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What Is the History of Ugljan Island, Croatia?

Ugljan, the northernmost island of the Zadar archipelago, has been settled since prehistoric times: Liburnian hillforts, Roman farming estates, centuries under Venice, waves of refugees fleeing Ottoman-controlled Dalmatia, and a 19th-century switch from French to Austrian rule, before joining Croatia in 1918. Its skyline is still marked by the Venetian-era Fortress of St. Michael above Preko.

Who lived on Ugljan before the Romans?

The Liburnians, an Illyrian tribe, were the island's first known inhabitants, building hillfort settlements on Ugljan's high points, including Mount Sv. Mihovil, in the 4th century BC (Source: TZ Preko, official municipal tourist board). Population continuity on the island reaches back further still, to the Neolithic period (Source: Wikipedia). These hillfort remains are still visible today.

What did the Romans leave on Ugljan?

Rome colonized Ugljan from the 1st century BC, and Roman settlers built family villas (villae rusticae) across the island; around ten sets of ruins survive, with the largest at Gospodska gomila, Cape Supetar and Stivan in Muline, including the remains of a Roman mill and olive-oil processing facility (Source: TZ Preko). Roman-era field divisions (centuriation) of Ugljan's farmland remain visible in the landscape today (Source: Wikipedia).

Why is Ugljan also called "the Island of St. Michael"?

In the Middle Ages, Ugljan was known as Insula Sancti Michaelis, the Island of St. Michael, a name tied to the hilltop dedicated to the archangel above what is now Preko (Source: Wikipedia). The island's present name was first recorded in 1325 (Source: Wikipedia). Numerous small churches were built across the island during this period (Source: TZ Preko).

Who built the Fortress of St. Michael, and when?

The Venetians built the Fortress of St. Michael (Tvrđava sv. Mihovila) in the 13th century to control access to Zadar, prevent the city's fortification from being rebuilt, and protect Venetian ships and merchants sailing the channel below (Source: Night of Fortresses, Croatian heritage-promotion initiative). Standing 265 meters above Preko and Poljana, the fortress let Venice monitor and control naval traffic through the Zadar Strait and played a role during Venice's prolonged siege of Zadar in the mid-14th century. It is today a protected cultural monument of the Republic of Croatia (Source: Night of Fortresses).

What is the monastery on the islet near Preko?

A short distance offshore from Preko sits Galevac (also called Školjić), home to the Franciscan Monastery of St. Paul the Hermit. Franciscan Tertiaries settled the islet in 1446 after receiving it from the Zadar nobleman Bartol de Milano, with the arrangement confirmed by Pope Nicholas V in 1454 (Source: Općina Preko, official municipality site). The monastery church was repaired in 1516 and 1564, then consecrated in 1596 by the Bishop of Nin (Source: Općina Preko). The monastery has also served as a plague hospital at times in its history, and its collection was declared a Croatian Cultural Property in 2013 (Source: Općina Preko).

What happened on Ugljan under Venice, France and Austria?

Ugljan, like Zadar, fell under the rule of the Venetian Republic through the medieval and early modern period (Source: TZ Preko). In the 16th and 17th centuries, the island absorbed multiple waves of refugees from the Ravni Kotari region fleeing Ottoman advances (Source: Wikipedia). Zadar's noble families built summer residences on Ugljan during this era, including Dvorac Califfi, a 17th-century castle in the village of Ugljan built for the nobleman Jacobo Califfi and later known by the name of the Beršić family who managed it (Source: Wikipedia, Croatian). After Venice fell in 1797, Ugljan passed briefly to French rule in the early 19th century, then to Austrian rule until the fall of the Habsburg monarchy (Source: TZ Preko).

What happened on Ugljan in the 20th century?

With the end of the First World War, Ugljan became part of Croatia in 1918, separating it administratively from Zadar, which remained under Italian control between the world wars (Source: TZ Preko). During the Second World War, Dvorac Califfi was destroyed (Source: Wikipedia, Croatian); the municipal history page describes islanders making sacrifices to free the island from foreign rule during this period, without giving further operational detail (Source: TZ Preko). The castle was restored in 1996 and renamed Dvor Krešimir Ćosić, after the Croatian basketball player. Croatia's war of independence ran from 1991 to 1995.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How old are the earliest known settlements on Ugljan?

Liburnian hillfort settlements date to the 4th century BC, though continuous habitation on the island reaches back to the Neolithic period (Source: TZ Preko, Wikipedia).

Who built the Fortress of St. Michael above Preko?

The Venetians, in the 13th century, to control shipping traffic to Zadar and prevent the city's refortification (Source: Night of Fortresses).

What is the monastery near Preko called?

The Franciscan Monastery of St. Paul the Hermit, on the islet of Galevac (Školjić), settled by Franciscan Tertiaries from 1446 (Source: Općina Preko).

When did Ugljan become part of Croatia?

In 1918, at the end of the First World War, separating it administratively from nearby Zadar (Source: TZ Preko).

Is Ugljan's olive oil really Croatia's best?

This is a claim repeated on some travel sites and Wikipedia, not an independently verified national ranking; local producers do compete and win awards at events such as the island's own "Dani maslina" olive festival and international competitions, but no single verified source confirms a national "best in Croatia" title.

Sources

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