Silba is an island in
CroatiaCroatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a country in southeast Europe, at the crossroads of the Pannonian Plain, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean Sea. Its capital is Zagreb...
, northern
DalmatiaDalmatia , is a region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea and is situated in modern Croatia. It spreads between the island of Rab in the northwest and the Bay of Kotor, in Montenegro, in the southeast...
, south-east of
LošinjLošinj is a Croatian island in the northern Adriatic Sea, in the Kvarner Gulf. It is almost due south of the city of Rijeka and part of the Primorje-Gorski Kotar county....
, between the islands of
PremudaPremuda is a little island in Croatia, off the northern Adriatic coast. It belongs to the north Dalmatian islands which are situated north-west from the county center Zadar. Premuda is approximately 10 km long, up to 1 km wide, and has an area of 9.2 square kilometers...
and
OlibOlib is an island in northern Dalmatia, located northwest of Zadar, southwest of Pag, southeast of Lošinj and just east of Silba.First inhabited by settlers from the Roman Empire, Olib is first mentioned in documents from the 10th century as Aloep Island....
.
Silba is located at . It has an area 15 km² in the shape of number 8, with the village of Silba located at the narrowest point in the middle. It takes only around 10 minutes to walk the 600 m from the north-eastern harbour of Mul to the south-western harbour of Žalić (Zhaleech).
ZadarZadar is a city in Croatia on the Adriatic Sea. It is the centre of Zadar county and the wider northern Dalmatian region. Zadar faces the islands of Ugljan and Pašman, from which it is separated by the narrow Zadar Strait. The promontory on which the old city stands used to be separated from the...
is Silba's mainland administrative center; it is part of the
Zadar CountyZadar county is a county in Croatia, it encompasses northern Dalmatia and southeastern Lika. Its center is the city of Zadar.- Population :According to the 2001 census, Zadar County has population of 162,045...
.
Officially Silba's population is 265 (2001) but it varies seasonally; from a few hundred, mainly pensioners, in the winter, to several thousand during summer months. Many have jobs and properties on the mainland. There is also an influx of tourists during the summer months as tourism is now the main economic activity on the island.
Silba has a
Mediterranean climateA hi Mediterranean climate resembles the climate of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, which includes most of the area with this climate type worldwide...
with 2570 hours a year of sunshine. Most summer days are hot, bright and clear with light westerly Maestral wind cooling the island in the afternoons.
Geography
The island has numerous small beaches and coves. The main public beach Sotorišće (Sotoreeshche), located close to the harbour of Mul, has very clear shallow waters with sandy bottom.
On Žalić, there are a number of pebbly beaches and a pier. Ships carrying passenger and commercial traffic dock here.
There are a number of coves outside the village that can be reached by footpaths. On the southern side of the island, at walking distances of about 30–45 minutes, are:
- Vele Stene (Large Rocks), the only point on the island where the shores are steep.
- Port Sv. Ante, favoured with yachtsmen because it is protected from major winds.
You can also view a small chapel on the side of the bay.
- Dobre Vode, a beach with shallow sandy bottom.
- Nozdre, a big cove with characteristic flat rock formations cut out by the sea.
On the north side of the village is the highest point on Silba, Varh (80m). The northern shore is less accessible than the southern due to rocky shores, however, there is a path leading north out of the village to the small port of Papranica.
Further on along the path, about an hours walk from the main village, is a cove Pernastica which is considered as the best coves on the island. It faces westwards towards the sunset and has a long shallow sandy bottom.
Silba's most popular landmark is Toreta, a sleek tower with a spiral staircase from which there is a wonderful view of the surrounding islands. It is in the centre of the village right on Veli Put - Silba's High Street.
The whole island is a pedestrian zone, no traffic is allowed with the exception of vehicles supplying the local businesses.
The village has several cafés, four restaurants, a number of shops, post office and a local GP. From any point in the village it takes only around 10 min or less to walk to the nearest beach.
History
The old name for this island is
Selbo.
The island Silba is mentioned in historical records in the 9th century. In 827, it belonged to the Zadar county. In 1073, in the last year of
Petar Krešimir'sPeter Krešimir IV, called the Great , was a notably energetic King of Croatia from 1059 to his death in 1074. He was the last great ruler of the Krešimirović branch of the House of Trpimirović. Under his rule the Croatian realm reached its peak territorially, earning him the sobriquet "the Great,"...
reign, probably at the request of his sister Cika, the first nun of st. Maria in Zadar, the county donated the island to the monastery St. Maria, at the ceremony of sacrament of their church (some say this happened in 1027.). Later, the island fell into the hands of the
VenetianThe Most Serene Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century AD until the year 1797...
authorities, which sold it to captain Fani Soppe for 12,350 ducats.
It is not known how it later came into the ownership of Venetian family
Morosini. Silba was held by family
Morosini until the first quarter of 19th century. As it was too far to govern and receive tax on yield in nature they agreed with inhabitants of Silba in 1770 to receive each year 2000
Venetian liraThe lira was the distinct currency of the Venice until 1807. It was subdivided into 20 soldi, each of 12 denari. The ducato was equal to 124 soldi, whilst the tallero was equal to 7 lire...
in rent. Silbans called this rent
četvrtina (quarter), as it amounted to quarter of the land's yields, which is what serfs elsewhere also gave to their masters.
In 1838, for 28,500 Austrian lira, family Morosini sold the island to Marko Ragusin from
Veli LošinjLošinj is a Croatian island in the northern Adriatic Sea, in the Kvarner Gulf. It is almost due south of the city of Rijeka and part of the Primorje-Gorski Kotar county....
, who returned wealthy from USA.
As Silbans paid rent to previous owner in currency, they assumed they will do the same to the new landowner, but since he lived in Lošinj, near to Silba, he refused and demanded a quarter of land's yield in crop. A lawsuit ensued which lasted for 13 years when Ragusin finally decided to sell the island to these same inhabitants who bought it, each paying proportionally to the size of their plot, in total 5,025
bavarian thalersThe Thaler was a silver coin used throughout Europe for almost four hundred years. Its name lives on in various currencies as the dollar or tolar. Etymologically, "Thaler" is an abbreviation of "Joachimsthaler", a coin type from the city of Joachimsthal in Bohemia, where some of the first such...
.
On 19 March 1852 ownership of the island by inhabitants was registered. It became the island's main holiday, day of St. Joseph.
In the 18th century Silba had a fleet 38 sailing boats with three masts called
Manzere of 220
MtA tonne or metric ton , also referred to as a metric tonne, is a measurement of mass equal to , or approximately the mass of one cubic metre of water. It is not an SI unit but is accepted for use with the SI...
and 60 sailing boats two masts called
Kastrere of 63
MtA tonne or metric ton , also referred to as a metric tonne, is a measurement of mass equal to , or approximately the mass of one cubic metre of water. It is not an SI unit but is accepted for use with the SI...
. The fleet was destroyed by the
FrenchThe Illyrian Provinces was an autonomous province of the Napoleonic French Empire on the north and east coasts of the Adriatic Sea between 1809 and 1816...
at the beginning of the 19th century.
The economic benefits to the island from sailing boats led to general well being on the island. Old local saying says: "Silba zlatom siva, i u njoj se raj uživa", translated into English: "Silba shines with gold, on it heavenly enjoyment".
In the olden days there was a custom of "village king" elections. The king would get elected on
St. Stephen's DaySt. Stephen's Day, or the Feast of St. Stephen, is a Christian saint's day celebrated on 26 December in the Western Church and 27 December in the Eastern Church. Many Eastern Orthodox churches adhere to the Julian calendar and mark St...
(26 December) and his rule would last until Three Kings (6 January). During his twelve day rule, he would preside, with crown on his head, surrounded by twelve councillors, over village gatherings and dealt justice. His task was to name the village head, head and members of village guards; close the previous years budget and plan the next years. He would give verdict on complaints and disputes that have accumulated during the year. This custom died out in the first quarter of the 19th century. The king's crown still exists in the treasury of the parish church.
In 1943 Silba was the scene of a naval action during the
Adriatic Campaign of World War IIThe Adriatic Campaign of World War II was a naval campaign fought during World War II between the Greek, Yugoslavian and Italian navies, the Kriegsmarine, and the Mediterranean squadrons of the United Kingdom, France, and the Yugoslav Partisan naval forces...
.
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