By the 9th consecutive year, the city of Zadar celebrated the anniversary of the signing of its Peace Treaty, organized by the Municipality of Zadar, the Monastery of S. Francisco, the University of Zadar and the Museum “Heritage and Peace” of the Primary Schools “Islands of Zadar”.
This year, due to the pandemic, the celebrations were more limited with regard to public participation but did not fail to count on the participation of students from the St. Benedito Secondary School, the “Blagoje Bersa” Music School and the Primary School “Zadar Islands” as well as the Theater Group “Posedarje ” with a historical representation of the signing of the Treaty of Zadar in the environment of the place where it was signed – the sacristy of St. Francis Monastery.
During the celebrations, it was also possible to listen to the welcoming speeches by the priests Stanko Škunca and Andrija Bilokapić, the testimonies of the Mayor of Zadar, Mr. Branko Dukić, of the Director of the Primary School “Zadar Islands”,Mr. Davor Barić and Prof, Dr. Antun Nekić, from the Department of History at the University of Zadar and member of the Scientific Council of the European Network of Places of Peace, of which the city of Zadar has been a member since 2011.
Professor Anamarija Botica Miljanović also spoke about the connection of the Primary School “Zadar Islands” with these Commemorations and Anita Gržan-Martinović, Head of the Department of International Relations of the City of Zadar and member of the Board of the ENPP on the role of the city on the European Network of Places of Peace.
Special mention should be made to the speech of the Mayor, Mr Branko Dukić, addressed to the citizens of Zadar and the President of the European Network of Places of Peace, in which he highlighted that “the city of Zadar is a member of many international organizations and associations, but the European Network of Places of Peace has a special place, because the idea that unites us in this association has a universal and lasting value. Its main mission is the preservation and cultivation of peace, promoting knowledge of our history, cultural and social heritage, traditions and customs, but also of natural beauty, defending a better life for all of us and for future generations.
Zadar proudly celebrates the 663rd anniversary of the signing of peace, in the same place where it was signed, in an environment of peace and Franciscan spirituality. We are celebrating this historic event more than 600 years later, due to its positive effect on our city and region, including children and young people so that the memory of Zadar Peace will last and stay alive.”
All the events of this year’s Celebrations’ rich program have been recorded and a commemorative video will be released to disseminate through the media and social networks in order to be accessible to all who were unable to participate personally this year, due to the circumstances of the pandemic.
The President of ENPP, Eduardo Basso, sent a greeting to these Celebrations in which he defended that “our Europe is truly more Europe of health, more Europe of citizens, more Europe of peace, because that is exactly the path of Europe and the path of peace”.
