Senj

Senj is an old settlement which was founded on the hill Kuk, east of the town more than 3000 years ago. In the pre-historic times under the fortificated settlement, on the place where the brook flows into the sea bay, there was a port and a trade center, a place where people coming from different directions (inland, islands and the coast) could exchange their goods.
In the 17th century, the Croats along with the Avars settled down on the ruins of the Roman Senia and they established the mediaeval settlement called Senj which in its name preserved the Roman tradition. This part of history from the 6th to the 10th century is not known. Center of the Mediaeval Croatian state was moved to the south (in Dalmatia) and Senj lost its importance. Much later, after graviting Pacta Conventa in 1102, the political power moved towards the North, Senj become once again prosperous town. It was a part of the Ugro-Croat kingdom. In 1169 the diocese was established and it clearly points on the importance of the town.
In 1184, owing to the Hungarian king Bela the 3rd who gave Senj as a present to the Templares, the order of priests and knights, the town was in their possession for the next seventy years. After the Templares, from 1271 on, Senj was ruled by the Dukes of Krk who were later renamed the Frankopans. The town became prosperous both in its economic and cultural life. A large number of sacred and profane structures were built not only in the town but in its surrounding as well.
In the Mediaeval age Senj is known for its glagolic alphabet, the Alphabet which had already been created in the 9th century for the need of the Slavs. From the 12th century on the glagolic alphabet existed only on the Croatian soil and it was particularly developed in the area of Senj. In 1248 the Bishop of Senj got permission from the Pope Innocent the 4th and become the only Bishop who was allowed to use the glagolic alphabet and the people's language in his liturgy service.
This fact influenced the development of the glagolic alphabet during the 14th and 15th centuries so we have many glagolian stone boards and hand written books and documents. A glagolic printing press was established in Senj in 1494, which was one of the earliest printing press houses in southeast Europe. Two incunabues "The Glagolic Missal" and "Spovid opcena" were printed at that time.