History

Arb - Arba - Arva - Arbia - Aritana - Rab

Although the first records about Rab we can find among the antique writers, it is for sure that a life existed even before this time. It is confirmed by the late Paleolithic tools, found within the Lopar area. In other words, they prove that the Paleolithic man used to live here.

Today’s Lika and the place of Rab start to develop at the time of the settlement of Libum people, who came in the end of the Neolithic Age, and during whose time the Neolithic followers dismissed the Libum people

In the record of the Greek and Roman geographers, you can find the oldest information about Rab. There, Rab was mentioned was known as Arba, Arva, Arbia, Aritana.

As presumed, in the translation of the Indo-European roots, ARB could mean stern, dark, wooded, just as Rab is today.

The Slavene Croats adjusted this name to the spirit of their language, transforming it into RAB.

The oldest known document, in which we can find the Croatian name Rab, is the Latin document about the establishment of the Monastery of St. Euphemia.

This document is kept at that monastery and has been made in XV. Century

St. Christopher – the protector of the Island of Rab

According to the legend, after the death of the King of Krešimir IV,people from Rab were overtaken by a great disaster. On the 14th of April, 1075; Rab was besieged by Italian Norman vessels.

Helpless to defend themselves from the outnumbered and better armed enemy, people from Rab (Rabans) called for help their protector – St. Christopher, in a way that they have showed his head on city walls in special ceremony.

On the 9th of May, Nomads walked away, without seizing the city. Since then, people from Rab (Rabans) even today have celebrated this day, and have considered St. Christopher as their protector

St. Christopher accounts also for two victories in the beginning of 12th century, and against the attacks from Hungarians and Croats.

The history of the Island (the rulers of Rab):

Until the year 228 B.C. – Liburnia/Iliria, Greeks (Dionysus older and Dionysus younger)
II. Century B.C – Rab is conquered by Romans
From the III. Century B.C. to VI. Century A.D.– The Roman Empire, The Western Roman Empire ( The Emperor Octavian Augustus – year 27 B.C.- gives the City the status of Municipium, i.e. a city with autonomous city government)
From 493 to 544 –The Eastern Gothic State ( Kings: Theodoric and Totila)
From the year 544 to IX century – Byzantium (The time of Slavic arrival)
From IX to X century – under administration of the Croatian princes, Byzantium and the king Tomislav
The end of X century – The Venetian Republic
The beginning of XI. Century to XII. Century – The Croatian Kingdom
From XII. to XV. Century – often changes of rulers (Venetians, The Croatian-Hungarian king Koloman, The King Bela III, Ljudevit Anzuvinac, Ladislav Napolitan, The Croatian-Hungarian king Sigismund)
From 1409 to 1797 - Venetians
From 1979 to 1815 – Napoleon, The Illyrian Province of the Italian Kingdom
From 1815 to 1918 – The Austro-Hungarian Monarchy
Od 1918. do 1921. godine - Kraljevina Italija
From 1918 to 1921 – The Italian Kingdom
From April 1941 to 1943 – The fascist Italy
From 1944 to 1945 – The Third Reich
From 1945 to 1990 – SFR Yugoslavia
From 1991 – The Republic of Croatia

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