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TRADITIONS
And
the life of the Island of Krk can be followed through the symbolism
of the number seven. In the seventh century, the Illyrian tribes
of the Japods and Liburnians and the Latin population were joined
by the Croats, who gradually became the majority population of
the island.
The
seven historical castles of the island are today its seven administrative
centres: the city of Krk and the communes of Omišalj, Malinska,
Punat, Baška, Vrbnik and Dobrinj.
There are seven various of the Chakavian dialect of Croatian (spoken here).
There are seven customs, dances and costumes.
The vernacular instrument called sopile is an ancient wind instrument, and
today is an integral part of island festivities, often linked with the church
holidays and the patron saints of individual places.
The richness of the island folk tradition is presented each year in the summer
Festival of Folk Traditions and at the Sopile Players of the Island of Krk
Review.
Some of the well known traditional customs are the singing customs during the
period of Carnival, the Stomorina accompanying the feast of the Assumption
in Omišalj, the shepherds' custom called razgon, the first Sunday in July,
in Vrbnik, among others.
The traditional way of life is linked to the sea (fishing, seafaring, shipbuilding),
agriculture, stock raising, particularly sheep rearing, which have been retained
to this day, and are now accompanied by some other activities.
OMIŠALJ
The Parish Church of the Assumption, 1213, with bell
tower and loggia of the 16th century. The remains of an Early
Christian basilica of the 5th century and the Roman municipium
of Fulfinum in Sepen Bay in the Mirine area (2 kilometres from
Omišalj). The Lapidarij Gallery in Omišalj and the Njivice Gallery
in Njivice.
MALINSKA
The Chapel of St Nicholas, consecrated 2000, with a
gallery. The Parish Church of St Apollinaris in Bogovići, 1857
Third Order Franciscan Monastery, with Church of St Mary Magdalene in Porat
(3 km from Malinska). In the monastery there is a museum collection, with library,
ethnographic collection, and an authentic ancient olive press, and a collection
of Glagolitic stone monuments.
KRK
The religious architecture complex of the Cathedral
of the Assumption of the 5th century with the churches of St
Margaret and St Quirinus, patron saint of the town (11th/12th
centuries), in which there is an exhibition of religious items,
and a bell tower from the 18th century.
A well-preserved urban unit from the Roman period within the city walls, which
obtained their current appearance between the 12th and the 15th century. o
Kamplin Square (trg), with its Frankopan castle and the Square Tower (12th
century).
The main city square, called Vela placa, with the building of the town hall
from the 15th century and a Renaissance fountain.
The canons' house (Petar Franolić Street, no. 11) in which there is the Glagolitic
Krk Inscription, from the 11th century. The Church of St Krševan (Grisogogno)
(5th and 6th centuries), close to the settlement of Milohnić (12 km north west
of Krk).
The Decumanas, Fortis, Dagmar, Leut, Krčanka, Helena, Noina arka galleries.
" Biserka-Bodulka",
" Mozaico" (Church of St Kvirin)
PUNAT
The Parish Church of the Holy Trinity, 1773, with a
valuable Baroque altar.
The Toš gallery, showing an olive press.
The Islet of Košljun (6.5 ha) in Puntarska Draga is a forest reserve and monument
of culture. In the Franciscan Monastery with the Church of the Assumption of
1480 there is also a valuable library, an ethnographic museum and a permanent
display of religious art.
Church of St Dunat, 11th century (2 kilometres)
VRBNIK
Parish Church of the Assumption, 1325, with Renaissance
bell tower, 16th century, housing the Museum of the Vrbnik Artistic
Identity.
Chapel of St John, 15th century
Vitezić Brothers Library
BAŠKA
St John's Church, in the cemetery
Holy Trinity Church, 18th century, Local Museum in the vicinity
Early Romanesque Church of St Lucy in Jurandvor (2 km from Baška), a holy place
of Croatian national history and culture. In the church there is the Baška
Tablet, the most important monument of the Croatian language and its literature.This
is written in Glagolitic script incised on stone, and dates from about 1100.
There is an exhibition area inside the church.
The Fran and Etro galleries.
DOBRINJ
Parish Church of St Stephen, the main church of the
chapter of Dobrinj, first mentioned in 1100. St Anthony's Church
and Gallery (14th century) and bell tower (18th century). In
the immediate vicinity is the Collection of Religious Art and
the Infeld Gallery. Ethnographic Collection of the Dobrinj area
and of the island of Krk, and a collection of Krk fossils. Early
Romanesque Chapel, foundation of the famed Dragoslav, 1100, in
the settlement of Sveti Vid (1 kilometre to the east of Dobrinj).
ŠILO
Šilo
is the largest of Dobrinj’s local villages with a long tradition
of welcoming tourists. It is very picturesque, situated in
a protected bay, Stipanja naturally closed by ”Punta Šilo”.
It lies in the immediate vicinity of Crikvenica and its Riviera,
separated from it by the Canal of Vinodol and only appr. 20
kilometers away from the Krk-Bridge.
One
of Šilo’s particular qualaties are its numerous and naturally
protected pebble beaches (coves) and the specially well known
sandybeach with its clear, pleasant
sea, ideal for small children. In the immediate vicinity of Šilo
is the shipwreck ”Peltastis”, making it one of the most interesting
places for divers in the Croatian sea.
GEOGRAPHY
The
Island of Krk is in the Bay of Kvarner or Quarnero. It is the
biggest island in the Adriatic, with an area of 409.9 square
kilometres. The highest peak is Obzova, at 569 m. There are some
twenty little islands, islets, rocks and reefs around the main
island: Prvić, Galun, Zec, Plavnik, Kormati, Košljun and Sv.
Marko (St Mark's). The population of the island, at the last
count, was 16,402, distributed among 68 settlements.
The relief is of the karst or limestone variety, with
caves and caverns (Biserujka near Dobrinj), with sinkholes and dolines.
The central part of the island is occupied by fertile fields called,
Omišalj, Dobrinj,Vrbnik and Baška poljes.
The coast is highly indented, with a great many bays,
coves and naturally pebbly beaches. The biggest of the bays are Soline
(with its medicinal mud) and Puntarska Draga.
Climate: The island boasts a pleasant and mild Mediterranean
climate. The average summer air temperature is 22.8°C, and the sea
water temperature is 23 - 25°C.The main winds come from the north-east,
the south and the west - the bora, sirocco and maestral. In terms of
insolation, Krk is one of the most favoured parts of Europe, with over
2,500 hours of sun a year.
Water features: There are two lakes on the island,
called Jezero and Ponikva, and three rivers: the Veli or Dobrinja Brook,
the Vretenica and the Vela Rika.
Plant life: In the central and western part of the
island there are predominantly woods, along with cultivated Mediterranean
fruit and vegetables, vineyards and olive groves. Northern and southern
Krk are given over to stony areas and rough pasture land.
Forest reserves: There are Quercus ilex, or holm or
evergreen oak, at Glavotok and on the little island of Košljun.
Bird sanctuaries: The island of Prvić and the north
east steep slopes of the coast, where the griffon vulture resides (Gyps
fulvus Habl).
A particular feature of the Krk landscape consists of
the thick drystone walls or gromače, and the shepherds' stone-built folds
on the plateau area above the Baška valley.
Care about the preservation and conservation of the environment is ongoing
and systematic. Proof of this is given by the two blue pennants in the Punat
Marina, the Big Beach at Baška, auto camp Ježavac, Lukobran beach, FKK Politin
and Koralj beach.
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