[Communists|Communist]] Yugoslavia. Most of the territory went to Croatia.
 +
* In 1991 Korčula became part of the independent [[Croatia|Republic of Croatia]].  
 
'''Additional''':
 
'''Additional''':
−
* Venetian and Ragusan (Dubrovnik) families migrated to the island.
+
* Venetian citizens and Ragusan (today Dubrovnik region) families migrated to the island.
−
* Second Slavic (Croatian) migration in 17th and 18th century.
+
* Croatian (and other groups) migrations in 16th and 17th century caused by the Ottoman invasions.
−
In this editors opinion Korčula was originally a Roman town. It latter became a dual Latin (Roman)-Slavic town in the middle ages. With the arrival of Venitians in the 15th century it continued evolve as such until the end of the Republic itself in 1797. Today we have surnames on the island that are not of Slavic origin, for example:
+
 
−
* Izmaeli - originally de '''Ismael'''
+
==There Needs to be an Historical Reassessment==
−
* Gabrijeliċ - originally '''Gabriel'''
+
A very interesting statement by Croatian Historian Sime Peričić in which he mentions " colony of Italians" on the island. He seems to have totally missed the autochthonous Dalmatian Latins:
−
* Đunio - originally de '''Giunio'''
+
{{quote|
−
=== In 1918 Korcula was part of Dalmatia (Austro-Hungarian Empire)===
+
 
−
In 1918 Korčula (then called Curzola) was part of Dalmatia. Dalmatia was a province in the [[Austria|Austro]]-Hungarian Empire and was already more than a century old. Dalmatia itself as a region, dates back to the Roman Empire which was well before the Slavic invasions of the middle ages. According to the Austrian censuses it was predominately made up of [[Croatia|Croatians]] and [[Italy|Italians]] (and other minorities).<ref>Other '''minorities''' being: Serbs, Montenegrins, Albanians & Jews</ref> With the disintegration of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918, Serbia started occupying the region (Italy did the same). This was part of the ''Treaty of Rapallo''.<ref> '''Encyclopedia Britannica'''-Dalmatia:
+
''It is true, then a small colony of Italians where in Sibenik, on the island of Korcula, Hvar and Vis, and other places of the province.''<ref>Concerning the Number of Italians/Pro-Italians in Dalmatia in the XIXth Century by Šime Peričić</ref>}}Trying to re-tell the history of this part of the world (old Dalmatia part of [[Croatia]]) is fraught with problems. The [[Titoism and Totalitarianism|Yugoslav Communist party]] created historic falsehoods to promote its own aggressive political authoritarian agenda.
−
*Finally, the Treaty of Rapallo (Nov. 12, 1920) between [[Italy]] and Yugoslavia gave all Dalmatia to the Yugoslavs except the mainland Zadar (Zara) enclave and the coastal islands of Cres, Losinj (Lussino), and Lastovo. </ref>  It was interpreted back then as the formation of the Kingdom of Serbia, Croatia & Slovenia.  
+
 
 +
'''In''' the 19th century the island became heavily influenced by Pan-Slavism and the Croatian Nationalistic movements <ref>Nationalistic movements of 19th century is a perspective that's needs to be explored. With the Napoleonic Wars and the aftermath of that historical period, certain European nationhoods where being created that didn't exist before. Founding of the nation-states of Italy and then Germany, city-states, principalities and kingdoms ceasing to exist (or cease to be independent) , all had an affect on the lands that are now part of modern Croatia.
 +
Industrial Revolution had an impact on creating modern nationhoods. Pan-Slavism and Croatian Nationalistic movements, Industrial Revolution and Empire building is the historic drive of the 19th century. If you want to build a modern 19th century nation you need a least a mini-empire, for example a southern Slavic Empire.The great southern Slavic Empire could have the Russian Empire as an ally. This state would need a literary standard, standardise language of its slavic peoples, a history that unites them all etc.</ref>. Pan-Slavism was later in the 20th century reinforced by the Yugoslavian governments. The [[Titoism and Totalitarianism|Communist Yugoslavian]] regime (1945-91) had a huge influence on the island of Korcula and the  historic region of Dalmatia. The Yugoslav Communist party <ref>The League of Communists of Yugoslavia</ref> was the main driving force in all social matters within the former Yugoslavia. Its [[Titoism and Totalitarianism|Stalinist policies]] from the 1940s to the 1960s and authoritarian rule <ref>[http://www.federaljack.com/ebooks/Free%20Energy%20Ebooks/Gale%20-%20Encyclopedia%20Of%20Genocide%20And%20Crimes%20Against%20Humanity/Gale%20-%20Encyclopedia%20of%20Genocide%20and%20Crimes%20Against%20Humanity%20-%20Vol%203%20%5BT-Z%5D%20Corrected.pdf  '''Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity'''. Ed. Dinah L. Shelton. Gale Cengage, 2005.] Encyclopedia of Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity, Volume 3 by  Dinah Shelton Macmillan Reference, 2005 - Political Science (p.1170)  
 +
 
 +
*"The killing continued after the war, as Tito's victorious forces took revenge on their real and perceived enemies. British forces in Austria turned back tens of thousands of fleeing Yugoslavs. Estimates range from 30,000 to 55,000 killed between spring and autumn 1945."
  
−
The new kingdom had the support of Great Britain and [[France]], who were the superpowers of the day. In retrospect this was a tragic move, one that the [[United States]] was against. The effects of this political stupidity are still felt today. It is interesting how this newly created state “Kingdom of Serbia, Croatia & Slovenia”, which later became better know as the '''ill fated''' Yugoslavia, was given a lot of support over the succeeding decades. This part of European history surely needs more academic attention.
+
*"Native German and Hungarian communities, seen as complicit with wartime occupation, were brutally treated; tantamount in some cases to ethnic cleansing. The Volksdeutsch settlements of Vojvodina and Slavonia largely disappeared. Perhaps 100,000 people—half the ethnic German population in Yugoslavia—fled in 1945, and many who remained were compelled to do forced Labour, murdered, or later ransomed by [[Germany|West Germany]]. Some 20,000 Hungarians of Vojvodina were killed in reprisals. Albanian rebellions in Kosovo were suppressed, with prisoners sent on '''death marches''' towards the coast. An estimated 170,000 ethnic [[Italy|Italians]] fled to Italy in the late 1940s and 1950s. (All of these figures are highly approximate.)"</ref> have been mostly ignored in the Western media. From the late 19th century on-wards coastal Dalmatian culture has been disappearing from the region with not much attention being payed to it.
  
−
== Former Yugoslavia-History ==
+
Paul Hollander writes about attitudes in former communist countries (complicity):
−
The region of the former Yugoslavia-West Balkans has problems with interpreting multicultural and ''multiethnic'' history (& societies). The statement below comes from a book called ''Dalmatia'' (History, Culture, Art Heritage) written by Antun Travirka.
 
  
−
{{Cquote|''By the 14th century the city had become wholly Croatian'' <ref>Dalmatia (History, Culture, Art Heritage) by Antun Travirka</ref>}}
+
{{quote|  
−
The book itself is primarily for the tourist market and is easily available in several languages. This quote is on page 137 and it’s referring to the ''Republic of Ragusa''. The old Republic of Ragusa (Dubrovnik) <ref>{{citeweb|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/172803/Dubrovnik|title="Dubrovnik." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica, 2011. Web. 08 Mar. 2011. |date=[[2011]]|accessdate=2011-03-8}}
+
''Public attitudes in former communist countries have been conflicted because of the arguable complicity of many citizens in keeping the old system in power. A predominant attitude in Eastern Europe and Russia toward the former communist systems has been a mixture of oblivion, denial, and repression'' <ref>http://www.cato.org/publications/development-policy-analysis/reflections-communism-twenty-years-after-fall-berlin-wall</ref>}}
 +
'''Additional''': Historians seem to not place importance on the islands diminishing population during its long history. Periods where the population diminished would be:
 +
* During the conquering of the island by the Romans.
 +
* Later the conquering of the island by the Slavic Croatians.  
 +
* Wars with the Ottoman Empire.  
 +
* Also during the infamous Black Plagues in the 16th and 17th century.
  
−
* '''Encyclopædia Britannica''': "The city was founded about 614 as Rausa, or Ragusium, by Roman refugees fleeing the Slav and Avar sack of Epidaurus, just to the southeast. A colony of Slavs soon joined the Romans there, and from an early date the city formed a link between two great civilizations. After the fall of Rome, Dubrovnik was ruled by the Byzantine Empire. From the 9th to the 12th century Dubrovnik defended itself against foreign powers, and in the period 1205 to 1358 it acknowledged Venetian suzerainty, though it retained much of its independence."</ref><ref>{{citeweb|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/143561/Croatia|title="Croatia." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica, 2011. Web. 09 Mar. 2011.|date=[[2011]]|accessdate=2011-03-8}}
+
Truly, I believe there needs to be an historical reassessment.
  
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* '''Encyclopædia Britannica''': "Ragusa and the Croat Renaissance in Dalmatia: The Adriatic port of Ragusa had been founded by Latinized colonists, but by the 14th century it had been largely Slavicized and had acquired its alternate name of Dubrovnik."</ref><ref>[http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Ragusa,_Austria Encyclopaedia Britannica (publ. 1911):]
+
Konstantin Porfirogenet, the Xth century Byzantine emperor, whilst consolidating his empire, writes:  
−
*"'''RAGUSA''' (Serbo-Croatian Dubrovnik), an episcopal city, and the centre of an administrative district in Dalmatia, [[Austria]]. Pop. (1900) of town and commune, 13,174,13,174, including a garrison of 1122. Its situation and its undisturbed atmosphere of antiquity combine to make Ragusa by far the most picturesque city on the Dalmatian coast. "
 
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*"The city first became prominent during the 7th century. In 639 and 656 the flourishing Latin communities of Salona and Epidaurum were destroyed by the Avars, and the island rock of Ragusa was colonized by the survivors. Tradition identifies Epidaurum, whence the majority came, with the neighbouring village of Ragusavecchia; but some historians, including Gelcich, place it on the shores of the Bocche di Cattaro. Both sites show signs of Roman occupation. A colony of Slavs soon joined the Latin settlers at Ragusa, and thus, from an early date, the city formed a link between two great civilizations (see Vlachs). In the 9th century it is said to have repulsed the Saracens; in the 10th it defended itself against the Narentine pirates, and Simeon, tsar of the Bulgarians."</ref> is now within the borders of the modern Croatia. This monolithic description is an outright lie and it’s a form of culture genocide (the crucial word is '''''wholly''''').  Additionally the book did not even use the term Republic of Ragusa (the closest that it got to this was ''RESPUBLICA RAGUSINA'' on page 141), which was used for more than a millennium. The peoples of Ragusa were a nation in their own right; the Republic was also made up of many ethnic nationalities.<ref>[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=CaK6DeZXX7sC&pg=PA190&dq=republic+of+ragusa+dubrovnik+jewish+community&hl=en&ei=2D52TfSIN9DzcbSmhf8E&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CDgQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=republic%20of%20ragusa%20dubrovnik%20jewish%20community&f=false Jews, Christians, and Muslims in the Mediterranean World after 1492] By Alisa Meyuhas Ginio (p190)
 
  
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* "This was the start of the Ragusan Jewish community. There had been some Jews in Ragusa ... their continuous presence in the Republic of Ragusa where they played an important role in its economic, cultural and social life. ..."</ref><ref>[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=RsoMAQAAMAAJ&q=republic+of+ragusa+dubrovnik+jewish+community&dq=republic+of+ragusa+dubrovnik+jewish+community&hl=en&ei=2D52TfSIN9DzcbSmhf8E&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CEYQ6AEwBA  The Chicago Jewish forum, Volume 23] by Benjamin Weintroub (p271)
+
"''Four islands lie nearby: Mljet, Korcula, Hvar, Brac, very beautiful and fertile with many deserted towns and meadows; the inhabitants live from cattle raising ... They have in their power these islands: Korcula or Krkar, on which there is a town.''"
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*"The Dubrovnik community was founded by Sephardic Jews who were expelled from Spain, and despite the customary discriminations then ... they fared quite well under the ancient Republic of Ragusa, as Dubrovnik was known originally."</ref> <ref>[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=33KU0F-p2HcC&pg=PA271&dq=republic+of+ragusa+dubrovnik+jewish+community&hl=en&ei=M0N2TeamIM6WcZaj7IwF&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=9&ved=0CFMQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=republic%20of%20ragusa%20dubrovnik%20jewish%20community&f=false Footprint Croatia] by Jane Foster (p271)
 
−
*"Dubrovnik's Jewish community, first mentioned in 1352, grew in number after 1492 following the expulsion of Jews from Spain, ... Through the centuries it has been used as a customs office and the city mint (Ragusa minted its own money..."</ref><ref>[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=7RyKgdyV8VgC&pg=PA82&dq=orthodox+church++Dubrovnik&hl=en&ei=VEh2TZPoJsfJcb6kkYUF&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&ved=0CF8Q6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=orthodox%20church%20%20Dubrovnik&f=false Croatia] by Michael Schuman
 
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*"Dubrovnik also has a small mosque where the city's 4000 Muslims worship, and the nearby Serbian Orthodox Church, which by Dubrovnik standards is fairly new, dating to the 1800s."</ref> The Republic was a Maritime nation that traded all over the Mediterranean and even had trade with the Americas. Additionally it was in competition with Venice itself.
 
−
*Dalmatia-The Land Where East Meets West by Maude Holbach (a 1910 travel guide from COSIMO books and publications [[New York]] USA) writing about Dubrovnik:
 
−
{{Cquote|''Two hundred years later that, is, early in the tenth century you might have heard Slavish and Latin spoken had you walked in the streets of Ragusa, just as you hear Slavish and '''Italian''' today; for as times of peace followed times of war, the Greek and Roman inhabitants of Rausium intermarried with the surrounding Slavs, and so a mixed race sprang up, a people apart from the rest of Dalmatia.'' <ref>[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=EcvNw81I3hkC&pg=PA121&dq=Dalmatia:+The+Land+Where+East+Meets+West+Slavish+and+Italian+today&hl=en&ei=J46dTKDEF4XOvQOT_PS4DQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCoQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false Dalmatia: The Land Where East Meets West] by Maude Holbach (p121)
 
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* "DALMATIA: The Land Where East Meets West is MAUDE M. HOLBACH's second book of travel in Eastern Europe. First published in '''1910''', this is an anthropological travel journal of an often-overlooked kingdom" [http://www.cosimobooks.com/cosimo/about.html Web site: www.cosimobooks.com]</ref>}}
 
  
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'''Concerning''' the former Yugoslavia (which [[Croatia|Croatian]] was part of) the Cold War era played a major role in this style of historical documentation of the region’s history. Yugoslav Communist history is now dogma in Croatia. Many of today’s Croatians live with this dogma as their reality even though the Berlin Wall fell in 1989. The Communist Party of Yugoslavia had a profound effect on the region. So much so that it’s created today’s political and cultural scene. <ref>[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=o5cefCSRx5EC&pg=PA47&dq=tito+cult+propaganda&hl=en&ei=8NneS5e1H9egkQX77rzOBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CD0Q6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=tito%20cult%20propaganda&f=false The Fragmentation of Yugoslavia:] Nationalism and War in the Balkans ''by'' Aleksandar Pavkovic.(p 47)</ref>
+
Islands diminishing population during its long history might have been an issue since the collapse of the western part of the Roman Empire. Wars and many plagues where part of the island's history.
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*Quote by  contemporary historian Danijel Dzino: {{Cquote| ''Medieval studies in Croatia and in most of the former Yugoslav space were firmly rooted in political history and suffered from isolationism and lack of interest in foreign scholarship.  In the [[Titoism and Totalitarianism|communist era]], especially after the 1960s, Marxist ideology and national and Yugoslav political-ideological frameworks  strongly impacted on the research into medieval history in Croatia '' <ref>[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=6UbOtJcF8rQC&pg=PA43&dq=Becoming+Slav,+Becoming+Croat:+Identity+Transformations+in+Post-Roman+Medieval+studies+in+croatia&hl=en&ei=aEVLTZXLC5GevgPU26QW&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCoQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false Becoming Slav, Becoming Croat:] Identity Transformations in Post-Roman and Early Medieval Dalmatia  by Danijel Dzino (p43)</ref>}}
 
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*Quote from [[Titoism and Totalitarianism#European Public Hearing on “Crimes Committed by Totalitarian Regimes"|European Public Hearing]] on “Crimes Committed by Totalitarian Regimes": {{Cquote| ''Mystifying the crimes of the occupiers, Titoism covered its own crimes. The taboo to hide the  crimes of Titoism was meant to conceal the War-time and post-War murders of civilians and prisoners of war without trials. Their graves were levelled and in Slovenia it was forbidden to talk about their fate. Repressive organs controlled the burials sites and the living were strictly forbidden to mention the victims or the graves. The so-called system of preserving and developing revolutionary heritage was used by the [[Communists|Communist Party]] to implement a '''monopoly''' on the '''truth'''.'' <ref>[http://www.mp.gov.si/fileadmin/mp.gov.si/pageuploads/2005/PDF/publikacije/Crimes_committed_by_Totalitarian_Regimes.pdf European Public Hearing on “Crimes Committed by Totalitarian Regimes"] (p201) </ref>}}
 
  
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'''Note''': Communist Yugoslavia executed Historian - ''Kerubin Segvic''. He was executed mainly for proposing a different historic model than that of Yugoslav regime state policies of Croatians arriving in the Western Balkans.<ref>[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=6UbOtJcF8rQC&pg=PA20&dq=Kerubin+Segvic+Becoming+Slav,+Becoming+Croat:+Identity+Transformations+in+Post-Roman&hl=en&ei=ITrwTP7nLsW3cO_RwJYK&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCcQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false Becoming Slav, Becoming Croat:] Identity Transformations in Post-Roman and Early Medieval Dalmatia by Danijel Dzino (p20)</ref>
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==Chronology-Korcula Languages==
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• Illyrian (Delmatae)
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• Greek
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• Latin (Romans)
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• Romance Dalmatian (Latin)
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• Croatian Slavic (Old Chakavian)
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• Venetian (Italian)
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• Slavic - Old Shtokavian
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• Italian (standardise language arrived)
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• Croato-Serbian<ref>[//books.google.com.au/books?id=_lNjHgr3QioC&pg=PA132&lpg=PA132&dq=Croatian+Identity&source=bl&ots=fD7ElNqJfQ&sig=b_VK71LL4FYXG7LBjfPVUCSVC-E&hl=en&sa=X&ei=eSClVOSxLuLWmAW484HYDQ&ved=0CEAQ6AEwBzgK#v=onepage&q=Croatian%20Identity&f=false Language and Identity in the Balkans:] Serbo-Croatian and Its Disintegration ... By Robert D. Greenberg</ref> (standardise language, Neo Štokavian)
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'''Modern times''': Croatian (Croatian Literary Standard, standardise language)
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[[File:800px-Korcula City.jpg|thumb|right|325px| Town of Korcula]]
  
 
== See also ==
 
== See also ==
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* [[Directory:Historical Compendium of the Island of Korcula| Korcula History-Historical Compendium of the Island of Korcula]]
 
 
* [[Korcula Dialect]]
 
* [[Korcula Dialect]]
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* [[Titoism and Totalitarianism]]
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* [[Defence of Korcula|Defense of Korcula from Turkish Attack in 1571]]
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==References==
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* [[Croatian Slavic Identity]]
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<div class="references-small" style="-moz-column-count:1; column-count:1;">
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* [[Dalmatian Italians]]
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* [[Yugoslavia and Communism]]
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==Notes and References==
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=====Encyclopaedia Britannica's (publ. 1911): Article on Korčula from 1911=====
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{{quote|
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{{GKAnt}}
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Curzola, the capital and principal port, is a fortified town on the east coast, and occupies a rocky foreland almost surrounded by the sea. Besides the interesting church (formerly a cathedral), dating from the 12th or 13th century, the loggia or council chambers, and the palace of its former Venetian governors, it possesses the noble mansion of the Arnieri, and other specimens of the domestic architecture of the 15th and 16th centuries, together with the massive walls and towers, erected in 1420, and the 15th-century Franciscan monastery, with its beautiful Venetian Gothic cloister.
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{{GKAdBrite}}
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{{OMGlinks}}
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The main resources of the islanders are boat-building (for which they are celebrated throughout the Adriatic), fishing and seafaring, the cultivation of the vine, corn and olives, and breeding of mules. In 1571 it defended itself so gallantly against the Turks that it obtained the designation fidelissima. From 1776 to 1797 it succeeded Lesina as the main Venetian arsenal in this region. During the Napoleonic wars it was ruled successively by Russians, French and British, ultimately passing to [[Austria]] in 1815.}}
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[[File:Venetian galley at Curzola-engraving.jpg|thumb|right|375px|A 19th century engraving of a Venetian galley fighting a Genoese fleet at the battle of Curzola in 1298. The Granger Collection-England]]
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==External links==
 
==External links==
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* [http://www.apartmanija.hr/slike/slike_gradovi/korcula.jpg Photo link for a aerial view of Korcula Town]
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* [http://www.apartmanija.hr/slike/slike_gradovi/korcula.jpg Photo link for a '''aerial view''' of Korcula Town]
 
* [http://www.korculainfo.com/ Korcula Info]
 
* [http://www.korculainfo.com/ Korcula Info]
 
* [http://www.mediterano.hr/location.asp?id=6 Vela Luka-Mediterano]
 
* [http://www.mediterano.hr/location.asp?id=6 Vela Luka-Mediterano]
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* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Curzola Wikipedia: Battle of Curzola]
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* [http://www.unizd.hr/Home/tabid/36/Default.aspx University of Zadar  (Sveučilište u Zadru-Universitas Studiorum Jadertina)]
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* [http://www.unizg.hr/homepage/ University of Zagreb (Sveučilište u Zagreb)]
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[[File:Defaced.jpg|thumb|left|160px|Defaced Photo by [[Directory:Peter Zuvela|Peter Zuvela]]]]
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=== Share this page ===
 
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<sharethis />
 
 
[[Category:History]]
 
[[Category:History]]
 
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<div style="overflow:auto;height:1px;">
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[[Country_Code:=Croatia]]
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[[County_Name:=Dubrovnik Neretva County]]
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[[City:=Korčula]]
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[[Region_Located_In::Dalmatia]]
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[[Korcula:=Dalmatian Language]]
 
[[Keyword:=Korcula History]]
 
[[Keyword:=Korcula History]]
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[[Keyword:=Korcula]]
 
 
[[Keyword:=Korčula]]
 
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[[Keyword:=Venetian]]  
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[[Korcula:=Romans]]  
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[[City:=Korcula]]
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[[Korcula:=Republic of Venice]]
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Latest revision as of 15:22, 18 November 2024


One of Kocula's towers built during the rule of the Republic of Venice. Photo by Peter Zuvela
Dalmatia (the dark purple) within todays modern Croatia The island of Korcula is marked red.
A Korcula postcard from 1902 in Italian. The last Italian language government school was abolished in Korcula on the 13th of September 1876.

Korcula History - There Needs to be an Historical Reassessment

If we put aside political correctness, concerning Korcula's history

During and post Roman Empire the population on Korcula island where Dalmatian Latins who spoke Romance Dalmatian (developed from Vulgar Latin). They were there for centuries. In effect now a forgotten people. So to start of with, one can ask the question, what happened to the Roman families when the Slavs invaded the island of Korcula? The Slavic tribes invaded the old Roman Dalmatian province. This part of Korcula's history is very unclear (in Croatian the c in Korcula is pronounced ch and is written "č"). When the Slavs conquered Corcyra Nigra (modern: Korčula [1][2]), events could have unfolded for the Roman families as:

  • Being attacked, killed and some of the population sold off as slaves.
  • The survivors could have fled from Korčula to Ragusa (modern: Dubrovnik), then a place of Roman refuge.
  • Maybe some survived and remained on the island or they came back after the Slavs lost control over the island.
  • or all the above

It has to be taken into account that maybe the Croatians (Slavs) settled on the island without any conflict as the local Latins didn't have the means to defend themselves or to stop them.

To this editor's knowledge there are no existing primary historical sources that actually described the event of Croatian Slavs [3] invading and settling the island of Korčula in the middle ages. Also there are no contemporary written records about the invasion/migration/settlement, about the events as a whole and the area itself.

It was the Republic of Venice who first mentions Slavic peoples (Narrentanos Sclavos[4]) and Corcyra Nigra (modern: Korčula).

The manner they where first mentioned was in the 9th century when the Republic of Venice recorded that Narentani or Narentines, who are referred to sometimes in modern times as Neretva pirates (Neretvani), started to disrupt Venice's trade with the east (Levant). It was established that they the newly arrived Sclavos (Slavs) had strategically secured the delta of the river Neretva and some of the islands as well as other surrounding areas in southern Dalmatia. Amongst these was the island of Korčula. It took many decades before Venice could minimise the threat from the Narentines - Slavic pirates. It was doge Pietro II Orseolo who with military means took the island for the Republic of Venice in the year 1000.[5] I guess, it is assumed that a group of Slavs remained on the island. In 1262 the Venetians did mention the Slavs and Latins [6] on the island of Korčula. With this reference it puts the descendants of the Roman Empire on the island who were living side by side with the Slavs.

It is difficult to determine the exact history from 476 - 999 (even from 1000 -1250) because the sources are very scarce (people can easily spin any historic theme). It has been written many, many times that they, the Croatians, settled on Korčula and assimilated the remaining of the Romans and quickly and firmly spread the Croatian language. This interpretation of history in modern times is a heavily politically driven and defined within a political context and agenda, perspectives of the Pan-Slavism and Nationalistic movements. I believe this was a process of many centuries rather than the settlers just overwhelming the locals with their arrival.

For example 'The Statute of Korčula' was drafted in 1214 (Liber Legum Statutorum Curzola 1214). It was most likely written (the first one) by the Korčula Latins (not Slavs). Later the new island's Slavic nobility started to make contributions to it.

Korčula history - there needs to be an historical reassessment.

Korcula in the Context of Old Roman Cities of Dalmatia

The old Roman cities of Dalmatia; Epidaurum, Narona and Salona which were then part of the Byzantine-Eastern Roman Empire (Eastern Roman Empire, please note they referred to themselves as 'Empire of the Romans' Latin: Imperium Romanum), were destroyed or just abandoned. This was due to the fact that the cities were not strategically set up for defence from constant invasions. It is quite possible that settlements on Corcyra Nigra (Korčula) had similar fates.

The Ostrogoths (a Germanic tribe related to the Goths) invaded Roman Dalmatia in the 5th century. They ruled parts of Roman Dalmatia from 480 to 535 AD.

Later according to various sources both Slavs and Avars participated in raiding Roman Dalmatia. The Avars were a nomadic people from Eurasian who invaded the Balkans at the same time as the Slavs. In this historic period it is recorded that many of the churches on the island of Korčula were abandoned (or destroyed) and then rebuilt at a later stage. [7]

Korcula Originally a 'Dalmatian Latin' (Roman) Town

In this writers 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 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. [8][9] [10] The old town of Korčula continued to evolve as such until the end of the Venetian Republic in 1797 (dissolved by France). The town's old centre is of Venetian construction [11] and many have pointed out its similarities to Venetian architecture.

Two languages, firstly the Romance Latin language called Dalmatian and then the old Croatian 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 Kingdom of Croatia also spoke old Croatian Chakavian indicates that this group of Slavs once came from the same or closely related tribal group.

The Dalmatian (Latin - Romance) language must have started disappearing from the 13th century onwards. There are only small remnants of the extinct language today on the island. Italian Venetian must have replace it the lingua franca of that era

Latins Romanized the Coastal 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 Roman province of Dalmatia (pink colour) in the Western Roman Empire. 476 AD

When the Narentines, the Slavic pirates lost control of the island, Dalmatian Latins [12] and the Republic of Venice brought Mediterranean Latin cultural to the Slavs who remained on the island. Christianity was one aspect of this. In essence Slavs on the island were Romanized (adopted Latin culture).

According to Marinko Gjivoje there is archaeological evidence from the 16th century where the Croatian identity was starting to be used. 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 use: Hrvat Dalmatinac in its writings. Hrvat means Croat in Croatian.[13]

A Record of History via the Korcula Dialect

Korčula Dialect is a Croatian dialect from the island of Korčula in Croatia. It reflects a rich history of the island. The language base of the Korčula dialect is Chakavian Croatian (it is also intermixed with Shtokavian). Within the Korčula Dialect has small remnants of the extinct Romance (Latin) Dalmatian and has been referred to at times as Corzulot.

Additionally it has strong influences of Venetian-Italian. Defora in old Venetian means from the outside.

A Record of History the Korcula Dialect and Romance Dalmatian

Korčula Dialect - English - Romance Dalmatian

  • botilja/ bottle - Dalmatian: botaila
  • botun/ button - Dalmatian: botaun
  • dreto/ straight - Dalmatian: drat
  • frigati/ to fry - Dalmatian: fregur
  • kadena/ chain - Dalmatian: kataina
  • kapula/ onion - Dalmatian: kapula
  • katrida/ chair - Dalmatian: katraida
  • mir/ wall - Dalmatian: mir (Croatian: zid)
  • prusura/frying pan - Dalmatian: prasura [14]

Encyclopedia Britannica on Romance Dalmatian:

 
“ 		 

Romance language formerly spoken along the Dalmatian coast from the island of Veglia (modern Krk) to Ragusa (modern Dubrovnik). Ragusan Dalmatian probably disappeared in the 17th century. The Vegliot Dalmatian dialect became extinct in the 19th century.
 

„
 

A Record of History, Korcula Dialect and Venetian Italian

Template:Col-break
  • adio/ goodbye - Venetian: adio (addio: meaning in Italian goodbye)
  • afitat/ rent - Venetian: afìt
  • ala/ come on - Venetian: ala
  • aria/ air - Venetian: aria
  • arma/ armed - Venetian: arma
  • baba/ grandmother - In Venetian it means nanny
  • baleta/ bullet - Venetian: bal
  • banda/ side - Venetian side & flank
  • balun/football - Venetian: balón
  • banak/ bench - Venetian: banca
  • baraka/shed or shack - Venetian: baràca
  • barba/ uncle - Venetian: barba
  • barilo/ barrel - Venetian: barìla
  • barka/ type of local boat - Venetian: bàrca
  • bareta/ cap, hat - Venetian: bareta
  • bat / a type of hammer - Venetian:batu, meaning to strike.
  • bevanda/ wine with water- Venetian: bevànda "watery wine"
  • beštimat/ swear - Venetian: bestiemàr
  • bićerin/ small glass - Venetian: bicér "glass"
  • bira/ beer-Venetian: bira
  • biskot/ cookies - Venetian: biscot
  • boca/ bottle - Venetian:boca
  • bonaca/ the sea is dead calm - Venetian: bonàca
  • bonbon/ sweet - Venetian: bonbon
  • botun/ botton - Venetian: boton
  • bova/ bouy - Venetian: bova
  • Brigela/ local nickname - Venetian: brighela meaning joker
  • britva/ knife- Venetian: britolada
  • bura/ northern wind - Venetian: bora
  • burin/ light northern wind - Venetian: borin
  • buža/ hole - Venetian: bus or buxa
  • čorav/ blind - Venetian: ciòro "blind person"
  • Defora in old Venetian means "from the outside".
  • faca/ face - Venetian: faca
  • falso/ fake - Venetian: falso "liar"
  • feral/ gas lamp - Venetian: feral "lamp"
Template:Col-break
  • feta/ slice - Venetian: feta
  • figura/ figure - Venetian: figura
  • forma/ shape - Venetian: forma
  • fabrika/ factory - Venetian: frabica "construction building"
  • fumar/ chimney - Venetian: fuma "smoke"
  • gusti/ enjoyment - Venetian: gusto "pleasurable"
  • karoca/ small carriage - Venetian: carosa carriage
  • kartun/ cardboard - Venetian: carton
  • kasa/ case - Venetian: casa
  • katrida/ chair - Venetian: carega
  • klapa/an a cappella form [15] of music - Venetian: clapa "singing crowd"
  • kužin/ cousin - Venetian:cuxìn
  • licenca/ licence - Venetian: icenca
  • lapis/ pencil - Venetian: apis
  • lavadin/ washbasin - Venetian: lavandin
  • Levant/ strong easterly wind - Venetian: Levantera
  • Malandrin/ Local nickname. In Venetian it means: dishonest & crook
  • Maragun/ wood worker - Venetian: Marangòn
  • mezo/ in between - Venetian: mèzo "half"
  • mudante/underwear - Venetian: mudande
  • pandur/ policemen - Venetian: panduro
  • papit/ this word is used when feeding a child/ (Venetian: papa-means baby food)
  • par/ pair - Venetian: par
  • perun/ fork - Venetian: pirón from Greek: pirouni
  • piat/ plate, dish - Venetian: piat
  • pikolo/ small, little - Venetian: picolo
  • pirula/ pill - Venetian: pirola
  • pistun/ piston - Venetian: piston
  • pištol/ pistol - Venetian: pistola
  • pitar/ pot - Venetian: pitar (vas, jar)
  • pitura/ paint - Venetian: pitura (painting)
  • portela/ boat hatch - Venetian: portela (hatch, door)
  • šiloko/ local wind - Venetian: siròco
  • šporko/ dirty - Venetian: spórco
  • šufit/ attic or loft - Venetian: sofìta
Template:Col-end Above referenced from: Venetian-English English-Venetian: When in Venice Do as the Venetians by Lodovico Pizzati [16]
A wooden model of a Venetian Galley with rowers in Museo Storico Navale (navy museum). Photo by Myriam Thyes

Regarding the Old Shtokavian

Regarding the Shtokavian dialect below taken from-Land of 1000 Islands by Igor Rudan:
 
“ 		 

However, the clashes between the Ottoman Empire and Venetian Republic produced extensive migrations from the mainland areas, especially from today's Bosnia and Herzegovina, to the eastern parts of the islands of Brač, Hvar, Korčula, and Pag. The newcomers brought their gene pool and a variety of cultural specificities, including the “Shtokavian” dialect of the Croatian language to the predominantly “Chakavian” area. The most extensive migrations to these islands occurred during the Cypriote (1571-1573), Candian (1645-1669), and Morean wars (1684-1699). [17]
 

„
 

The new arrivals to the island were predominately Slavic Shtokavian speakers. This must have put the Slavic speaks (Old Slavic - Chakavian plus the new Old Slavic - Shtokavian [18]) on the island in a majority. Venetian was still lingua franca on the island and must have replaced Latin as the official written language.

When the Serbian forces were annihilated in the Battle of Kosovo by the Ottoman Empire in 1389 a large groups of peoples stated to migrate westward (Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1453). Venetian Dalmatia started to acquire new people in its region (i.e., Eastern Croatians, Albanians, Montenegrins, Serbs & others). When the Black Plague [19] and EPIDEMIC of 1617 depleted the island's population the Venetian authorities saw a need to bring new families to the island of Korčula. Amongst these were Shtokavian Slavic speakers.

 
“ 		 

13. EPIDEMIC 1617. It swept all of Dalmatia, but left the most severe consequences on the island of Korčula. It appeared first with the sailors of the Venetian ship (as N. Ostojić describes) who wintered in Korčula that year. Suburban homes had to be emptied to turn into dwellings for diseased sailors. The contagion soon spread to citizens and within a few months more than half of the population had died. A particularly devastating disease was, according to the data, for wealthier residents, so many entire noble families who had a reputation for their homeland were extinct.
 

„
 

Taken from 'Plague Epidemic on the Island of Korcula 2007' [20].

As mention before with these new added migrations the Slavic speakers became a majority (this applies more to west end of the island). If the translation of the Defence of Korčula from Ottoman Turkish attack in 1571
, originally written in Latin by Antun (Antonio) Rozanovic (or Antonio Rosaneo, Latin: Antonii Rosenei) is untainted, we can see that the majority of the defenders of the island were by 1571 of Slavic decent. If we use this as a reference then from the mid 16th century onwards the majority of Korčula's population was indeed of Slavic origins.

A Record of History - Surname List from 1830's Korcula (Christening book)

The surnames below do indicate a very mixed history of families on the island,

Template:Col-break
  • Anzulovic (Anzulovic, Anzulovich)
  • Basic (Bashich, Basich, Bassich, Basic)
  • Batistic (Batistic, Batistich, Battistich, Battisich)
  • Bello (Belo)
  • Bercic (Bercic, Bercich)
  • Bernardi
  • Bertoleto (Bertoletto)
  • Bonvardo (Bonguardo, Bonuardo)
  • Budol (Bodol, Budoll, Bodoll)
  • Buja (Buya, Boya)
  • Calugera (Kalogjera, Callogera, Callugera)
  • Carlesi (Carlessi, Karlesi, Karlessi)
  • Damjanovic (Damjanovic, Damjanovich, Damyanovich)
  • Depolo (Depollo)
  • Despotovic (Despotovic, Despotovich)
  • Devecchi (Davechi, Devechi)
  • Druskovic (Druskovic, Druskovich, Druscovich)
  • Fabris (Fabriss)
  • Filipi (Filippi, Fillipi, Fillippi)
  • Foretic (Foretic, Foretich)
  • Franasovic (Franasovic, Franasovich, Franassovich)
  • Gericic (Gericic, Gericich, Gerichich, Jerisich)
  • Giasic (Giasic, Giasich, Giassich)
  • Giunio (Junio, Gunio, Junnio, Gunnio)
  • Grasic (Grasic, Grasich, Grassich)
  • Guljelmi (Gulermi)
  • Ivancevic (Ivancevic, Ivancevich, Ivanchevich)
  • Jericevic (Jericevic, Jericevich, Yericevich, Yerichevich)
  • Jurjevic (Jurjevic, Jurjevich, Yuryevic, Yuryevich)
Template:Col-break
  • Kapor (Capor, Kaper, Caper, Kappor, Cappor)
  • Kastelan (Kastelan, Kastellan, Castelan, Castellan)
  • Klesara (Klessara, Clesara, Clessara, Clesarra, Klesarra)
  • Klisura (Klissura, Klesura, Klessura)
  • Kondenal (Condenal, Condinnal)
  • Kuspilic (Kuspilic, Kuspilich)
  • Lovricevic (Lovricevic, Lovrecevich)
  • Medin (Meddin)
  • Medini (Meddini, Medinni)
  • Okmasic (Okmasic, Okmasich)
  • Paunovic (Paunovic, Paunovich, Panovich, Pannovich)
  • Perucic (Perucic, Perucich, Perusich, Peruchich)
  • Pesic (Pesic, Pessic, Pessich, Pesich, Peshich)
  • Petrusic (Petrusic, Petrusich, Petrasich, Petrushich)
  • Portolan (Portollan, Pertolan)
  • Sardi
  • Sesa (Sessa)
  • Sladoevic (Sladoevic, Sladoevich, Sladovich)
  • Smrkinic (Smrkinich, Smerkinich, Smerkenich)
  • Sponseli (Sponselli)
  • Tanisic (Stanisic, Stanisich, Stanissich, Stannisich)
  • Tasovac (Tasovatz)
  • Trojanis (Troyanis, Troyannis, Troyaniss)
  • Vilovic (Vilovic, Vilovich, Villovich)
  • Vitaic (Vitaich)
  • Zafron (Safron)
  • Zmaic (Zmaic, Zmaich, Smaich)
Above' taken from www.croatia-in-english.com Korcula names-Tom Ninkovich. Template:Col-end

Plus, surnames on the island that are not clearly of Slavic origin

for example:

  • Izmaeli - originally de Ismael
  • Gabrijeliċ - originally Gabriel
  • Đunio - originally de Giunio
  • Bonguardo
  • Depolo
  • Sambrailo
  • Don Marko Bono of Žrnovo
  • D'Angelis
  • Sessa
  • Bernardi
  • Fabris [21]
  • Vidali - surname of a noble family from the 16th century. [22]
  • Buskariol
  • Surjan (Ita: Surian, from the Middle East)
  • Zuvela (Xuvella)
Dalmatia's Coat of arms

Summary - History of Korcula

  • The indigenous population of Korčula were Mesolithic and Neolithic peoples. Archaeological evidence has been found at Jakas Cave near the village of Žrnovo and on the west end of the island in a cave called Vela Spila. [23]
  • The island was then settled by Illyrians-Dalmatae. [24]
  • A Greek colony was founded on Korčula. [25] Greek colonists from Issa (Vis) formed a small colony on the island in the 4th or 3rd century B.C.
Republic of Venice-1796 (Created by MapMaster)

Note A: Lumbarda Psephisma

Lumbarda Psephisma is a stone inscription which documented the event and was found on the island of Korčula.[26] The Greeks (from Issa-Vis) established a settlement on the basis of a prior agreement with the representatives of the local Illyrians who were Pil and his son Daz. A literary work from the 1st century AD "Periegesis Hellados" [27] mentions a second Greek Cnidian colony on the island of Nigra Kerkyra (Korčula).[28] According to Antun (Antonio) Rosanovic (Defence of Korcula in 1571) the Greeks named it Corcyra Melena [29] meaning Black Corfu after their homeland and the dense woods on the island. It is not known what the Illyrians called the island.

  • The island became part of the Roman province of Illyricum.[30] The Romans called the island Corcyra Nigra. After the Illyrian Wars, Roman migration followed and Roman citizens arrived on the island.[31] The Illyrian population immediately after the Illyrian Wars suffered greatly under the Romans. A large portion of the Illyrians were executed and sold off to slavery. In 10 AD Illyricum was split into two provinces, Pannonia and Dalmatia.[32] Korčula became part of the ancient Roman province of Dalmatia.
  • The Ostrogoths (a Germanic tribe related to the Goths) ruled Roman Dalmatia from 480 to 535 AD.
  • In the 6th century it came under the Eastern Roman Empire-Byzantine (Eastern Roman Empire, please note they referred to themselves as 'Empire of the Romans' Latin: Imperium Romanum)
  • Migrations of the early middle ages, brought the Slavic peoples into the Dalmatian region. The term Slav was first used by the Byzantines (i.e. Procopius cia. 518, Byzantine scholar, Jordanes- Roman bureaucrat, cia. 550) and was recorded in the 6th century . It is belived that the Narrentanos Sclavos invaded the island and occupied it. The Old-Slavic term for Korčula was Krkar.

Note B: The Narentines

The Narentines, who are referred today also as Neretva pirates (Neretvani), were a nation of Slavic pirates who got their name from the river Neretva. Also known as Arentanoi,[33] modern scholarly research now puts the time of the main invasion of the Slavic tribes in the region to be much later.[34] Archaeological evidence found in the old Roman city of Salon and in particularly the artefacts found at the Old Croatian grave sites [35] in Dalmatia (during recent excavations) seems to confirm this. Some historians have placed the settlement of Slavs now to be more in the region of the 8th century.[36] The early sources must have reflected the raid and mercenary activity of the Slavic tribes within Roman Dalmatia. In Korčula's case a small group of Slavs (Chakavian speakers) settled on the island in mid 9th century.

  • Conquered by the Republic of Venice under the management of the doge Pietro II Orseolo. Venice ruled from 1000 to 1100. The Venetians called the island Curzola. Please note in old Venetian 'Repùblega Vèneta' also know as La Serenissima.
  • Held by the Genoese from 1100 to 1129.
  • Recaptured by the Republic of Venice and ruled from 1129 to 1180, from 1252 to 1254, and from 1258 until 1357.
  • In 1184 Miroslav, Stefan Nemanja [37] and Costantino, counts of Chelmo (Zahumlje),[38] attempted to conquer Korčula.[39]
  • Statute of Korčula was drafted in 1214 (Liber Legum Statutorum Curzola 1214).

Note C: Liber Legum Statutorum Curzola 1214

The Statute itself [40] was probably written by Dalmatian Latins and maybe the new Slavic nobility. Originally written in Latin. Oldest known copy is from 1265, also written in Latin. It was later translated to Venetian - Italian.

Here is an Historic quote taken from 'When Ethnicity Did not Matter in the Balkans' by John Van Antwerp Fine in which it writes about the Slavs and Latins on the island of Korčula (Curzola):
 
“ 		 

In 1262 the Venetian praised the Slavs and Latins on the island of Korcula for submitting to the prince Venice had sent. [41][42]
 

„
 

  • Possessed on behalf of the king of Hungary from 1257 and with brief interruptions of the Genoese until 1418.
  • Devoting itself of its own accord to the Republic of Venice in 1420 (part of Dalmazia Veneta, in original Venatian: Dalmàssia).
  • In 1483, during the war between Republic of Venice and Ferrara (1482 — 1484), King Ferdinand of Naples sent a fleet to conquer Korčula. It was defeated under the Governor Giorgio Viario.
  • Korčula was devastated by the plague in 1529, 1558 [43] and 1617.
  • Defence of Korcula in 1571 against Ottoman Turks.
  • Turkish pirates attack the island on the 10th of June 1715. Some of the islanders were captured and sold off as slaves. Piracy and the slave trade was a constant reality for the island.
  • Surrendered with the Republic of Venice to France in 1797 (it was occupied by the Russians for a year in 1808).
One of the old graves in Blato (Korcula) written in Italian. Photo by Peter Zuvela
  • British Empire rule from 1813 to 1815 under the command of Peter Lowen.
  • Occupied by Austria (Habsburg Empire - later renamed the Austro-Hungarian Empire), first by obligation from 1797 to 1806, later by the Vienna Treaty from 1815 to 1918 (Kingdom of Dalmatia - Konigreich Dalmatien).
  • Sir John Gardner Wilkinson in his book 'Dalmatia and Montenegro' (his travels during 1844 - published in 1848) writes: "The Isle of Curzola is called in Illyric Korçula ..... " [44]
  • Historic quote taken from Researches on the Danube and the Adriatic written by Andrew Archibald Paton in 1861. Chapter 4 - The Dalmatian Archipelago on page 164. Signor Arneri from the town of Korčula stated:
 
“ 		 

These three pears you see on the wall," said he, "are the arms of my family. Perussich was the name, when, in the earlier part of the fifteenth century, my ancestors built this palace; so that, you see, I am Dalmatian. All the family, fathers, sons, and brothers, used to serve in the fleets of the Republic; but the hero of our race was Arneri Perussich, whose statue you see there, who fought, bled, and died at the Siege of Candia, whose memory was honoured by the Republic, and whose surviving family was liberally pensioned; so his name of our race. We became Arneri, and ceased to be Perussich. [Editors note: Republic of Venice] [45][46]
 

„
 

Note: Here is a perfect example of a Slavic family surname becoming later Venetian in character. According to Marinko Gjivoje, Perussich in modern Croatian is Piruzović.[47]

  • The last Italian language government school was abolished in Korčula on the 13th of September 1876.[48][49][50]
  • Under the Treaty of Rapallo between Italy and Kingdom of Serbia, Croatia & Slovenia (Nov. 12, 1920),[51] Korčula became part of the Kingdom of Serbia, Croatia & Slovenia which was renamed Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1929. After World War II Dalmatia was divided between three republics of Communist Yugoslavia. Most of the territory went to Croatia.
  • In 1991 Korčula became part of the independent Republic of Croatia.

Additional:

  • Venetian citizens and Ragusan (today Dubrovnik region) families migrated to the island.
  • Croatian (and other groups) migrations in 16th and 17th century caused by the Ottoman invasions.

There Needs to be an Historical Reassessment

A very interesting statement by Croatian Historian Sime Peričić in which he mentions " colony of Italians" on the island. He seems to have totally missed the autochthonous Dalmatian Latins:

 
“ 		 

It is true, then a small colony of Italians where in Sibenik, on the island of Korcula, Hvar and Vis, and other places of the province.[52]
 

„
 

Trying to re-tell the history of this part of the world (old Dalmatia part of Croatia) is fraught with problems. The Yugoslav Communist party created historic falsehoods to promote its own aggressive political authoritarian agenda.

In the 19th century the island became heavily influenced by Pan-Slavism and the Croatian Nationalistic movements [53]. Pan-Slavism was later in the 20th century reinforced by the Yugoslavian governments. The Communist Yugoslavian regime (1945-91) had a huge influence on the island of Korcula and the historic region of Dalmatia. The Yugoslav Communist party [54] was the main driving force in all social matters within the former Yugoslavia. Its Stalinist policies from the 1940s to the 1960s and authoritarian rule [55] have been mostly ignored in the Western media. From the late 19th century on-wards coastal Dalmatian culture has been disappearing from the region with not much attention being payed to it.

Paul Hollander writes about attitudes in former communist countries (complicity):

 
“ 		 

Public attitudes in former communist countries have been conflicted because of the arguable complicity of many citizens in keeping the old system in power. A predominant attitude in Eastern Europe and Russia toward the former communist systems has been a mixture of oblivion, denial, and repression [56]
 

„
 

Additional: Historians seem to not place importance on the islands diminishing population during its long history. Periods where the population diminished would be:

  • During the conquering of the island by the Romans.
  • Later the conquering of the island by the Slavic Croatians.
  • Wars with the Ottoman Empire.
  • Also during the infamous Black Plagues in the 16th and 17th century.

Truly, I believe there needs to be an historical reassessment.

Konstantin Porfirogenet, the Xth century Byzantine emperor, whilst consolidating his empire, writes:

"Four islands lie nearby: Mljet, Korcula, Hvar, Brac, very beautiful and fertile with many deserted towns and meadows; the inhabitants live from cattle raising ... They have in their power these islands: Korcula or Krkar, on which there is a town."

Islands diminishing population during its long history might have been an issue since the collapse of the western part of the Roman Empire. Wars and many plagues where part of the island's history.

Chronology-Korcula Languages

• Illyrian (Delmatae) • Greek • Latin (Romans) • Romance Dalmatian (Latin) • Croatian Slavic (Old Chakavian) • Venetian (Italian) • Slavic - Old Shtokavian • Italian (standardise language arrived) • Croato-Serbian[57] (standardise language, Neo Štokavian) Modern times: Croatian (Croatian Literary Standard, standardise language)

Town of Korcula

See also

Notes and References

  1. ^ www.britannica.com
    • Encyclopædia Britannica: "Korcula, Italian Curzola, Greek Corcyra Melaina, island in the Adriatic Sea, on the Dalmatian coast, in Croatia. With an area of 107 square miles (276 square km), it has a hilly interior rising to 1,863 feet (568 m)."
  2. ^ Encyclopaedia Britannica (publ. 1911):
    • "CURZOLA (Serbo-Croatian Korcula or Karkar), an island in the Adriatic Sea, forming part of Dalmatia, Austria; and lying west of the Sabioncello promontory, from which it is divided by a strait less than 2 M. wide. Its length is about 25 m.; its average breadth, 4 m. Curzola (Korcula), the capital and principal port, is a fortified town on the east coast, and occupies a rocky foreland almost surrounded by the sea."
  3. ^ Note: The first primary source (factual-that its authenticity isn't disputed) to mention the Croatian (Hrvat) identity in the Balkans was Duke Branimir (Latin: "Branimiro comite dux cruatorum cogitavit" c. 880 AD). Branimir was a Slav from the Dalmatian Hinterland.
  4. ^ When Ethnicity Did not Matter in the Balkans: by John Van Antwerp Fine. (p39)
  5. ^ Venice Triumphant: The Horizons of a Myth by Elisabeth Crouzet-Pavan (p60)
  6. ^ When Ethnicity Did not Matter in the Balkans: by John Van Antwerp Fine. (p103)
  7. ^ According to recent studies done at the University of Zadar, Slavs on the island of Korčula accepted Christianity fully in the 14th century. Reference from: University of Zadar-Sociogeographic Transformation of the Western Part of Korcula Island by Lena Mirosevic-2008 (p161)
  8. ^ 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
  9. ^ When Ethnicity Did not Matter in the Balkans: by John an Antwerp Fine. (p103)
  10. ^ Please note: From 16th century onwards ethnically it was becoming more Dalmatian Slavic.
  11. ^ Encyclopaedia Britannica (publ. 1911)
  12. ^ Note: Recent DNA studies have stated that more than three quarters of today's Croatian men are the descendants of Europeans who inhabited Europe 13 000-20 000 years ago.
  13. ^ It is believed that Hrvat in medieval times was pronounced Harvat or Hrovat. It was translated to Latin: Chroatorum and then simplified to Croatorum.
  14. ^ Nikola Vuletić - Croatian in the Mediterranean Context: Language Contacts in the Early Modern Croatian Lexicography
  15. ^ The traditional Klapa was composed of up to a dozen male singers (in recent times there are female Klape groups). Klapa singing dates back centuries. The arrival of the Slavic-Croatians to Dalmatia and their subsequent settlement in the area, began the process of the cultural mixing of Slavic culture with that of the traditions of the Roman-Latin population of Dalmatia. This process was most evident in the coastal and island regions of Dalmatia. In the 19th century a standard form of Klapa singing emerged. Church music heavily influences the arrangements of this music giving it the musical form that exists today.
  16. ^ Venetian-English English-Venetian: When in Venice Do as the Venetians by Lodovico Pizzati (p19)
  17. ^ The Land of 1000 Islands by Igor Rudan
  18. ^ Croato-Serbian elements
  19. ^ Korcula was devastated by the plague in 1529, 1558.""Korcula." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica, 2011. Tue. 8 Mar. 2011." (2011). Retrieved on 2011-03-8.
    • Encyclopædia Britannica: " A plague devastated the town in 1529, depleting the population. The burned houses of infected persons, called kućišta..."
  20. ^ Nikola Bačić 2007
  21. ^ The Building Technology by the Korčula Wooden Shipbuilding - School by Roko Markovina
  22. ^ Korčula City and Island by Alena Fazinić, Stanka Kraljević & Milan Babić
  23. ^ University of Zagreb: Faculty of Philosophy
    • Some of the finds from Vela Spila (Big Cave) are on display at the University of Zagreb and the Center for Culture in Vela Luka.
  24. ^ The Cambridge Ancient History Vol. 11 : The High Empire, AD 70-192 by Peter Rathbone
  25. ^ An Inventory of Archaic and Classical Poleis: An Investigation Conducted by The Copenhagen Polis Centre for the Danish National Research Foundation by Mogens Herman Hansen,2005,Index
  26. ^ Hrcak Portal of scientific journals of Croatia: Lumbarda Psephisma, the Oldest Document about the Division of Land Parcels in Croatia from the Beginning of the 4th or 3rd Century BC by Miljenko Solaric & Nikola Solaic (University of Zagreb).
  27. ^ Swedish University - Essays Swedish (www.dissertations.se): Researcher, Traveller, Narrator. Studies in Pausanias' Periegesis-University Dissertation from Almqvist & Wiksell International Stockholm Sweden.
  28. ^ Studi sulla grecità di occidente by Lorenzo Braccesi (p68)
  29. ^ Greek: Kórkyra Melaena or Κόρκυρα Μέλαινα, and Corcyra Nigra
  30. ^ Encyclopedia Britannica.
    • The Roman province of Illyricum stretched from the Drilon River (the Drin, in modern Albania) in the south to Istria (modem Slovenia and Croatia)
  31. ^ Croatian Adriatic: History, Culture, Art & Natural beauties
  32. ^ John Everett-Healu. "Dalmatia." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. Oxford University Press. 2005. Encyclopedia.com
  33. ^ The Age of the Dromon: The Byzantine Navy ca. 500-1204 by John H. Pryor, Elizabeth & Jeffreys (p67)
  34. ^ Becoming Slav, Becoming Croat: Identity Transformations in Post-Roman and Early Medieval Dalmatia by Danijel Dzino (p212): Danijel Dzino states that the 19 century theories of mass movements of people into the old Roman Province of Dalmatia are questionable. Modern Archaeological and Scholarly research seems to be saying that we are looking at much smaller groups of Slavs and Avars invading the region. 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. According to Danijel Dzino the term Slavs was first used by outside observers of the day to describe the newcomers. The Slavs used the term to describe themselves at a later stage. Thus began the construct identity of the new arrivals. Later the Slavic peoples started to identify themselves and separated (or were separated by others) into different groups.
  35. ^ Becoming Slav, Becoming Croat: Identity Transformations in Post-Roman and Early Medieval Dalmatia by Danijel Dzino (p52).
  36. ^ Historians of this school of thought are D. Dzino, L. Margetic, Ancic, Rapanic and Sokol.
  37. ^ Stefan Nemanja (c. 1114 – 13 February 1199) was a 12th-century Serb royalty, heir to the Vukanović dynasty and Grand Prince of medieval Raška from 1166 to 1196. Nemanja was from Ribnica in Zeta, present day Podgorica which is the capital of Montenegro.
  38. ^ Nobles of Raška who ruled Chelmo (Zahumlje). Raška was a medieval principality created by Serbian Slavs (Costantino is referred to as Stracimir).
  39. ^ The Late Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the Late Twelfth Century by John Van Antwerp Fine (p8)
  40. ^ Korcula Info (www.korculainfo.com): Korcula Town Statute from 1214
  41. ^ When Ethnicity Did not Matter in the Balkans: by John Van Antwerp Fine. (p103)
  42. ^ Smiciklas, CD V, (p237); N. Klaic, Povijest Hrvata u Razvijenom, (p130)
  43. ^ ""Korcula." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica, 2011. Tue. 8 Mar. 2011." (2011). Retrieved on 2011-03-8.
    • Encyclopædia Britannica: " A plague devastated the town in 1529, depleting the population. The burned houses of infected persons, called kućišta ..."
  44. ^ Dalmatia and Montenegro: With a Journey to Mostar in Herzegovina by Sir John Gardner Wilkinson. (p256)
  45. ^ Researches on the Danube and the Adriatic: By Andrew Archibald Paton. Chapter 4. The Dalmatian Archipelago. (p164)
    • Andrew Archibald Paton (1811-1874) was a British diplomat and writer from the 19th century.
  46. ^ The Siege of Candia (modern Heraklion-Crete) was a military conflict in which Ottoman forces besieged the Venetian ruled city and were victorious. Lasting from 1648 to 1669, it is conceded by some to be the longest siege in history.
  47. ^ Otok Korčula (2nd edition) by Marinko Gjivoje, Zagreb 1969.
    • The book outlines A-Z about the island of Korcula, from traditions, history, culture to wildlife, politics & geography. (p46-p47): Piruzović
  48. ^ The Italians of Dalmatia by Luciano Monzali (p83)
  49. ^ Editor's Note: In the neighbouring Kingdom of Croatia (Königreich Kroatien) a Croatian nationalistic movement was established and alongside that, within the Balkan region a Pan-Slavic movement was growing (the beginnings of the ill fated Yugoslavia). These political on goings started to be felt in the Kingdom of Dalmatia (Konigreich Dalmatien). The Austrians (part of the Habsburg Empire, later renamed Austro-Hungarian Empire) in the 1860s started to introduce (a process of Croatisation) within the Kingdom of Dalmatia a standardised Croatian language originally referred to as Illyrian (Illirski). It then replaced Italian altogether. In effect the government undertook culture genocide. For centuries the Italian language was the official language of the Dalmatian establishment. It was also the spoken language in white-collar, civil service and merchant families. Privately Italian schools were still being run in the Kingdom of Dalmatia, i.e the city of Zadar and Split (Lega Nazionale at Spalato).
  50. ^ Beginnings of Formal Education - Vela Luka:
     
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    Italian language was not only the official language in all public Dalmatian establishments, but also was the spoken language in a significant number of white-collar, civil service and merchant families in the cities and major markets within towns" .... taken from The Early Beginnings of Formal Education - Vela Luka (beginnings of literacy and Lower Primary School 1857 – 1870) (p.8 written in Croatian)
     

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  51. ^ Encyclopedia Britannica-Dalmatia:
    • "Finally, the Treaty of Rapallo, (Nov. 12, 1920 between Italy and Yugoslavia gave all Dalmatia to the Yugoslavs except the mainland Zadar (Zara) enclave and the coastal islands of Cres, Losinj (Lussino), and Lastovo.
  52. ^ Concerning the Number of Italians/Pro-Italians in Dalmatia in the XIXth Century by Šime Peričić
  53. ^ Nationalistic movements of 19th century is a perspective that's needs to be explored. With the Napoleonic Wars and the aftermath of that historical period, certain European nationhoods where being created that didn't exist before. Founding of the nation-states of Italy and then Germany, city-states, principalities and kingdoms ceasing to exist (or cease to be independent) , all had an affect on the lands that are now part of modern Croatia. Industrial Revolution had an impact on creating modern nationhoods. Pan-Slavism and Croatian Nationalistic movements, Industrial Revolution and Empire building is the historic drive of the 19th century. If you want to build a modern 19th century nation you need a least a mini-empire, for example a southern Slavic Empire.The great southern Slavic Empire could have the Russian Empire as an ally. This state would need a literary standard, standardise language of its slavic peoples, a history that unites them all etc.
  54. ^ The League of Communists of Yugoslavia
  55. ^ Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity. Ed. Dinah L. Shelton. Gale Cengage, 2005. Encyclopedia of Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity, Volume 3 by Dinah Shelton Macmillan Reference, 2005 - Political Science (p.1170)
    • "The killing continued after the war, as Tito's victorious forces took revenge on their real and perceived enemies. British forces in Austria turned back tens of thousands of fleeing Yugoslavs. Estimates range from 30,000 to 55,000 killed between spring and autumn 1945."
    • "Native German and Hungarian communities, seen as complicit with wartime occupation, were brutally treated; tantamount in some cases to ethnic cleansing. The Volksdeutsch settlements of Vojvodina and Slavonia largely disappeared. Perhaps 100,000 people—half the ethnic German population in Yugoslavia—fled in 1945, and many who remained were compelled to do forced Labour, murdered, or later ransomed by West Germany. Some 20,000 Hungarians of Vojvodina were killed in reprisals. Albanian rebellions in Kosovo were suppressed, with prisoners sent on death marches towards the coast. An estimated 170,000 ethnic Italians fled to Italy in the late 1940s and 1950s. (All of these figures are highly approximate.)"
  56. ^ http://www.cato.org/publications/development-policy-analysis/reflections-communism-twenty-years-after-fall-berlin-wall
  57. ^ Language and Identity in the Balkans: Serbo-Croatian and Its Disintegration ... By Robert D. Greenberg
Encyclopaedia Britannica's (publ. 1911): Article on Korčula from 1911
 
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Curzola, the capital and principal port, is a fortified town on the east coast, and occupies a rocky foreland almost surrounded by the sea. Besides the interesting church (formerly a cathedral), dating from the 12th or 13th century, the loggia or council chambers, and the palace of its former Venetian governors, it possesses the noble mansion of the Arnieri, and other specimens of the domestic architecture of the 15th and 16th centuries, together with the massive walls and towers, erected in 1420, and the 15th-century Franciscan monastery, with its beautiful Venetian Gothic cloister.

The main resources of the islanders are boat-building (for which they are celebrated throughout the Adriatic), fishing and seafaring, the cultivation of the vine, corn and olives, and breeding of mules. In 1571 it defended itself so gallantly against the Turks that it obtained the designation fidelissima. From 1776 to 1797 it succeeded Lesina as the main Venetian arsenal in this region. During the Napoleonic wars it was ruled successively by Russians, French and British, ultimately passing to Austria in 1815.
 

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A 19th century engraving of a Venetian galley fighting a Genoese fleet at the battle of Curzola in 1298. The Granger Collection-England

External links

Defaced Photo by Peter Zuvela




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