MEDHRID

Ottoman and Venetian architecture and urbanism in the interior of Dalmatia

The objective of the project activities carried out by Frane Prpa, Assistant, is to investigate and present the Islamic and Venetian architecture of the Dalmatian hinterland as a dynamic cultural-historical phenomenon of the Early Modern period. The project will address broader global processes such as the Ottoman expansion, the formation of Islamic-Ottoman urban spaces, Venetian–Ottoman conflicts, and the subsequent development of Venetian urban centres. Using microhistorical analyses of towns such as Drniš, Sinj, and Knin, the project will highlight the richness of architectural heritage reflecting both global civilizational currents and the formation of local identities. Previous research on these topics has been largely fragmented and has lacked an interdisciplinary approach and the integration of diverse sources (written, visual, and archaeological), making this research methodologically innovative. Archival research will be conducted in the State Archives in Zadar and Split, the archives of individual Dalmatian parishes and dioceses, as well as in the Biblioteca Marciana and the State Archives in Venice, Vienna (Österreichisches Staatsarchiv), andBelgrade (Archives of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts and the State Archives of Serbia).

Related activities

25.03.2026.

Research Conducted by Assistant Frane Prpa in Venice

As part of the MEDHRID project Assistant Frane Prpa from the Department of Art History at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Split stayed in Venice from 19 February to 19 March 2026. During his one-month stay in Venice, he conducted archival research in Archivio di Stato di Venezia, Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana,Museo Correr, …

29.11.2025.

Presentation by Assistant Frane Prpa at the scientific conference “Croatian Fortifications Through the Centuries – FORTIKON 2025.”

The conference was organized by the Institute of Art History and the public cultural institution Fortress of Culture Šibenik. Šibenik, 27–28 November 2025. This scientific conference brought together experts engaged in the study of fortification architecture in the Croatian context. The presentation by Assistant Frane Prpa, entitled “From Gradina to Meteriz – The Historical Development …