"Trogir - the UNESCO world heritage... " a Trogir Travel Page by FRONA

The history of Trogir can be followed from the original inhabitants, Illyrians, who had their settlement on the grounds of today’s Trogir. The first colonizators of the Adriatic islands and coast were Doric Greeks from Syracuse who founded Issa on the island of Vis in 390 B.C., and in the 3 rd century B.C. the colony of Tragurion.. Greek historians and geographers Ptolomey and Strabo mention Trogir as an Isseian “island and city”.
After his victory over Pompey, Caesar punished Issa, by abolishing its independence and taking away its mainland properties, including Trogir.


Pliny the Elder, Roman historian, mentions Trogir-Tragurium in the 1 st century as Roman city, well-know for marble, whereas Peuntiger’s Table and Antoninus’s Itinerary show Trogir as an important port and state granary. With fall of the Western Empire, Trogir and other old Roman cities in Dalmatia became part of a special military province (temat) of the Byzantine Empire.
In the chaos of the early Middle Ages, the Roman natives, with no strong Byzantine garisons, lived in fear of attacks by the barbarian nations, who unprotected, prayed to the new Cristian God. Due to its islet location between the mainland and the island of Ciovo, the town did not meet the tragic fate of Salona, destroyed during an attack of the Avars and Slavs. From the seventh century Croatian princes built their castles with the endowment church of St. Martha, not far from Trogir, in Biaci. Gradually, the Croats enter the town developing certain Roman-Croatian ethnic symbiosis. After the great conquests of Carlemagne (?814.), the Dalmatian cities, including Trogir, came under Frankish rule. The document on the foundation of the Monastery of St. Doimus (1064.) contains only Croatian national names. Croatian princes and kings after stayed in Trogir which enjoyed their protection and privileges. After the fall of the Croatian national dynasty, due to the diplomatic skills of the Bishop Ivan Orsini (1111.) the citizens of Trogir opened the city gates to the Hungarian king Koloman who was also crowned the king of Croatia in Biograd na moru.

A difficult period for Trogir was the invasion of the Mongolians in pursuit of the Hungarian-Croatian king Bela IV who in 1242. rescued himself by escape to the safer Trogir. There he had an opportunity to admire recently finished portal of Master Radovan, the masterpiece of Middle Age Croatian Art.

In the Middle Ages the town was ruled by the Statute (the oldest preserved one from 1322.). Members of the Great Council were elected from the Small Council and the Secret Souncil, which discussed the important security issues of the city. A pharmacy in Trogir is mentioned already in 1271., as the first one in this part of Europe. It shows the level of economic civilizational achievments of the free Middle Ages Comune with widespread. commercial and cultural relationships troughout the Mediterranean and Europe. In June 1420., after a bloody battle, the Venetian troops of Captain Petar Loredano entered Trogir. All the city’s liberties were abolished, and Venice took all the power which lasted till the end of the 18th century. After the brotherhoods were dissolved, the citizens united in citizens’ assemblies through which they tried to restrain the despotism of the governer and nobles.

Many distinguished inhabitants of Trogir fled from their city. Among them was Petar Berislavic, later Viceroy (Ban) of Croatia and Bishop of Zagreb, who died by a Turkish sword in 1520., deceived and exausted by heavy fighting for the freedom of Croatia. The majority of nobles studied in Italian cities where they got humanistic education. Among them was Ivan Lucius-Lucic, the father of modern Croatian historiography.

Turkish devastation in the near of Trogir from the 17 th century completely destroyed the town from the economic point of view. At the end of the 18 th century Venetian Republic was abolished. During Napoleon’s wars from 1806-1814., Trogir was annexed to the Illyrian provinces under Marshal Marmont. After Napoleon’s military defeat Trogir became the part of Austria-Hungary. In 1867., with the support of Bishop Strossmayer, the National Library was founded and became the focal point of national renaissance. Twenty years later, after long political struggles with Italy-oriented population demanding autonomy, the commune of Trogir passed into Croatian hands. With the fall of the Austrian Empire after the World War I in 1918., Trogir joins Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenians. General dissatisfaction and stagnation was gradually increasing. In April 1941., Italy occupies Trogir without resistance and in 1943., one-year German occupation of Trogir begins. Trogir gained its freedom in the end of 1944., after numerous victims and destroyed economy. The period of economical development, particulary shipbuilding and turism, follows, together with the increase of life standard of the citizens. But, the narrowness of the national awareness and democratic freedoms in South-Slavic Federation causes a great discontent of the citizens.

After the first democratic elections, held in 1990. by general plebiscitery of the Croatian for free and independent state of Croatia, Trogir gives new victims as the foundation of the freeedom of the Croatian people and the involvement of Croatia in European civilizational and economic prosperity.