Nin is a tiny little town at the northernmost end of Dalmatia, close to Zadar. I visited on a bright, blustery autumn day, the town swept by the bura, the north wind that is such a relief in summer, blowing away clouds along with stiflingly humid, muggy weather, leaving everything clear and fresh. In winter it is cold and bracing, and at its strongest, on the coast roads, can be dangerous.
Nin had a key place in the early medieval history of Croatia, one of the oldest Croatian towns and the seat of early medieval rulers. It is a charming little place, a small island situated in a lagoon, reached by two 16th century bridges. But its historical place as the cradle of the Croat nation is much bigger than its physical size. At the entrance to the town is a statue depicting Prince Branimir, a ninth century ruler whose loyalty to Rome in its rivalry with the Byzantine Empire elicited letters from Pope John VIII in 879 referring to the Croatian people, the first recorded international acknowledgement of Croatia.
Another important figure in medieval Croatia, Bishop Gregory of Nin, is remembered for his defiance of Rome for, in the tenth century, defending the use of the Slavonic liturgy, in the Glagolitic script, rather than Latin, as insisted upon by Rome. An enormous statue of Gregory, by Ivan Meštrović, the most noted 20th century Croatian sculptor, stands just outside the walls of Diocletian’s palace in Split. It had originally been placed in the peristyle of the palace, but was moved by the Italian occupation authorities during the Second World War. A smaller replica of the statue stands in Nin.
Nin is also notable for some remarkable churches. In the town itself is the 9th century Church of the Holy Cross, known as the smallest cathedral in the world. Perhaps even more extraordinary is the tiny pre-Romanesque Church of St Nicholas, situated on a mound not far from the town. Popular tradition associates the church with the coronation of medieval Croatian kings. Especially incongruous looking are the battlements around the roof of the church. These were apparently added during the Turkish wars, to turn the church into a lookout point. As well as being at the centre of early medieval Croatian settlement, the site of Nin has an earlier pedigree, with Roman remains, including a fine mosaic floor.
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