Novalja () is a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

on the north of the island of Pag in the

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

n part of the

Adriatic Sea The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Se ...

. In recent times, Novalja has become famous because of the Zrće Beach.

History

The earliest settlers on the island were an Illyrian tribe that came to the region in the

Bronze Age The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...

; traces of their settlement can still be seen around Pag. In the 1st century BC, the Romans took possession and left numerous archeological and cultural artifacts. Novalja is the successor of a Roman city called Cissa, which many scholars consider to be the seat of an ancient Christian

bishopric In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...

of that name. Others prefer to identify the sea with an island city of the same name in

Istria Istria ( ; Croatian language, Croatian and Slovene language, Slovene: ; Italian language, Italian and Venetian language, Venetian: ; ; Istro-Romanian language, Istro-Romanian: ; ; ) is the largest peninsula within the Adriatic Sea. Located at th ...

, close to present-day Rovinj. A bishop of Cissa named Vindemius took part in some year between 571 and 577 in a

schism A schism ( , , or, less commonly, ) is a division between people, usually belonging to an organization, movement, or religious denomination. The word is most frequently applied to a split in what had previously been a single religious body, suc ...

atic synod in Grado called by Patriarch Elias of Aquileia. Arrested by the Exarch of Ravenna, he was forced to abjure his views on the controversy of the Three Chapters, but once free from

Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived History of the Roman Empire, the events that caused the ...

control, he reaffirmed his position and took part in another schismatic synod in 590. A bishop of Cissa called Ursinus took part in a synod at Rome in 680 and signed the acts. Soon after, Cissa ceased to exist, perhaps because of an earthquake. No longer a residential bishopric, Cissa is today listed by the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

as a

titular see A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular metropolitan" (highest rank), "titular archbi ...

.''Annuario Pontificio 2013'' (Libreria Editrice Vaticana 2013 ), p. 870 The

Croats The Croats (; , ) are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and other neighboring countries in Central Europe, Central and Southeastern Europe who share a common Croatian Cultural heritage, ancest ...

arrived in the 7th century, and settled there, along with the great migration. For some time, the island was under the rule of the Croatian kingdom. Yet the island was constantly fought over, and in the 11th and 12th centuries, was divided between the communities of Rab and

Zadar Zadar ( , ), historically known as Zara (from Venetian and Italian, ; see also other names), is the oldest continuously inhabited city in Croatia. It is situated on the Adriatic Sea, at the northwestern part of Ravni Kotari region. Zadar ...

. Novalja was given to the community and diocese of Rab by Croatian King Petar Krešimir IV. From the 12th to 14th centuries, Novalja, along with other

Dalmatia Dalmatia (; ; ) is a historical region located in modern-day Croatia and Montenegro, on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea. Through time it formed part of several historical states, most notably the Roman Empire, the Kingdom of Croatia (925 ...

n towns and islands, was fiercely contested between the

Republic of Venice The Republic of Venice, officially the Most Serene Republic of Venice and traditionally known as La Serenissima, was a sovereign state and Maritime republics, maritime republic with its capital in Venice. Founded, according to tradition, in 697 ...

and the Croatian-Hungarian rulers. For four centuries, from the start of the 15th century, it was held by Venice until Venice lost its independence.

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

and

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

then fought over the Dalmatian area, and victory was won by the Austrians. The island passed from Austria to the

Kingdom of Yugoslavia The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a country in Southeast Europe, Southeast and Central Europe that existed from 1918 until 1941. From 1918 to 1929, it was officially called the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, but the term "Yugoslavia" () h ...

after

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

and then to the

Independent State of Croatia The Independent State of Croatia (, NDH) was a World War II–era puppet state of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy (1922–1943), Fascist Italy. It was established in parts of Axis occupation of Yugoslavia, occupied Yugoslavia on 10 April 1941, ...

(1941–1945). After the Second World War, it returned to Yugoslavia, and when this broke up, it became part of the new state of

. Unusually, the island is divided between two counties, with Novalja and Stara Novalja being part of the northern Lika-Senj County.

Population

Villages

* Caska * Gajac * Jakišnica * Kustići * Lun * Metajna * Novalja * Potočnica * Stara Novalja * Vidalići * Zubovići

Gallery

File:Pogled iz Novalje.jpg File:U Novalji 2021.jpg File:Spomenik u Novalji.jpg File:Crkva u Novalji.jpg File:Crkva u Novalji 2021.jpg File:St.-Catherine's-church-in-Novalja.jpg File:Hrvatski grad Novalja.jpg File:NOVALJA.jpg File:Caska - plaža.3.jpg File:Dr. Franjo Tuđman - poprsje u Novalji.2.jpg File:Riva u Novalji, otok Pag.jpg

References

Bibliography

Biology

External links

* {{Authority control Cities and towns in Croatia Pag (island) Populated places in Lika-Senj County Populated coastal places in Croatia Cities in ancient Illyria Illyrian Croatia Catholic titular sees in Europe Former Roman Catholic dioceses in Croatia