The “Zadar Islands” Elementary School, in cooperation with the Monastery of St. Francis in Zadar and the Municipality of Zadar, symbolically commemorated today the 660th Anniversary of the conclusion of the Zadar Peace, an important historical event that took place just in the sacristy of the Church of St. Francis on February 18, 1358. The Zadar Peace, signed between the Venetian Republic and the Kingdom of Croatia, brought Zadar and the entire Croatian coast and islands the liberation from the Venetian government and marked the social and economic turning point in these areas.
Fr. Stanko Škunca, on behalf of the Monastery of St. Francis briefly acquainted the students with Zadar’s peace and the role of the Franciscans at his signing and invited them to visit the monastery treasury and see the place where Zadar peace was signed. Vladimir Alavanja, a retired curator of the National Museum in Zadar, spoke about the historical and overall social and economic significance of this event, and the director of “Zadar Islands” Elementary School stressed the importance of this project for children, for the school and for the city at all.
On behalf of the City of Zadar and the European Network of Places of Peace (ENPP) Anita Gržan Martinović, Head of the Department for International Cooperation of Zadar Municipality and Member of the Board of ENPP, praised the work carried out by the “Zadar Islands” Elementary School, its Director Davora Barića, the Coordinator Anamarija Botica and its numerous collaborators for six consecutive years in the implementation of the project „Museum at school – heritage and culture of peace„ which aimed the promotion of a culture of peace together with the young students. Anita Gržan Martinović also highlighted the fact this project has found a path to the City of Zadar and the European Network of Places of Peace, particularly because this school program of Commemoration of Zadar Peace has been incorporated into the programs that the City of Zadar promotes under the aegis of this European association, which brings together places and cities in which the signatures of the end of wars and armed conflicts have been signed, promotes the idea of peace as a common precondition for life and progress, organizes scientific and professional conferences and workshops where, with an interdisciplinary approach, speaks of this topic to all generations and encourages them to be promoters of peace and tolerance in their communitie and in addition, launches joint projects for the promotion of cultural tourism.
Anita Gržan Martinović recalled that in 2012, the City of Zadar hosted the 6th Meeting of the European Network of Places of Peace and was included in “Places of Peace Routes” project, which is expected to be certified as “Cultural Route of the Council of Europe” next April.
