Having concerted to Christianity in the 8th century, the Croats forged alliances with western powers and sought to expand. The Adriatic Croats and inland Croats were not always united under the same rulers, although Croatian kings Tomislav (910-928) and Zvonimir (1089-91) both succeeded in bringing Croatian lands together.

When the royal line was extinguished in 1091, Hungary extended its control over Croatia, forcing local nobles to accept a common Hungarian.Croatian King in 1102. Despite retaining a certain degree of autonomy, Croatia was ruled by Hungarian kings for the next four centuries, although the resulting stability allowed trade and urban life to flourish.

The Venetians

Adriatic Croatia followed a different historical path to the rest of the country, with most of the coast falling under the sway of Venice after 1410. Venetian art and architecture swept through the cities, although many of the Adriatic islands were brutally deforested due to the Venetian navy’s demand for timber. Šibenik was a key point in Venice’s defences against the Ottomans, and its spectacular Venetian fortresses can still be visited today. Renaissance culture flooded through the Adriatic lands, with native Dalmatians like churchman and inventor Faust Vrančić emerging as major European intellectuals.

Dubrovnik

The one exception to Venetian rule was Dubrovnik, an independent city-state ruled by a tightly-knit group of nobles. Although nominally subject to Ottoman suzerainity, Dubrovnik remained free of international entanglements through shrewd diplomacy and its unique status as a free port. The churches and palaces of Dubrovnik’s Old Town are evidence of the city-state’s stability and wealth.