engleski

A Potential for Developing a Templar Route in Croatia

The “Templar Route” project is still in an incipient phase. Is there a potential for the creation of such a Route in Croatia, is the crucial question. Author believes that there are sufficient remains of the Templars in Croatia to provide the foundation for such a route. The second alleviating circumstance is that all this potential has so far been poorly exploited four tourism purposes, even if the Templar motif has sporradically appeared at various events. The backbone of the route is made up of Templar sites of various type (preserved, renovated and decrepit churches, elevated and lowland forts, archaeological sites, attractive landscapes), laid out in a convenient sequence allowing the traveler to visit all of them over the planned five days. The more demanding cultural tourists also have the option to travel one or more of the three additional subroutes. A more intensive variant envisages that the entire route be travelled in two or three days. The route begins with the Bela preceptory, which, in Kukuljević’s opinion, the Hospitallers inherited from the Templars (Ivanec, Bela, Gradišče). The route then takes the visitor to the Dugo Selo area (church of St. Martin, church of St. Brice). The optional subroute takes us to three other churches: in Glogovnica, in Nova Rača and near Našice. The third day is reserved for Zagreb. On the way to the coast, today same as in the past, the Templar Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Gora near Petrinja is an obligatory stop. The basic itinerary for that same day includes a tour of the former Templar land of Gacka, with the optional excursion to Senj chapel of St. George beneath the Nehaj fort). The climax of the Route is certainly the tour of the Vrana fort, with its excavated Templar church. There are at least two small Templar churches nearby worth visiting: one is situated at Crkvina (the Templar site of Zablaće), and St. Peter’s church in Kula Atlagića (the Templar Bojišće) near Benkovac. The third optional subroute takes visitors to Šibenik and Klis. The buildings are in various states. Most churches, which underwent minor or major reconstructions, are still in use today (Brckovljani, Glogovnica, Nova Rača, Našice). The churches in Gora and Kula Atlagića were recently archaeologically investigated and rebuilt. Several churches are in ruins, but archaeological investigations were carried out (Ivanec, Martin-Breg, Vrana, Crkvina). All of the forts are in ruins. At several positions at least minor trial excavations may be carried out (for instance, with the aim to determine the layout of the fort) (Gradišče, Bela, Vrana). At several sites it is necessary to conserve the walls as a preconditon to present them to the public (Ivanec, Gradišče, Martin-Breg, Bela and, naturally, again Vrana). From the beginning it will be necessary to promote individual sites that form part of the route among local communities. The sites themselves will have to be equipped for receiving tourists: this entails the conservation and, where necessary, reconstruction of the walls, landscaping and visitor access to the sites. All of this requires appropriate project documentation. Paths to the sites will be marked by signposts, and the sites themselves will feature interpretative panels. Workshops for children may be organized at the sites in collaboration with pedagogues. In collaboration with artists’ societies, art workshops may be organized, with the aim to come up with the souvenir of the Templar Route. The planning entails the publication of a tourist guide along the Templar Route in several languages, as well as leaflets, informative maps and other materials. A Templar Route exhibition is also planned, and we also hope to produce a documentary series or film in collaboration with TV companies. A special attention shall be awarded to the creation and management of a website dedicated to the Route. It is also necessary to develop multimedia applications to present the segments of the Route to visitors in cutting-edge techniques. In collaboration with the travel agents it will be necessary to come up with different programmes regarding the duration of the tours, group size, age and the like. It is also necessary to synchronise the offer with other similar manifestations. Considering that this topic has an extremely international character, in the near future it is understandable that a collaboration with stakeholders from other countries be established, and we may look toward including our route within a wider route on a European level. The scientific angle will be ensured by virtue of a continuous support for archaeological research and the analyses of archaeological assemblages and specimens obtained in the research. It is important to ensure a continuing promotion of the Templar Route on scientific and professional conferences on the topic of archaeology and cultural tourism. The project management structure and management plan ought to be based on the participatory approach respecting the attitudes of the different stakeholders. The leading role is reserved for the project authors and their respective institutions, as well as the other scientific, cultural and educational institution (namely, the Archaeological Department of the University of Zadar, the Museum of Croatian Archaeological Monuments in Split, the Archaeological Museum in Zadar, the Croatian Restoration Institute), and including also the representatives of local and regional administrative units, public and private sectors, tourism sector and so on.

Templari ; Hrvatska ; kuklturni turizam ; kulturna ruta

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