The Church of Saint Bartholomew, also known as Knin Cathedral, was a 13th-century Catholic cathedral in Kapitul, near the city of Knin, Croatia. It was constructed on the site of an earlier Benedictine monastery, and became the seat of the diocese of Knin. It fell into disrepair in the 16th century, and was demolished during World War II by Italian troops.
In antiquity, a Roman bridge used to stand on the location of a modern railway bridge. Next to it, on the location of the later medieval capitol, was a Roman fort controlling the river passage.[3]
Founding
The foundation of the Diocese of Knin, according to Thomas the Archdeacon, can be traced back to the 11th century. The kings of Croatia, demanding to have their bishop, enthroned one in the Church of Holy Mary in modern-day Biskupija, Knin. The diocese was called the Croatian Diocese, and its bishop resided in the king's court and accompanied the royal entourage.[4] The existing section of the church was then extended to fulfill the needs of the bishop, while the building was renovated during the rule of Zvonimir of Croatia, who also donated the estate of Kosovo to the diocese.[5]
Existing around the same time was a royal Benedictine monastery dedicated to Saint Bartholomew in Kapitul, whose abbots were also in the entourage of the Croatian rulers. Based on the archaeological findings from that location, the complex can be traced back to the 10th century, at the latest.[4] Its excavated remains are conserved at the Museum of Croatian Archaeological Monuments in Split. These remains include tablets containing the names of two Croatian kings: Stjepan Držislav, and his successor Svetoslav Suronja, titled as dux Chroatorum on the inscription.
After the native kings of Croatia died out, the estate, along with the church, was donated by king Géza II of Hungary to the Diocese of Split, as claimed in one late 12th-century document.[5]
In 1203, Dobroslav, provost of Knin, initiated the construction of a new cathedral on the site of the previous royal monastery.[1] The church was dedicated to Saint Bartholomew in the 1380s, during the time of bishop Nicolas of Knin. The cathedral was described as "magnificent" upon its consecration.[4] At the same time, Saint Bartholomew also became the patron of Knin's cathedral chapter, and his image appeared on the chapter's seal.[6] The main apse of this new cathedral became a place of authentication (locus credibilis), and also most likely contained the chapter's archives. Along the main basilica was a church tower and the bishop's quarter with a backyard. The 16th century Francisian chronicler Ivan Tomašić in his Short Chronicle of Croatian Kingdom (lat. Chronicon breve Regni Croatiae) also claimed that the remains of Croatian king Demetrius Zvonimir were buried here, before the high altar.[5][7]
The Knin cathedral complex as it appeared on a 16th century Venetian map by Matteo Pagano.
Decline
Due to the threat of Ottoman invasions and the aftermath of the Battle of Krbava Field, the seat of the diocese was relocated to the town of Cazin. For the same reason, fortifications were erected around the cathedral complex by 1504. Somewhere in this time period, the diocese of Knin practically ceased to exist, remaining only as a titular see to the present day.[5]
In 1885, Austria-Hungary built the Knin-Siverić railway line across the location of the old medieval monastery. Croatian archaeological pioneer Lujo Marun made an arrangement with construction workers to hand over "anything they find underground, that might seem interesting." The 10th century stone tablet containing the names of Svetoslav Suronja and Stephen Držislav were discovered around this time.[1]
The cathedral remains in the 1920s, before its destruction by the Italians during World War II.
Destruction in the modern period
During World War II, Fascist Italian troops completely destroyed the cathedral's remnants to build a barracks, after which the site was then settled by Romani people. The land then became an illegal dumping site after the Croatian War of Independence in the 1990s.[1] Although it was believed for 70 years that the cathedral was irretrievably lost, archaeologists from Split managed to recover its remains in September 2017. Thus far, only the cathedral's northern wall and its frontage have been researched.[8]
↑ Kukuljevic-Sakcinski, Ivan (1868). "Chronicon breve Regni Croatiae". Arkiv za povestnicu jugoslavensku ... (in Croatian and Latin). L. Gaj. p.14. Hec dicens, subiit ex hac vita, et septulus est in capitulo thininigensi in ecclesia sancti bartholomei ante altare magnum
Knin is a city in the Šibenik-Knin County of Croatia, located in the Dalmatian hinterland near the source of the river Krka, an important traffic junction on the rail and road routes between Zagreb and Split. Knin rose to prominence twice in history, as the capital of both the medieval Kingdom of Croatia and briefly of the self-proclaimed quasi-state Republic of Serbian Krajina within the newly independent Republic of Croatia for the duration of Croatian War of Independence from 1991 to 1995.
The Trpimirović dynasty was a native Croatian dynasty that ruled in the Duchy and later the Kingdom of Croatia, with interruptions by the Domagojević dynasty from 845 until 1091. It was named after Trpimir I, the first member and founder. The most prominent rulers of the Trpimirović Dynasty include Tomislav, Petar Krešimir IV and Demetrius Zvonimir. The house gave four dukes, thirteen kings and a queen.
The Kingdom of Croatia, or Croatian Kingdom, was a medieval kingdom in Southern Europe comprising most of what is today Croatia, as well as most of the modern-day Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Croatian Kingdom was ruled for part of its existence by ethnic dynasties, and the Kingdom existed as a sovereign state for nearly two centuries. Its existence was characterized by various conflicts and periods of peace or alliance with the Bulgarians, Byzantines, Hungarians, and competition with Venice for control over the eastern Adriatic coast. The goal of promoting the Croatian language in the religious service was initially introduced by the 10th century bishop Gregory of Nin, which resulted in a conflict with the Pope, later to be put down by him. In the second half of the 11th century Croatia managed to secure most coastal cities of Dalmatia with the collapse of Byzantine control over them. During this time the kingdom reached its peak under the rule of kings Peter Krešimir IV (1058–1074) and Demetrius Zvonimir (1075–1089).
The Battle of Krbava Field was fought between the Ottoman Empire of Bayezid II and an army of the Kingdom of Croatia, at the time in personal union with the Kingdom of Hungary, on 9 September 1493, in the Krbava field, a part of the Lika region in Croatia.
Demetrius Zvonimir was a King of Croatia and Dalmatia from 1075 or 1076 until his death in 1089. Zvonimir also served as Ban of Croatia (1064–1074), and was named Duke of Croatia in around 1075. His native name was Zvonimir, but adopted the forename Demetrius at his coronation.
Stephen Držislav was King of Croatia from AD 969 until his death around 997. He was a member of the Trpimirović dynasty.
Stephen I was King of Croatia from c. 1030 until his death in 1058 and a member of the Trpimirović dynasty. Stephen I was the first Croatian king whose given name was "Stephen" ("Stjepan"), as Držislav added the name Stephen at his coronation. His ban was Stephen Praska.
Kninska Krajina is a geographical and historical region in Croatia, part of the larger Zagora (hinterland) region. It is located around the town of Knin.
Ban of Croatia was the title of local rulers or office holders and after 1102, viceroys of Croatia. From the earliest periods of the Croatian state, some provinces were ruled by bans as a ruler's representative (viceroy) and supreme military commander. In the 18th century, Croatian bans eventually became the chief government officials in Croatia.
The Crown of Zvonimir was bestowed on King Demetrius Zvonimir of Croatia in 1075 by the papal legate of Pope Gregory VII at Basilica of Saint Peter and Moses at Salona.
The Croatian–Bulgarian Wars were a series of conflicts that erupted three times during the 9th and 10th centuries between the medieval realms of Croatia and Bulgaria. During these wars, Croatia formed alliances with East Francia and Byzantium against the Bulgarian Empire.
Knin Fortress is located near the tallest mountain in Croatia, Dinara, and near the source of the river Krka. It is the second largest fortress in Croatia and most significant defensive stronghold, and a historical town in the Šibenik-Knin County in the Dalmatian Hinterland. The construction of the fortress started as early as 9th century, while the current state was brought up in 17th and 18th centuries. It reached its peak during the reign of Demetrius Zvonimir, King of Croatia from 1076, as it served as a political center of the Croatian Kingdom under him.
Bribir is a village in Šibenik-Knin County, near the town of Skradin, in southern Croatia. In its location in the Roman period was town Varvaria, while during the medieval times it was an important and rich settlement with a stronghold and Franciscan monastery, a capital city of power of the Šubić family.
Trpimir I was a duke in Croatia from around 845 until his death in 864. He is considered the founder of the Trpimirović dynasty that ruled in Croatia, with interruptions, from around 845 until 1091. Although he was formally vassal of the Frankish Emperor Lothair I, Trpimir used Frankish-Byzantine conflicts to rule on his own.
The Duchy of Croatia was a medieval state that was established by White Croats who migrated into the area of the former Roman province of Dalmatia c. 7th century CE. Throughout its existence the Duchy had several seats – namely, Klis, Solin, Knin, Bijaći and Nin. It comprised the littoral – the coastal part of today's Croatia – except Istria, and included a large part of the mountainous hinterland as well. The Duchy was in the center of competition between the Carolingian Empire and the Byzantine Empire for rule over the area. Croatian rivalry with Venice emerged in the first decades of the 9th century and would continue through the following centuries. Croatia also waged battles with the Bulgarian Empire and with the Arabs; it also sought to extend its control over important coastal cities under the rule of Byzantium. Croatia experienced periods of vassalage to the Franks or to the Byzantines and of de facto independence until 879, when Duke Branimir was recognized as an independent ruler by Pope John VIII. The Duchy was ruled by the Trpimirović and Domagojević dynasties from 845 to 1091. Around 925, during the rule of Tomislav, Croatia became a kingdom.
Godemir or Godimir was Ban of Croatia during 10th century Croatia. He is said to have served the king Stephen Držislav in a charter from 1068. According to the much debated Chronicle of Archdeacon Goricensis John, he was established to his position by a certain King Krešimir. He is also referred to in a charter as potens banus, meaning "powerful ban".
St. Michael's Fortress is a medieval fort in Šibenik, Šibenik-Knin County, Croatia, situated on a steep hill above the old historic center of the city. Its strategically favorable and dominant position made it the central part of Šibenik fortification system. The location was more or less continuously occupied since the Iron Age, as is witnessed by numerous archaeological findings from the era. The city of Šibenik was first mentioned on 25 December 1066 in a charter signed by King Peter Krešimir IV and verified by his courtiers. It is widely considered that the signing took place at St. Michael's Fortress.
The twelve noble tribes of Croatia, also known as twelve noble families of Croatia, was a medieval institution of nobility, alliance, or narrow noble community in the Kingdom of Croatia, which can be traced back at least to the 14th century, while the first mention of the institution was in the Pacta conventa document, which is supposedly a later copy of the original from 1102. Regardless of possible earlier references, the first verifiable mention dates from 1350, while the last from 1459. It is considered that by socio-economic power it was composed of lower and middle nobility, which had a privilege of retain and use of heirdom, tax exemption, and limited military obligations to the king. The twelve tribes are Čudomirić, Gusić, Kačić, Kukar, Jamomet, Lasničić, Lapčan and Karinjan, Mogorović, Poletčić, Snačić, Šubić, and Tugomirić.
Church of Saint Stephen was a 10th-century church in Salona, currently an archaeological site located in todays Solin, Croatia. Its atrium served as a mausoleum of Croatian medieval rulers. It is one of the two medieval churches on the site, the other being dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
Cathedral of St. James Senior was a mediaval Roman Catholic church in what was once Krbava. It was consecrated to St. James, the patron saint of former Diocese of Krbava. The information about consecration of Krbava Cathedral to St. James Senior was found by bishop Mile Bogović, while searching the Vatican Archives in 1997.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
