Kršan

Kršan (, ) is a village and municipality in the eastern part of Istria County, Croatia.

Description It is located in the eastern part of Istria, west of mountain Učka and south-west of Čepić field, on the state road D64 between county center Pazin (D48) and village Vozilići (D66). It is 12 km north of town Labin, and 22 km south-east of town Pazin.

The old town, medieval castle (mentioned 1274), lies on the hill, while new town and village is along the road. According to tradition, the name is derived from the rocky karst hill on which was built, , , .

Castle history

The castle is first mentioned in 1274 as Castrum Carsach, in a peace agreement between Aquileia patriarch Raimondo della Torre, and Count Albert I of Gorizia who in the conflict that started in 1268 during patriarch Gregorio di Montelongo conquered and destroyed the fortified settlement. It was abandoned until the 13th or early 14th century, when it was rebuilt by Heinrich III. Until 1374, when counts of Gorizia became extinct, it was in duality of governance, between the real masters Counts of Gorizia, and Aquileia church in which name the Counts ruled over the castle. When the counts extinct it wasn't returned to Aquleia patriarchs (the state Patria del Friuli), but was inherited by Habsburg family.

The Habsburg family gave it to their vassal Krotendorfer or Cherstlein family, who after the castle had attribute "Karscheyner", and later also acquired Šumber castle. Since then the castle is mentioned as Kršan (Kerschan). They kept it until 1631, with short interruptions when its lords were families Devinski (1388–99), Walsee (1399–1431) and Wolf (1431–36). Later as lords are mentioned de Fini, Auersperg, Rampelli, Benvenuti dell Argenti, Josip de Sussani (who found the Istrian Demarcation from 13th-14th century), then his nephew Franjo Scribani, then nobleman from Plomin Matija Tonetti, and as last Giovanni Tonetti.

From the medieval castle is well preserved the tower of quadrangular layout, while residential and defensive complex was renovated in new residential buildings. The town is entered on the east side of the completely preserved city gate, on the right hand the city defense wall leans a number of houses of which the first is the old municipal house. In the inner courtyard of the castle has been preserved foursquare frame of Gothic portal from the 15th century, and well throat with engraved year 1666. The two-nave parish church of St. Antun was built in the 17th century, and most of the church furniture dates from the 18th century. At the cemetery is nave chapel of St. Jakov from the 15th century. On the floor of the church, paved with brick and stone, are gravestones of feudal lords from the 15th, 16th and 17th century, particularly the plate from 1415 of Juraj Kršanski in a Latin epitaph inscribed with Gothic letters. In the Plomin church of St. Jurja, there is the oldest known Glagolitic inscription - the Plomin inscription.

Demographics In 2021, the municipality had 2,829 residents in the following 23 settlements:

Blaškovići, population 207 Boljevići, population 109 Čambarelići, population 145 Jesenovik, population 42 Kostrčani, population 21 Kožljak, population 160 Kršan, population 227 Lanišće, population 77 Lazarići, population 106 Letaj, population 46 Nova Vas, population 58 Plomin, population 96 Plomin Luka, population 143 Polje Čepić, population 126 Potpićan, population 449 Purgarija Čepić, population 225 Stepčići, population 36 Šušnjevica, population 74 Veljaki, population 116 Vozilići, population 224 Zagorje, population 104 Zankovci, population 9 Zatka Čepić, population 29

Municipality

Population number according census 1857 1869 1880 1890 1900 1910 1921 1931 1948 1953 1961 1971 1981 1991 2001 2011 5,244 4,922 5,360 5,533 5,885 6,177 5,944 5,972 5,110 4,804 4,665 3,820 3,293 3,424 3,206 2,951

Note: Emerged from old Labin municipality. In 1857, 1869, 1921 and 1931 part of the data is contained in municipality Pićan, and in the same time Kršan contains data od Sveta Nedelja municipality.

Village

Population number according census 1857 1869 1880 1890 1900 1910 1921 1931 1948 1953 1961 1971 1981 1991 2001 2011 1,155 964 240 229 248 303 1,292 1,357 239 223 229 187 145 221 227 238

Note: In 1857, 1869, 1921 and 1931 contains data for villages Blaškovići, Boljevići, Čamberilići, Lazarići and Veljaki.

Gallery

References

Bibliography

Sources

External links

Krsan – Chersano: “Survey about Istrian Land Boundaries (Istarski razvod)”