Gordan Ravančić

Croatian Institute of History

Project:
gordan@isp.hr
Cities of the Croatian Middle Ages –
Urban elites and urban space
IP-2014-09-7235

Control of the Roads as a Strategy of the

Creation of the Feudal Possession of the Krk
Princes up to the Beginning of the 14th Century
MECERN 3rd biennial conference: Between Three Seas: Borders, Migrations, Connections
(Zagreb, 12 – 14 April 2018)
Chronology

 Island of Krk – seat of power since the mid-12th c.

 Modruš – end of the12th c.

 Vinodol – beginning of the 13th c. (1225)

 Senj – 1271.

 Gacka – the last quarter of the 13th c.

 1302 – Dujam II comes Vegle, Modruxe, Vinodoli atque Senie

Land Property of the Princes of Krk at the end of
13th c.
 Modruš
 Vinodol
 Gacka
 Seats of possessions and fortresses

 Krk
 Novi (Vinodolski)
 Senj
 Modruš
 Brinje
 Main Roads – Tabula Peutingiriana

 Legacy of the Roman

Empire
 Trsat
 Senj
 Brlog
 Vitalj

Reconstruction Slukan-
Altić 2005.
 Main Roads 2

 Legacy of the Roman Empire

 Trsat (Tarsatica)
 Bakar
 Senj
 Modruš
 (Brinje)
 Prozor

Digital atlas of the

Roman Empire
http://dare.ht.lu.se
 Main roads of medieval Croatia

 Roads connecting
hinterland with the Adriatic
coast
 Road accros Modruš
towards Senj
 Main roads of medieval Croatia 2

 Medieval roads and paths: Gorski kotar

and Lika
 Road Modruš - Udbina
 Accross Brinje (?)

 Scarcety of relevant sources

Reconstruction
Horvat, 2000.
 Connections within possessions of the Princes of Krk
 Settlements in Modruš
 Modruš - Plaški – ca. 18,2 km (3h 50min)
 Modruš - Ključ - ca. 29 km (5h 50min)
 Modruš - Vitunj - ca. 27,5 km (5h 40min)
 Vitunj - Ključ - ca. 34,2 km (7h)
 Vitunj - Janjač - ca. 29,5 km (6h)
 Ključ - Janjač - ca. 28,5 km (6h)
 Settlements in Vinodol
 Ledenice - Novi - ca. 8 km (1h 50min)
 Ledenice – Bribir 8 km (7 km) (1h 40min)
 Bribir – Grižane 6km (5,5 km); (1h 10min)
 Settlements in Gacka
 Grižane – Drivenik 8 km (6,5 km); (1h
 Sokolac (Brinje) - Otočac - ca. 26,5km (5h 30min)
45min)
 Drivenik – Hreljin 7,5 km (6,5 km); (1h  Otočac - Dabar - ca. 17km (3h 45min)
45min)
 Otočac - Prozor - ca. 5km (1h)
 Hreljin – Bakar 7,5 km (5,5 km); (1h 30min)
 Bakar – Trsat 7 km (6,5 km); --- today  Prozor - Dabar - ca. 17,5 km (4h)
10,5km (2h 15min)  Prozor - Vrhovine - ca. 13 km (3h)
 Trsat – Grobnik 4,5 km (4 km) --- today 11
 Vrhovine - Otočac - ca. 17 km (3h 30min)
km (2h 20min
 Theoretical background

 Possibility of implementation of Central Places Theory

(W. Christaller)
 All the fortresses placed up to 35 km (7 h) distance
between each other
 Possibility of implementation of Kubiny’s urban
settlements system
 All the possesions (fortresses) placed along main roads
of the medieval Croatia
 Spatial distribution of settlements (fortresses) in Vinodol
diverse from the rest but it still „guards” main road
between Trsat and Senj
Administrative Functions

 Residences of the Counts of Krk on the mainland

 Modruš
 Brinje
 Novi
 Senj
 Need for further investigation of administrative functions
Project:
Cities of the Croatian Middle Ages –
Urban elites and urban space
IP-2014-09-7235

Thank you for your attention!

Gordan Ravančić
Croatian Institute of History
gordan@isp.hr