Krk

Krk is a big island in Croatia, in the northern part of the Adriatic Sea. It is close to the city of Rijeka and is part of the Primorje-Gorski Kotar county. Krk is tied with the nearby island of Cres as the largest island in the Adriatic, depending on how the coastline is measured.

This island is the most crowded island in the Adriatic Sea and has many towns and villages. In 2021, Krk had a population of 19,916 people. Over time, Krk has been called many names, including Veglia in Italian, Krk in Istro Romanian, Vikla in Vegliot Dalmatian, Vegl in old German, Curicta in Latin, and Kyrikon in Ancient Greek.

History

Prehistory

People lived on the island since very early times. Ancient writers called it Κύριστα or Curicta. The island was held by the Liburnians, who named it "Curicum".

There are old settlements near Draga Bašćanska, and remains from the Bronze and Iron Age near Malinska, Dobrinj, Vrbnik and Baška.

Roman era

The Romans took control of Krk after defeating the Liburnians. The town of Krk became a municipality with special rights. Near the present-day Franciscan monastery, remains of Roman thermal baths have been found. The defensive walls of Roman Krk were very strong and built during a time of conflict in Rome around 50 BCE. They were made even stronger later to protect against attacks. Not far from Krk, there was an important sea battle in 49 BCE between leaders Caesar and Pompey.

When the Roman Empire split, Krk became part of the Eastern Roman Empire.

Municipium Flavium Fulfinum is an old Roman settlement near Omišalj. Evidence shows people lived there as early as the 1st century. The Romans built the city for retired Roman soldiers. The settlement was later abandoned.

Roman ruins can still be seen in parts of Krk town. A temple for the Roman goddess Venus was found near an old gate in the town. This is the only such temple found on the eastern side of the Adriatic.

Migration period

The town walls could not stop attacks by the Avars in the 7th century, but life returned to normal quickly. Krk became one of the Dalmatian city-states. The Croats entered the town several times. They kept many Roman names, giving Krk a mix of languages. After the Treaty of Aachen in 812, the whole island became part of the Byzantine Empire. During the 10th century, Krk was known as Vekla, later called Veglia by the Venetians.

Reign of Croatian counts and kings

There are no surviving documents showing exactly when Krk became part of Croatia. Around 875, the Byzantine town paid Croatian rulers 110 gold pieces each year to keep control. As Croatia was forming, Krk lay on the route used by the Venetians to the Mediterranean. The Venetians took Krk for the first time in 1001, linking its history closely with the Republic of Venice for centuries. Croatian rulers regained power during the time of Peter Krešimir IV, but the Venetians took Krk again in 1118.

Reign of the Krk counts (from 1430 on – the Frankopan family)

After the Venetians took Krk in 1118, a local noble family became Counts of Krk. When the family leader died in 1163, his sons were allowed to keep control after paying a tax. The Counts grew very powerful. At one point, Venice took away their authority, but later gave it back. They made laws to protect traditions and rights. One Count extended his rule to the mainland and served the Croatian king. His family became very influential. In 1430, they took the name Frankopan.

Ivan VII Frankopan was the ruler of a small independent area on Krk. He encouraged people from other regions to settle there.

Venetian rule (1480–1797)

Krk was the last of the Adriatic islands to join the Venetian Empire. Because of its location, it helped protect against attacks. The rulers were Venetian nobles, but the people kept some self-government. Laws were written in Latin and later Italian. People also used a special script called Glagolitic. In the early 1500s, people from inland Croatia moved to Krk to escape invaders. The population dropped during this time.

Austrian rule

Austrian rule began after Venice fell in 1797, with a brief pause during Napoleon's time. In 1822, the Austrians linked Krk to Istria, helping spread Croatian culture and education.

20th century

Krk was briefly occupied by Italy after World War I, then became part of Croatia within Yugoslavia. Italy occupied it again during World War II, followed by Germany. After the war, tourism became important for the island's growth. An airport and the Krk Bridge helped develop tourism. The bridge was completed in 1980.

Shipbuilding

Krk has a long history of shipbuilding, going back to early times. Remains of old shipyards have been found near Mala Luka harbor. The name of Dubašnica comes from an old word for oak, which was used in shipbuilding. Harbors in Malinska and Vrbnik were important for building ships.

Economics and infrastructure

Krk is close to the mainland and has been connected to it since 1980 by the Krk Bridge, a very long bridge made of concrete. Before the bridge was built, people and cars had to take a ferry to travel between the island and the mainland.

Because Krk is near the city of Rijeka, the town of Omišalj has an important Rijeka international airport. It also has an oil terminal and a petrochemical plant.

Krk is a favorite place for tourists, especially people from Slovenia, southern Germany, Austria, northern Italy, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and other nearby countries.

Geography

Krk is a rocky and hilly island, like many in Croatia. The rock on the island is mostly karst. Strong winds called the bora make the southeast part of the island mostly bare. The highest point on Krk is Obzova, which stands at 568 meters above sea level. Vela Luka is a harbor located on the southeastern end of the island.

The island is part of the Kvarner Islands Important Bird Area. This means it is a special place for birds, including many birds of prey. A protected area called Kuntrep is home to a colony of Eurasian griffon vultures. These birds build their nests at low elevations.

Culture and religion

Krk has been an important place for Croatian culture. Many old writings using the Glagolitic alphabet were made and kept on Krk, including the Baška tablet. There is also a monastery on a small nearby island of Košljun.

During the Middle Ages, Krk was part of the Republic of Venice. Later, it became part of Dalmatia and then the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. After World War II, many Italian people left the area.

Today, Krk takes part in special cultural programs. The city of Krk, Malinska, and Vrbnik join in events all year. The Municipality of Baška has art displays that show traditional building styles.

Monuments and sights

Krk Island has many special places to see. An important item is the Baška tablet from the year 1100, found in Jurandvor. Nearby, you can visit the Church of St. Lucy, where the tablet was found. There is also an art installation called "Drops" on a hill above Baška. The Krk Cathedral is dedicated to the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Since July 19, 1980, the Krk Bridge has connected the island to the mainland.

Language

Krk is known for its history of many languages. Today, the main language is a special type of Croatian called the Middle Chakavian dialect. In the past, people spoke five languages: Venetian, Italian, Croatian, Dalmatian, and Istro-Romanian. Now, Dalmatian and Istro-Romanian are no longer spoken.

Municipalities

The main towns and smaller places on the island of Krk include:

• The town of Krk
• Omišalj
• Malinska-Dubašnica – with Malinska as its main town
• Punat
• Dobrinj
• Baška
• Vrbnik
• Gabonjin
• Krašica
• Anton
• Pinezići
• Glavotok
• Valbiska
• Njivice
• Poljice
• Nenadići
• Sveti Vid Miholjice

Roman Catholic bishopric

Main article: Roman Catholic Diocese of Krk

• Church of St. Dunat

Other

The 45th parallel north runs through the island of Krk. This places it halfway between the Equator and the North Pole. You can see a signpost marking this special spot.

In popular culture, the fictional island Everon from the video games Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis and Arma Reforger is inspired by Krk. The third season of the American TV-series The Witcher was also filmed on Krk.

Genetics

A special gene group, Haplogroup I, is more common on Krk than in other parts of Croatia or most of Europe. This gene group is also found among Rusyns from southern Poland, Slovakia, and Ukraine.