Island Rab, Croatia
• Story of Island Rab
City Rab registers long and fame-rich history. The name of the island (Arbe, Arbia, Arve or Arba) comes from the Illyrian word Arb which means dark, green and wooden. City walls, churches, portals and palaces with their most different architectural styles were witnesses to different rulers of the island. Among first were Illyrians, afterwards Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Venetians and Hungarian-Croatians. Rab was first mentioned in year 10 BC in an ancient document, where Roman emperor Octavian August declared Rab’s independence by pronouncing it municipality. Its successors named Rab with a rare epithet “Felix” which means “happy” confirming just how Rab was civilized and developed already at that time.
Around the year 300 AD in the village Lopar boy Marin was born. He learned handcraft of stone-cutting and traveled across the Adriatic Sea in his search for work. He settled in the area around today’s city Rimini. Thanks to his sedulousness and virtue he was appointed as a deacon by that time Rimini’s bishop Gaudenzio. Because of his Christian preaching he was relegated and he fled to the hill Titano where he established small church. Short after he created first republic in the world, San Marino which remained there until today’s day.
Patron of the island is Saint Christopher who, by legend, salvaged Rab from Norman occupiers in the year 1075. Since then, every year on St. Christopher’s day (27th July) traditional Knight’s Tournaments are held in his honor. Today, these games take place on the second day of an annual 3-day ceremony called “Fjera”. It is a reminder of Rab of those times, the city that celebrates its freedom and independence. “Fjera” is one of Croatia’s best known spectacles and year after year it continues to fascinate both local citizens and foreign visitors.
Blooming of tourism island experienced between two World Wars, precisely in 1936 when it was visited by English king Edward VII and his wife. The English pair was also one of the more famous naturists of that time and they wanted to enjoy swimming on the first naturist beach in Adriatic that had been officially opened just two years ago. Except from diverse beatiful beaches, another attraction for nature lovers is park “Komrcar” that lies above the city of Rab. Park was established at the beginning of 20th century by forester Pravdoje Belija. Today it is large walking area and enjoys high level of protection due to its beauty and variety of Mediterranean plants such as: figs, pines, firs and agaves.
