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Church of Saint Stephen and “Cergan”

Location: DOBRINJ, N 45 07.866, E 14 36.199

Modern times still do not have an answer to the question: how it happened that the wooden porch in front of the Dobrinj Church of Saint Stephen (Crkva Svetog Stjepana) was built there in that particular shape and bearing that unusual name, cergan. A word possibly from the Turkish or some other language remains an enigma associated to this, yet another in the series of Dobrinj attractions. The three-nave (originally one-nave) Dobrinj Parish Church mentioned already in 1100 is characterised by a combination of the Baroque and Late Gothic styles. Its altar painting called the Coronation of Mary (Krunjenje Majke Božje) was proclaimed a cultural monument.

Traditional measures

Location: DOBRINJ, N 45 07.838, E 14 36.197

Stone steps lead from Placa to Jardin. Next to the steps, you will surely notice two ‘openings’ and a stone figure that will remind you of a horse. And you are right. It is a horse’s head that is in fact a bearing support for the parts of the building. We do not know whose balcony or ‘balatura’ was decorated by this horse’s head, but the oral legend says that, during the Venetian administration, it used to serve as a measure of length (‘lakat’ or 63.5 cm). The two ‘openings’, as we have previously called them, are in fact traditional measures of wheat and oil, which were used to pay taxes during and after the Venetian administration.

Bell – Tower

Location: DOBRINJ, N 45 07.845, E 14 36.186

The legend says that when the Dobrinj tower was built, evil tongues put a curse on the future building, saying that it was predestined to be under constant threat of caving in. It was struck by lightning twice, entirely demolished in the Second World War and attacked by the Uskoks once. This proves that the curse put on the bell-tower was active. In addition to being mysterious, almost mystical, the bell-tower of Dobrinj is specific in that it is not located next to the parish church and in that ‘it does not stretch on one terrain only’ (‘niti se prostire na jednom terenu’). One part of it stands at the entrance to Zemjina, a viewing spot, and the other in the park of Dobrinj forever known as Jardin. After enjoying a panoramic view from Zemjina, take a walk along Jardin where Vladimir Nazor, a great Croatian literary writer, and the wonderful, unfortunate woman of Vrbnik, Marija Parčić, used to stroll at the beginning of the 20th century.

Maskeron

Location: DOBRINJ, N 45 07.830, E 14 36.225

The stone flock of sparrows (locally known as ‘pinkuzići’), which will take you to Jardin, is of a more recent date compared to Maskeron (a man’s head made of stone) found on the opposite side of Placa. It was created in 1738 by the hands and chisel of an anonymous artist. Until today, no one has come even close to finding out who the artist was or what inspired him to create this work.

Tunere

Location: Šilo, N 45 09.015, E 14 35.972

From the time of the old Phoenicians to the modern era, they have more or less preserved the same type of construction and the same intended use, and are especially found across the Northern Adriatic Region. Tunere or wooden observation posts with ladders evoke the memory of the days when tuna fishing was one of the primary fishing activities. A successful catch of tuna guaranteed good earnings, and during world wars it literally provided sustenance for the local population. If only ‘tunere’ could talk. Just imagine how many stories about lives saved and hungry mouths fed the ‘tunera’ on the Šilo Cape (Punta Šila) could tell.

Frane and Lijana

Location: Soline, N 45 11.514, E 14 36.950

Every love story has its beginning and its end, and every end is a new beginning. Who would have though that the sad end of a love story would be the beginning of a legend which would be imparting the strength of true love for several centuries?! Frane and Lijana, just like Romeo and Juliet, were not allowed to legalise their relationship due to social norms and status differences. While running away from those who were against the young couple’s romantic relationship, Frane and Lijana found their eternal resting place in the ‘azure tomb’ (‘modri grob’). The legend about the unfortunate newlyweds later became the topic of folk songs. An anonymous folk artist also carved the images of Frane and Lijana on one cliff close to Rudine. It’s worth seeing and imagining.

Perilo

Location: Soline, N 45 09.016, E 14 35.971

It was rightfully proclaimed a source of livelihood. Numerous girls and women tried to earn their living using it but it often happened that they would lose their lives in the freezing cold or the scorching heat. Perila were washing places used daily by the hard-labouring women (‘težakinje’), where they had to break ice during the winter and wait for precious drops during the summer. One such perilo can be seen today in the centre of Ćižići or as the locals would call it ‘perilo pod topol’ (a perilo under the poplar-tree). At the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, young men going to America in search of a better life made their romantic promises to their chosen ones exactly under that poplar-tree (‘pod topolon’)!

Measure for wood

Location: Soline, N 45 09.052, E 14 36.561

Necessity is the best teacher, goes the old saying. The people who earned a living for themselves and their families by selling wood for heating in Rijeka, Crikvenica, etc. probably lived by it as well. Many of those ‘shippers’ were unalphabets, i.e. illiterates. They were wise nevertheless: in order to avoid being cheated during a trade-off, they had a ‘mould’ made for the so-called ‘islander’s wood measuring tape’ (‘bodulski metar drva’). As many meters, that many coins and later bills! You can witness a part of that history at one of the departing points of the former merchants, i.e. on the waterfront (pier) in Soline.

Anchor

Location: Šilo, N 45 08.812, E 14 39.851

A reminder of one of the largest maritime catastrophes in the Adriatic Region has been preserved both on the land and in the sea. We are referring to the already mentioned ship called Peltastis which is forever anchored at the bottom of the sea. There is a part of it, however, that bears witness to the ship’s tragic fate that is visible in the daylight. We are speaking of the anchor of the Peltastis which has been pulled out from the shipwreck and now stands as if trying to say: ‘One must sail nevertheless’ (‘Ploviti se ipak mora’).

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