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The Early Mediaeval Civitates of the Central Dalmatian Islands Civitas, murorum menibus turriumque hedificiis munitus
Nikša Petrić
; Odsjek za arheologiju HAZU HR -21450 Hvar
Sažetak
This work presents examples ofearly mediaeval civitates on the islands of central Dalmatia according to historical and archaeological data. This island region in the early Middle Ages (9th-12th centuries) represented an insular group known as Maronia, which John the Deacon of Venice termed Narrentanae insulae, and Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus partly called Pagania and Arenta.
For the island ofBrač, which is othenuise well known for the fact that in antiquity no town had eXisted, it is mentioned Uohn the Deacon) that the Saracens had carried out an attack on the "urbs Braciensem" in 872. The author considers that perhaps this had been a translation of the Croatian word Grad or Gradec, which was an early mediaeval settlement in the eastern part of Brač, and the Latin would represent a literal translation of "Gradac on Brač". Or this could actually refer to some other city, perhaps Bari.
It is mentioned for the island of Vis Uohn the Deacon) for the year 997/8 that Orseolo's commander Badovarius Bragadin had conquered the Croatian city of Vis, civitas Issa. Neither architectural nor archaeological evidence yet exists for this city. However, a castrum Lisse is mentioned further in 1420, which indicates, since in both cases civitas Issa or castrum Lisse are specifically Cited, that an early mediaeval settlement of the civitas or castrum type most probably existed on Vis.
A city, kastron, is mentioned in the mid 10th century on the island of Korčula (Porphyrogenitus). In his description of this region, Porphyrogenitus cites the Croatian names for all these islands along with their Latin-based anes. During the invasion of Dage Peter liOrsealo in 998, it can also be hypothesized that he located his quarters on the islet ofMajsan (St. Maxim) in front of the city ofKorčula, similarly as he had done at Poreč, Pula, and Biograd. Afterwards, Orseolo ordered that administrators be assigned for the Dalmatian cities, and the same was true for Korčula. Data from the 12th and 13th centuries confirm the existence of a fortified city at the site of Korčula. This particularly refers to data from 1265 speaking ofthe construction and renovation of the city by Marsilia Zorzi, data in the Statute of Korčula existing from 1214, and preserved in an edition from 1265. The renovation of the City is specificallyemphasized, which confirms, like the Statute itself, the urban tradition and continued existence of a civitas from the mid 10lh century, according to historical sources. The data from 1265, Similarly to thatfrom the city ofHvar from 1278, even display terminologically defined concepts of Venetian poliCies ofconstructing cities in the 13th century.
Lastovo is also mentioned as a civitas in the context of the Doge's campaign in 998 Uohn the Deacon), in fact as beinp, highly fortified -"murorum menibus turriumque hedificiis munitus JJ. However, A. Dandola (in his Chronicles) placed the name Lesinae at this location in place of Ladestinae, and it is considered with reason that this refers to civitas Lesina, i.e. the city ofHvar. This is confirmed by the geomorphologic situation of Lastovo, which does not correspond to the description ofsuch afortified town, nor considering the size ofthe island do the demographic conditions, while the city ofHvar entirely matches the contents of the description. It could even very precisely refer to the city ofHvar.
An important settlement existed in the area ofthe city ofHvar from the prehistoric period with a hillJort at the imposing site ofthe mediaeual f0rtress, and it was particularly densely settled in the Roman and Byzantine periods, as shown by numerous archaeological and architectural remains. The name of the settlement in the late Roman period, Lisina, as mentioned by Procopius in 535, was continued in the mediaeval Lesina, Lesna. The continued existence of the city from the late Roman period to the l3th century is confirmed by architectural remains ofresidentiai andforti/ication architecture, as well as historical data from the l1th to the l3th centuries. Thus it can be claimed for many reasons that John the Deacon's description ofsuch aforti/ied city referred exactly to the city ofHvar.
The most important element in this description is that we have an excellent description of an early mediaeval Croatian city, civitas, "murorum menibus, turriumque hedi/iciis munitus", with its position, fortress, gates to the fortress "municianis ostia ", the towers "turres ", and walls, and citizens "civibus", which is certainly one of the most interesting pieces of information about Croatian early mediaeval urbanism.John the Deacon somewhat beforehand also mentioned a Croatian highly fortified place, "illorum munitissima laca" This theme is concisely supplemented by data from Porphyrogenitus in the chapter on the Croats (31), "But in these vessels go those of the Croats who wish to engage in commerce, travelling around from city to city in Pagania and the gulJ of Dalmatia and as far as Venice."
Citing examples of civitates in this insular region of early mediaeval Maronia, which has not been considered up to the present, this article has attempted to explain certain conditions in this region at this period. The author considers that the data offered here will aid in better and more complete comprehension of Croatian early mediaeval urbanism.
Ključne riječi
Hrčak ID:
93333
URI
Datum izdavanja:
12.9.1997.
Posjeta: 1.913 *