Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.21857/yk3jwhndg9
Soldiers from the Neretva region in Venice overseas military land forces (18th century)
Lovorka Čoralić
orcid.org/0000-0002-9333-7221
Abstract
The central research attention of this paper is focused on the share of soldiers from the Neretva area (Narenta, de Narenta) in the Venetian overseas land units - infantry (Fanti oltramarini) and cavalry (Cavalleria Croati, Croati a cavallo). This work is a continuation of several years of research into the issue of the role of Croats (both individual high-ranking officers and regional groups) in the Venetian army in the last century of the early modern period. The research is based, with the use of appropriate literature, on the analysis of material stored in the Venetian State Archives (Archivio di Stato di Venezia, fund of the state magistracy for the recruitment of Inquisitors sopra l’amministrazione dei pubblici ruoli). Following the aforementioned material, we investigate the way soldiers from Neretva region are mentioned in the sources, their involvement in certain military branches, and with special attention, their share in the territorial forces (Cernides, Krajina) in the overseas infantry at the very end of the 18th century. The period, that is, the range of their activities (recordings), the share of individual family members, but also the physical characteristics (if they are mentioned in the source) of the soldiers is observed based on the available data. In addition, an important component of the paper is a review of the places where Neretva soldiers were listed (from Veneto, through Istria and Dalmatia to the Bay of Kotor and the Greek archipelago), as well as their military commanders (colonels) who mostly came from Dalmatian and families from Bay of Kotor. The paper aims to show one of the lesser-known components from the history of the Neretva region, but also - in a broader sense - to point out another important link from the history of the interweaving of the two Adriatic coasts. A list of all Neretva soldiers investigated so far in said units is provided in alphabetical order in the form of an attachment at the end of the paper.
Keywords
Neretva; Republic of Venice; military history; infantry; cavalry; history of the 18th century
Hrčak ID:
288030
URI
Publication date:
22.12.2022.
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