Josip Faričić

Geographical Names on Mercator’s Maps of Croatia

Abstract Mercator depicted Croatia on several general maps. In accordance with the level of geographical knowledge, map scales and technical possibilities of the time, Mercator provided a relatively detailed depiction of basic geographical features on these maps. His interest in mapping Croatia was probably motivated by the fact that the Venetian Republic, the Habsburg Monarchy and the Ottoman Empire had fought over this area in the sixteenth century, contributing to the fragmentation of the medieval Croatian State, while at the same time facilitating economic, religious, linguistic, artistic and scientific communication between Central, South East and Mediterranean Europe. Mercator paid special attention to toponyms that enabled geographical objects to be identified and the decoding of cartographic contents. Research into Mercator’s maps has shown that geographical names, among other things, clearly indicate the sources of spatial data that he used. Additionally, geographical names on Mercator’s maps are significant indicators of the linguistic and cultural contacts that were particularly prominent in border areas, for example, along the eastern Adriatic coast, or the courses of the Danube, Sava and Drava.

Carta di cabotaggio del Mare Adriatico (1822–1824): A Turning-Point in the Development of Adriatic Maritime Cartography

ABSTRACT After almost five centuries of development in nautical charts depicting the Adriatic Sea, a systematic, complete hydrographic survey was carried out that resulted in the first modern nautical chart of the area. The survey, a coordinated operation undertaken jointly by Austrian, Neapolitan and British experts in 1818–1819, was the first scientific activity in the Adriatic region to be based on international cooperation. Until then, the gathering, processing and presentation of geographical data on Adriatic nautical charts were neither systematic nor institutionalized activities, so those charts could not serve as reliable, safe sources of different types of information for seafarers and others for whom spatial relations in coastal, island and sea regions were of primary importance. Given the quality and quantity of hydrographical and geographical content presented in the Carta di cabotaggio del Mare Adriatico (Coasting Chart of the Adriatic Sea), it immediately became an essential source of spatial information.

Geografske osnove razvitka otoka Ugljana

The authors elaborate geographical features of the Ugljan island, the most inhabited island of the Zadar archipelago in South Croatia. The purpose of the paper, continuing former works, is to offer groundwork for future specialized and complexe researches on regional geographical problems concerning this island. The inhabitants of the island have evaluated and exploited its physicogeographical basis since prehistory, creating in this way a specific Ugljan cultural landscape. Zadar, the city closely to the island, played a decisive role in its historiogeographical development. Owing to contemporary socioeconomic development, Ugljan is, in fact a part of specific Zadar periurban zone.

Phylloxera revisited: the spread of grapevine disease in Dalmatia and its influence on socio-economic development and agricultural landscape

The paper discusses the infl uence of phylloxera on the socio-economic features and landscape of Dalmatia, a region of Croatia. The aim of the paper is to investigate the spread of phylloxera in Dalmatia and how it affected the landscape, economy and population of the area in question. The research is based on a comparative analysis of various spatial data sources. Phylloxera spread through Dalmatia in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when the region belonged to the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. Since agriculture, along with maritime activities and fishing, formed the heart of economic activities in Dalmatia, the crisis in viniculture caused by phylloxera had a particularly negative infl uence on social and economic circumstances. At the same time, changes occurred in the agrarian landscape, as many of the vineyards affected by phylloxera were never renewed ; some arable areas were reassigned to other cultures, while others were completely abandoned.

Sacred records in the landscape: the mirila of the Dalmatian hinterland

Abstract This paper discusses former burial rites which resulted in memorials known as mirila. It deals with the custom of marking a temporary resting-place while transporting a deceased person, which was prevalent in the north-eastern Adriatic hinterland, manifested in the erection of mortarless stone structures, the remains of which can still be found in the landscape. The paper considers the material and symbolic components of the cultural landscape through the phenomenon of mirila in the central parts of the Croatian Adriatic hinterland: Ravni Kotari and Bukovica. At the same time, given the complexity of natural and socio-political factors, an attempt is made to establish how the custom arose in the spatial and historical context of the region.