Metković

Metković
City
Metković Old Town
Metković Location of Metković in Croatia
Coordinates: 43°03′N 17°39′E / 43.05°N 17.65°ECoordinates: 43°03′N 17°39′E / 43.05°N 17.65°E
Country	Croatia
County	Dubrovnik-Neretva
Government
• Mayor	Katarina Ujdur (Most)
Population (2011)[1]
• City	16,788
• Urban	15,329
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)

Metković (Italian: Porto Narenta ) is a city in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County of Croatia, located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the river Neretva and on the border with Herzegovina.

Demographics

The total population of the city (municipality) is 16,788 inhabitants (2011), in the following settlements:^[1]

• Dubravica, population 90
• Glušci, population 76
• Metković, population 15,329
• Prud, population 497
• Vid, population 796

In the census of 2011, the absolute majority of its citizens (96.80%) were Croats.^[2]

History

Church of Saint Elijah

The city was first mentioned in a 1422 court document as a small farming town. It remained this way until the nineteenth century. During this period the city found renewed investment from the country's Austrian rulers. With the arrival of the area's first post office and school, as well as the increase of trade with the Ottoman Empire, the city began to flourish. In 1875 Emperor Francis Joseph I visited the city.

Metković is located near the ancient Roman settlement of Narona (today Vid). Narona was established as a Roman trading post, after Rome's successful war ^[3] (Illyrian Wars) with the neighboring Illyrian tribe Daors (ruins of their main city are located near Stolac), and successfully grew until the 3rd century AD. After that it went on a steady decline especially after a large 4th-century AD earthquake. Upon the arrival of Slavonic tribes in the mid-6th century AD, the city of Narona was abandoned with most parts being covered under silt that was carried by the river Neretva. Only minor excavations were done, most of them being concentrated on the location of Vid. One of the city's landmarks is its Church of St. Elijah, the city's patron saint.^[4]

Education

Metković has the following education facilities:

• Primary schools:
  • Stjepan Radić Primary school (Croatian Osnovna škola Stjepan Radić)^[5]
  • Don Mihovil Pavlinović Primary school (Croatian Osnovna škola don Mihovil Pavlinović)^[6]
• Secondary schools:
  • Metković High School^[7]
  • Metković Gymnasium (classical high school)^[8]

For tertiary education students need to move to another city, the most common destinations are: Dubrovnik (business, management, accounting, music), Split (sciences, management, accounting), Zagreb (music, arts, sciences, applied sciences, engineering, architecture, education, humanities, management, accounting, business), Zadar (humanities, education, early childhood education) and Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Notable people

Church msgr. Marin Barišić, Metropolitan Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Split-Makarska msgr. Josip Marija Carević (1883-1945), bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Dubrovnik and Titular bishop of Aristium father Ante Gabrić, (1915-1988). Candidate for Sainthood, professed Priest of the Jesuits in India don Radovan 'Rade' Jerković (1900-1950), Priest, writer, Christian martyr dr. fr. Stanko Petrov (1887-1963), writer, professor, educator msgr. Petar Rajič, Titular bishop of Sarsenterum and Apostolic nuncio in Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrein dr. sci. msgr. Fabijan Veraja (1923-2014), retired deputy secretary of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints at the Vatican msgr. Martin Vidović, Titular bishop of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Nona and Apostolic nuncio u Belarus dr. don Mile Vidović, director of the Archdiocesan Classical Gymnasium "Don Frane Bulić" in Split Medicine doc. dr. Mladen Bušić, doctor prof. dr. sc. Nikica Gabrić, doctor ophthalmologist dr. Aleksandar 'Saša' Gopčević, doctor dr. Nela Sršen, doctor, Honorary Consul of the Republic of Croatia in Italy Music prof. Vidoslav 'Vido' Bagur, folklorist Dragan 'Fudo' Brnas, singer, studio musician and music arranger Tereza Gabrić, singer [9] Nikola Jerković, singer and music arranger Goran 'Gogo' Martinac, music editor, arranger and producer, Porin award winner Jurica Popović, musician, lyrics writer, composer, Gracia member Milana Vlaović, writer and music producer Matija 'Francika' Vuica, fashion designer and singer of the Gracia rock band Spaček music band Gracia Literature, Theater, Art Živan Bjelovučić (1927-2007), academic sculptor and artist Obrad Gluščević (1913-1980), film director Ivo Knezović, set designer and architect Dragan Marijanović, literate Tomislav Martić, actor Ivo Marević, actor Radovan Marušić (1932-2008), literate, set and costumr designer Damir Mejovšek (1933-2006), actor Lajla Mišur-Volarević, painter [10] Dragana Nuić-Vučković, painter [11] Ivan Slamnig (1930-2001), poet Martin Tomić film editor, professor on Academy of Dramatic Art, University of Zagreb Dunja Vučičević-Ljubičić, painter.[12] Stojan Vučičević (1941-1989), poet Nikola Vučković, sculptor.[13] Vera Zima, actor

Sport Andrija Anković (1937-1980), football (soccer) player, gold olympic medallist 1960 Željko Babić, handball player, Croatian national team player and head-coach, bronze olympic medallist 2012 as assistant coach. Ivica Barbarić, football (soccer) player, Yugoslavia national team member at the 1988 Summer Olympics Hrvoje Batinović, Croatian national team player in handball Goran Čarapina, Croatian national team player in handball Patrik 'Pako' Ćavar, Croatian national team player in handball, gold olympic medallist 1996 Ivan Čupić, Croatian national team player in handball, bronze olympic medallist 2012 Davor Dominiković, Croatian national team player in handball, gold olympic medallist 2004 Slavko 'Keta' Goluža, handball coach, Croatian national team player and head-coach, double gold olympic medallist 1996 and 2004 as player, and bronze olympic medallist 2012 as head coach. Sergej Jakirović, Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team player Vladimir 'Mana' Jelčić, Croatian national team player in handball, gold olympic medallist 1996, handball coach Dragan 'Jera' Jerković, Croatian national team player in handball Nikša 'Kina' Kaleb, Croatian national team player in handball, gold olympic medallist 2004 Mišo Krstičević, Yugoslavia national football team player Ante 'Čiko' Martinac (1944- 2006), Croatian First Football League commissioner Juraj Nikolac, chess grandmaster Frane Nonković, Yugoslavia men's national water polo team player, silver olympic medallist 1964 Ivica 'Linci' Obrvan, Croatian national team player in handball, handball coach and headcoach Ante Pavlović, general secretary of the Croatian Football Federation and Football Association of Yugoslavia, GNK Dinamo Zagreb director Ilija Puljević, handball player, Croatian national team head-coach Bruno Sorić, rower, bronze olympic medallist 1924 Darijo Srna, Croatia national football team player and captain Igor Štimac, Croatia national football team player and head coach, president of the Union of professional clubs in Croatian First Football League Mate Šunjić, Croatian national team player in handball Mate Trojanović, rower, gold olympic medallist 1952 Hrvoje Vejić, Croatia national football team player Other Branka Bebić Krstulović, Miss Croatia Luka Bebić, President of Croatian Parliament and former Minister of Defence Ana Bebić, singer and participant in Operacija trijumf Filip Dragović, Deputy Minister of Interior Pero Gabrić (1932-2013), journalist Stipe 'Jambo' Gabrić, former mayor of Metković and Member of the Croatian Parliament prof. dr. Martin Glamuzina, University professor Miljenko Grgić (aka Mike Grgich), California vintner dr. Ivan Jurić, historian and teacher mr.sc. Radomir Jurić, University professor Damir Magaš, scientist, geographist, first rector of the University of Zadar prof. dr. sc. Ilija Manenica, University professor Stanko Marević - Prpić, National Heroes of Yugoslavia in the Second World War dr. Đuro Njavro, University professor mr. sc. Marija Obad, University professor general-major Mate Obradović, Minister of Defence Chief inspector Božo Petrov, Croatian politician and psychiatrist who serves as Deputy Prime Minister in the cabinet of Prime Minister Tihomir Orešković, former mayor of Metković Krešo Rakić, National Heroes of Yugoslavia in the Second World War prof. dr. sc. Davor Romić, dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb and Minister of Agriculture Pera and Stanko Šiljeg, Righteous Among the Nations (posthumously)[14] Ante Šprlje, Minister of Justice

See also

• Dalmatia

References

1. "Population by Age and Sex, by Settlements, 2011 Census: Metković". Census of Population, Households and Dwellings 2011. Zagreb: Croatian Bureau of Statistics. December 2012.
2. "Population by Ethnicity, by Towns/Municipalities, 2011 Census: County of Dubrovnik-Neretva". Census of Population, Households and Dwellings 2011. Zagreb: Croatian Bureau of Statistics. December 2012.
3. Wilkes, J. J. The Illyrians, 1992, ISBN 0-631-19807-5
4. "Metković". Metkovic.hr. Retrieved 2015-11-29.
5. "OS Stjepana Radića". Ossradica-metkovic.hr. Retrieved 2015-11-29.
6. Archived February 20, 2006, at the Wayback Machine.
7. "Srednja škola Metković - Naslovnica". Ssmetkovic.hr. Retrieved 2015-11-29.
8. Archived February 12, 2006, at the Wayback Machine.
9. "Tereza Gabric". Metkovic.hr. Retrieved 2015-11-29.
10. "Lajla". Metkovic.hr. Retrieved 2015-11-29.
11. "Dragana Nuic-Vuckocic". Metkovic.hr. Retrieved 2015-11-29.
12. Archived June 7, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
13. "Vučković". Metkovic.hr. Retrieved 2015-11-29.
14. Pravednici među narodima: Pera i Stanko Šiljeg

External links

• Official website (Croatian)
• Metkovic NEWs