History of Novigrad

Source: www.histrica.com

Novigrad is a place built on a small coastal island. Due to the constant threat of various attacks and robberies, during the Roman Empire a fortificated village was built here, in other words,a Castrum a civil settlement able to defend itself named Neapolis which was written about in ancient times. In the 5th century it became the center of the diocese but also an important political and economic center. In the 6th and 7th centuries, this area was under the rule of Byzantium. In the 8th century it came under Frankish rule and experienced a boom as a central location of the feudalism which was spreading further across the peninsula. It fell under the authority of Germany from the 10th century until the end of the 12th century. The Middle Ages was a very difficult period because of frequent attacks, plague and malaria.

Venice came to power in late 13th century and remained here until the end of the 18th century. Besides progress, the arrival of Venice also brought the conflict with Genoa, whose soldiers heavily destroyed the town in the 14th century, while in the late 17th century the city was attacked by the Turkish army. The arrival of Napoleon and his troops was recorded at the beginning of the 19th century. They were soon replaced by the Habsburgs, who remained here until the early 20th century. Then again the territory changed rulers and fell under Italy. With the end of the Second World War,  Novigrad became part of Yugoslavia. Up to the Sixties its population was engaged in fishing, agriculture and industry,when it turned to a new economic branch –tourism, which today is the most important activity. In 1991, Novigrad was annexed to the independent Republic of Croatia.