The eastern Adriatic coast, nowadays mostly located in the Republic of Croatia, has an extremely diverse coastline full of islands, bays and natural harbors, unlike the western coast of the Adriatic, which is deprived of natural shelter. Zadar is situated in the center of the eastern coast. Zadar was one of these focal points on sea route. Venice, the new naval force, was formed in the north of the Adriatic. The control of the eastern Adriatic coast was of paramount importance for its naval position. Since the 9th century Venice had been in conflict with the Croatian rulers on the eastern coast, and that conflict continued after 1102 when the Croatian kingdom became part of the Hungarian state. Already in 1346 then the young Hungarian king Louis the Great tried to conquer Zadar from the hand of the Venetians. The war in front of the city forced Venice to give up and on February 18th 1358, in the sacristy of the monastery of St. Francis in Zadar the Treaty of Zadar was signed.

The consequences of the Treaty

After Zadar entered in the same state with its hinterland, a period of a great economic prosperity commenced. The greatest witness to that prosperity is the Museum of the women’s Benedictine monastery which keeps religious artifacts of gold and silver from that period. Louis’ wife, Queen Elizabeth of the Bosnian dynasty Kotromanovic, financed the golden cover of the casket of St. Simeon, a great work of medieval goldsmiths. Next 50 years after the treaty is considered as the most prosperous period in Zadar’s history.

Read more and bibliography: Treaty of Zadar 1358 (pdf, 135kb)