Šibenik (Croatian: [ʃîbeniːk] ⓘ), historically known as Sebenico (Italian: [sebe

ˈniːko]), is a historic city in Croatia, located in central Dalmatia, where the

river Krka flows into the Adriatic Sea. Šibenik is a political, educational,
transport, industrial and tourist center of Šibenik-Knin County, and is also the
third-largest city in the Dalmatian region. As of 2011, the city has 34,302
inhabitants, while the municipality has 46,332 inhabitants.[4]

History
Etymology
There are multiple interpretations of how Šibenik was named. In his fifteenth
century book De situ Illiriae et civitate Sibenici, Juraj Šižgorić describes the
name and location of Šibenik. He attributes the name of the city to it being
surrounded by a palisade made of šibe (sticks, singular being šiba).[5] Another
interpretation is associated with the forest through the Latin toponym "Sibinicum",
which covered a narrower microregion within Šibenik on and around the area of St.
Michael's Fortress.[6]

Early history
Unlike other cities along the Adriatic coast, which were established by Greeks,
Illyrians and Romans, Šibenik was founded by Croats.[7] Excavations of the castle
of St. Michael, have since proven that the place was inhabited long before the
actual arrival of the Croats. It was mentioned for the first time under its present
name in 1066 in a Charter of the Croatian King Petar Krešimir IV[7] and, for a
period of time, it was a seat of this Croatian King. For that reason, Šibenik is
also called "Krešimirov grad" (Krešimir's city).

Between the 11th and 12th centuries, Šibenik was tossed back and forth among
Venice, Byzantium, and Hungary. It was conquered by the Republic of Venice in 1116,
[8] who held it until 1124, when they briefly lost it to the Byzantine Empire,[9]
and then held it again until 1133 when it was retaken by the Kingdom of Hungary.
[10] It would change hands among the aforementioned states several more times until
1180.

The city was given the status of a town in 1167 from Stephen III of Hungary.[11] It
received its own diocese in 1298.[7]

Under Venice and the Habsburgs

The city, like the rest of Dalmatia, initially resisted the Venetian Republic, but
it was taken over after a three-year war in 1412.[7] Under Venetian rule, Šibenik
became in 1412 the seat of the main customs office and the seat of the salt
consumers office with a monopoly on the salt trade in Chioggia and on the whole
Adriatic Sea.

In August 1417, Venetian authorities were concerned with the "Morlachs and other
Slavs" from the hinterland, that were a threat to security in Šibenik.[12] The
Ottoman Empire started to threaten Šibenik (known as Sebenico), as part of their
struggle against Venice, at the end of the 15th century,[8] but they never
succeeded in conquering it. In the 16th century, St. Nicholas Fortress was built
and, by the 17th century, its fortifications were improved again by the fortresses
of St. John (Tanaja) and Šubićevac (Barone).

Early 16th century map of Šibenik by Martino Rota.

The Morlachs started settling Šibenik during the Cretan War (1645–69).[13]

The fall of the Republic of Venice in 1797 brought Sebenico under the authority of
the Habsburg monarchy.[8]
After the Congress of Vienna until 1918, the town was (again) part of the Austrian
monarchy (Austria side after the compromise of 1867), head of the district of the
same name, one of the 13 Bezirkshauptmannschaften in Kingdom of Dalmatia.[14] The
Italian name Sebenico only was used until around 1871.

In 1872, at the time in the Kingdom of Dalmatia, Ante Šupuk became the town's first
Croat mayor elected under universal suffrage. He was instrumental in the process of
the modernization of the city, and is particularly remembered for the 1895 project
to provide street lights powered by the early AC Jaruga Hydroelectric Power Plant.
On 28 August 1895, Šibenik became the world's first city with alternating current-
powered street lights.[15]

20th century
During World War I, the Austro-Hungarian navy used the port facilities here, and
the light cruisers and destroyers which escaped the Allied force after the battle
of Cape Rodoni (or Gargano) returned to safety here, where some battleships were
based.[16] After the war Šibenik was occupied by the Kingdom of Italy until 12 June
1921. As a result of the Treaty of Rapallo, the Italians gave up their claim to the
city and it became a part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. After the
World War I, the exodus of the Dalmatian Italians from the city began.[17] During
World War II, Šibenik was annexed by Italy and was part of the Italian Governorate
of Dalmatia from 1941 to 1943 being part of the province of Zara. Communist
partisans liberated Šibenik on 3 November 1944.

Šibenik's Borgo di Terra (land-side borough) in 1907 - today's Poljana. In the

foreground the National Theatre and in the background the Fortress (Tvrđava sv.
Mihovila/Castel vecchio).
After World War II it became a part of the SFR Yugoslavia until Croatia declared
independence in 1991.

During the Croatian War of Independence (1991–95), Šibenik was heavily attacked by
the Yugoslav People's Army and Serbian paramilitary troops.[8][better source
needed] Although under-armed, the nascent Croatian army and the people of Šibenik
managed to defend the city. The battle lasted for six days (16–22 September), often
referred to as the "September battle". The bombings damaged numerous buildings and
monuments, including the dome of the Šibenik Cathedral of St James and the 1870-
built theatre building.

In an August 1995 military operation, the Croatian Army defeated the Serb forces
and reconquered the occupied areas,[8] which allowed the region to recover from the
war and continue to develop as the centre of Šibenik-Knin county. Since then, the
damaged areas of the city have been fully restored.

Climate
Šibenik has a mediterranean climate (Csa), with mild, humid winters and hot, dry
summers. January and February are the coldest months, July and August are the
hottest months. In July the average maximum temperature is around 30 °C (86 °F).
The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Csa" (Mediterranean
Climate).[18]

Climate data for Šibenik

Main sights
Main article: Šibenik Cathedral
The central church in Šibenik, the Šibenik Cathedral of St James, is on the UNESCO
World Heritage list.

Several successive architects built it completely in stone between 1431 and 1536,
[7] both in Gothic and in Renaissance style. The interlocking stone slabs of the
cathedral's roof were damaged when the city was shelled by Yugoslav forces in 1991.
The damage has since been repaired.

Fortifications in Šibenik
Cathedral of St. James
Šibenik Cathedral of St James
Location Šibenik, Croatia
Built 1431-1536
Architectural style(s) Renaissance
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Type Cultural
Criteria i, ii, iv
Designated 2000 (24th Session)
Reference no. 963
Region Europe and North America
St. Nicholas Fortress
St. Nicholas Fortress
Location Šibenik, Croatia
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Type Cultural
Criteria iii, iv
Designated 2017 (41 Session)
Part of Venetian Works of Defence between 15th and 17th centuries: Stato da
Terra – western Stato da Mar
Reference no. 1533
Region Europe and North America
Main article: St. Nicholas Fortress
In the city of Šibenik there are four fortresses, each of which has views of the
city, sea and nearby islands. The fortresses are now tourist sightseeing
destinations.

St. Nicholas Fortress (Croatian: Tvrđava Sv. Nikole) is a fortress located on the
island of Ljuljevac, at the entrance to the St. Anthony Channel, across from the
Jadrija beach lighthouse. It is included in UNESCO's World Heritage Site list as
part of Venetian Works of Defence between 15th and 17th centuries: Stato da Terra –
western Stato da Mar in 2017.[20]
St. Michael's Fortress in historic town centre
St. John Fortress
Barone Fortress
Natural heritage
Roughly 18 kilometres (11 mi) north of the city is the Krka National Park, similar
to the Plitvice Lakes National Park, known for its many waterfalls, flora, fauna,
and historical and archaeological remains.
The Kornati archipelago, west of Šibenik, consists of 150 islands in a sea area of
about 320 km2 (124 sq mi), making it the densest archipelago in the Mediterranean
Sea.[21]
Culture
The composer Jakov Gotovac founded the city's "Philharmonia Society" in 1922. The
19th century composer Franz von Suppé was part of the city's cultural fabric, as he
was a native of nearby Split.

Each summer, a number of concerts and events take place in the city, many of them
in the St. Michael Fortress. Also, starting in 2016 on a nearby island of Obonjan
(6 kilometres (3.7 miles) southwest of the city), an annual music, art, health and
workshop festival is being held.

The annual Šibenik International Children's Festival (Međunarodni Dječji Festival)

takes place every summer and hosts children's workshops, plays and other
activities. From 2011 to 2013 the Terraneo festival (music festival) was held in
August on a yearly basis on a former military area in Šibenik, and since 2014
Šibenik (and other nearby towns) are the home of its spiritual successor Super Uho
festival. Šibenik hosts the Dalmatian Chanson Evenings festival (Večeri Dalmatinske
Šansone), held in the second half of August.[22]

View of southern Šibenik from St. Michael's fortress

Sports
As famous sports town, Šibenik is the hometown of many successful athletes:
Aleksandar Petrović, Dražen Petrović, Perica Bukić, Ivica Žurić, Predrag Šarić,
Dario Šarić, Vanda Baranović-Urukalo, Danira Nakić, Nik Slavica, Miro Bilan, Dražan
Jerković, Petar Nadoveza, Krasnodar Rora, Dean Računica, Mladen Pralija, Ante
Rukavina, Duje Ćaleta-Car, Mile Nakić, Franko Nakić, Siniša Belamarić, Renato
Vrbičić, Ivica Tucak, Andrija Komadina, Miro Jurić, Antonio Petković, Neven
Spahija, Antonija Sandrić, Mate Maleš, Stipe Bralić, Franco Jelovčić, Nives Radić,
Karmela Makelja, and many others.

Basketball
The famous multi-purpose Baldekin Sports Hall was the home arena of KK Šibenik, the
famous basketball club which played in the final of the FIBA Korać Cup twice, as
well as in the final of the 1982–83 Yugoslav league championship. The team was led
by then 19-year-old Dražen Petrović.[23]

The women's basketball club, ŽKK Šibenik, is among the most successful women's
basketball clubs in Croatia, winning the Yugoslav league title in 1991, Yugoslav
Cup title twice, Croatian league title four times, Croatian Cup four times,
Adriatic league five times, and the Vojko Herksel Cup four times.[24]

The dissolved men's basketball club, Jolly Jadranska banka, played in the play-offs
semifinals of the Croatian league championship twice, as well as in the Krešimir
Ćosić Cup final game in the 2016–17 season.[25][26]

The biggest success of GKK Šibenka, a club founded in 2010 following the
dissolution of the famous KK Šibenik, came in the 2016–17 Croatian league
championship season, when the club played the play-offs semifinals against
powerhouse Cibona Zagreb.[27] Šibenka lost to Cibona in the semifinals.[28]

Football
Šubićevac stadium, which is located in the neighbourhood of the same name, has been
the home ground of the HNK Šibenik football club, which had played many years in
the Yugoslav Second League, and later many years in the Croatian First League. In
the 2009–10 season, the club played in the Croatian Cup final, which they lost to
powerhouse Hajduk Split. As of 2021, the club again competes in the Croatian First
League.

Water polo
The dissolved water polo club, VK Šibenik, is considered[by whom?] to be one of the
best men's clubs in former Yugoslavia, winning the second place in the 1986–87
domestic league season. It also played in the LEN Euro Cup final game of the 2006–
07 season, but lost to Sintez Kazan, as well as the club played in the LEN
Champions League in the 2008–09 season, led both times by Ivica Tucak, today the
head coach of the senior men's Croatian national team.

Croatian water polo internationals, Perica Bukić and Renato Vrbičić, are Olympic
medalists. They won gold medals at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. Ivica Tucak
has been the most successful coach of the senior men's Croatian national team ever.