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Hreljin Castle

Buildings and structures in Primorje-Gorski Kotar CountyCastles in CroatiaCroatian castle stubs
Hreljin gradina 110208 1
Hreljin gradina 110208 1

Hreljin Castle (Croatian: Gradina Hreljin) is a fortress and castle near Hreljin, Croatia. It is located in the western part of Vinodol, in the hill above Bakarac, which served as its seaport. Hreljin is first mentioned in historical sources in 1225, when the Frankopan noblemen received it as a gift from the Croatian-Hungarian king Andrew II. It is one of the nine towns that signed the Vinodol Codex, one of the oldest Slavic codes, in 1288. After the Frankopans, it was owned by another noblemen family, the Zrinskis, from 1550 until the execution of Zrinskis and Frankopans in 1671. When Bakar was declared a Royal free city in 1778, Hreljin was under its rule, but already decaying. The last inhabitants were three priests who abandoned it in 1790. The old town of Hreljin was surrounded by defensive walls, which had two towers and two gates. The castle, probably the oldest part of the fortified settlement, was at the highest point of the hill, facing the Bakar Bay. A single-nave church of St. George was in the center of the settlement and had a bell tower attached to it. Next to the ruins of the church stands the Chapel of the Blessed Virgin Mary, dedicated in 1701.

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Hreljin Castle
D501, Grad Bakar

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Latitude Longitude
N 45.274 ° E 14.602 °
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D501
51241 Grad Bakar
Croatia
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Hreljin gradina 110208 1
Hreljin gradina 110208 1
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Drivenik Castle
Drivenik Castle

Drivenik Castle (Croatian: Gradina Drivenik) is a castle in the hinterland of Crikvenica and Novi Vinodolski, in the northern part of the Adriatic coast, western Croatia. The castle of Drivenik is first mentioned in 1228 as one of the co-signers of the Vinodol Code. It is near the village of Drivenik in the Vinodol region, on a high point named "Glavica", 181 metres (594 ft) above sea level. The castle sits in front of the mountain range called ‘Križišće’ opposite Driveničko polje (Drivenik field). It is in a small village of Drivenik, near a larger village of Tribalj, around 8 kilometres (5 mi) from Crikvenica. From the 13th century the castle was the seat of the district administration, and upon the arrival of the Frankopans, their deputy Dragoljub resided there in 1288. In the 16th century (1571 based on an inscription on its walls) the castle was expanded in size and in the style of Renaissance fortresses it received round towers on its corners. Then in 1577, the castle was ruled by the noble family Zrinski. The construction of the road in 1746 linked Drivenik to Novi Vinodolski and Bakar. This allowed the inhabitants to move from the hilltop down into the valley where present day Drivenik village developed along the roadway. Ultimately the castle was abandoned as an active settlement, only the church of Sveti Dujam (St. Domnius) and its cemetery remained as active properties. Near the castle is the chapel of St. Stephen, built probably at the end of the 16th century with its tower containing three bells. The church has three building phases: Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque. The church originally contained a late Gothic period 'Pieta' sculpture titled the "Mourning of Christ" and a Baroque period wood carved "Golden Altar". Today both are in the Museum of Art and Crafts in Zagreb. The chapel of St. Martin is situated at the cemetery. It has Baroque frescoes dating from the 18th century. On its wall is a fresco "Taken down from the Cross". There is the Way of the Cross with four shrines near the cemetery and at its end Calvary is marked with three high crosses dating from 1768. The cemetery also contains a monument to fallen fighters from World War II. The parish church of Sveti Dujam (St. Domnius) contains three naves and a bell-tower in the front. Originally it was built with one nave, without the open bell-tower. Sveti Dujam's bell tower was built in 1806 and the entrance beneath the bell tower was constructed in 1846. The sanctuary was decorated by Anton Cej in 1894 when the main marble altar was constructed. The church floor contains burial vaults with the remains of a prominent local family Klarić (Gaspar 1653 and Marko 1753). The church underwent partial restoration in 1968. In the nearby town of Drivenik, a monument has been erected to the famous Croatian miniaturist J.J. Klović (Julio Clovio).