Veprinac

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Veprinac on an old postcard

Veprinac is a district of the coastal town of Opatija in Croatia , whose medieval churches and fortifications are high above the sea at over 500 meters above sea level.

Surname

Its name possibly derives from Sharp butcher's broom (Croatian Veprina ab), which is very common in this area. In the course of history, the names Veprinaz, Vepriniz, Vaprinitz, Vapriano and Apriano (Italian name) were used for the place Veprinac.

history

Pre-Roman and Roman remains can be detected in Veprinac. The castle was a link in the chain of fortresses Kastav - Veprinac - Mošćenice - Brseč along the Istrian east coast and has always served as a refuge for the coastal inhabitants. Veprinac was first mentioned in writing in the will of Hugo von Duino in 1374 . At the end of the 14th century, Veprinac came under the rule of the Habsburgs . In the 15th century the area around Veprinac was placed under the administration of Kastav and Mošćenice.

The valuable legal document Veprinački zakon in Glagolitic script and Croatian has been preserved from 1507 . The municipal code of Veprinac was therefore similar to that of Kastav and Mošćenice. Twelve Svetnika (councilors) were elected on January 6th by scratching the votes on a wooden board. The town was run by the Župan od leta (prefect for one year), the judge and his assistant. The captain came to town three times a year to preside over major court proceedings that were held in St. Anne's Church or later in the town loggia. The Glagolitic script was used until the 18th century.

The spa town of Opatija, which began to grow in 1880, was supplied with milk, wood and other agricultural products from Veprinac. Carriage rides to the mountain village were part of the offer for the spa guests.

Attractions

  • The Markus Church was built in the 14th century on the remains of the old castle. The three-nave church was redesigned in Baroque style in 1680 and houses valuable altars, frescoes and ancient tombstones. The free-standing church tower can be seen across the entire northern Kvarner Bay . From the forecourt of the church you have an excellent view of Rijeka, Krk and Cres.
  • The preserved city gate has an arched passage. On the ground floor there is a narrow room that, according to local tradition, was used as a prison.
  • The loggia ( loža ) in front of the city gate was and is used for public events.
  • The small church of St. Anne was built in 1442 west of the city gate. On the inner walls there are drawings with crosses circled in red, human figures and ships as well as Glagolitic inscriptions that came to light after removing some limestone layers. A large stone on the outer wall bears the year 1442.
  • The even older Church of St. Mary is similar in size and construction to St. Anne's Church. The year 1860 above the lintel indicates a renovation. Currently (2019), however, the building is used as a storage room.
  • The chapel of St. Jelena is about 300 meters west of the medieval buildings.

leisure

  • The steep Šumski put hiking trail connects Veprinac with Opatija. In this way, firewood and agricultural products to supply Opatija were carried into the valley. On the way back, for example, hay was carried up to Veprinac from the lower plots as fodder. There were even special rest areas to put down the heavy back baskets.

literature

  • Ľudmila Lewis: Linguistic and cultural-historical considerations on the Istarski razvod. Diploma thesis, Vienna 2013, PDF on univie.ac.at.

Web links

Commons : Veprinac  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Johann Georg August Galletti: General geographical dictionary or alphabetical representation of all countries, cities, towns, villages, localities, seas, rivers, etc. with precise details of their location, size, population, products, manufacturers, factories, their trade, trade, etc. Third, thoroughly improved and considerably increased edition. Third volume. S-Z. Hartleben Verlag, 1822, p. 703, Veprinaz, Vepriniz. In: Google Book .
  2. ^ Johann Huebner: General geography of all four parts of the world, improved through and through, multiplied in many ways, and continued up to the present day. Volume 1, Dresden / Leipzig 1762, p. 122, Google Books , accessed on August 18, 2019; the name "Waprinetz" haunts certain newer Istrian websites. If the designation "Waprinetz" really existed, please enter it here with receipt.
  3. ↑ Apriano on treccani.it, accessed on August 18, 2019.
  4. ↑ Lewis 2013, p. 84.
  5. ↑ Lewis 2013, p. 40.
  6. ↑ Johannes Sachslehner : Abbazia: Kuk Sehnsuchtsort on the Adriatic. Styria Verlag, Vienna / Graz / Klagenfurt 2011, ISBN 978-3-7012-0062-7 , p. 91 (poster of the Südbahn-Fuhrunternehmung Brückner) and p. 138 ( Arthur Schnitzler's excursion in March 1893).