Lošinj
Lošinj (pronounced low-sheen) (Italian Lussino, Latin Apsorrus) is a Croatian island in the northern Adriatic Sea, in the Kvarner gulf. It is near the city of Rijeka, and also a part of the Primorje-Gorski Kotar county.
The towns of Lošinj are listed here with their Italian name equivalents in parentheses: Nerezine (Neresine), Sveti Jakov (San Giacomo Lussignano), Ćunski (Chiusi Lussignano), Artaturi (Artatore), Mali Lošinj (Lussinpiccolo) and Veli Lošinj (Lussingrande).
A regional road runs through the island; ferry connections (via the island of Cres) include Brestova - Porozina, Merag - Valbiska, Mali Lošinj - Zadar, Mali Lošinj - Pula. There is also an airport on the island of Lošinj.
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Geography
Lošinj is a part of the Cres-Lošinj archipelago. The Cres-Lošinj archipelago includes Cres and Lošinj, and the smaller islands of Unije, Ilovik, Susak, Vele Srakane, Male Srakane and a number of unhabited small islands. Cres has the biggest land area, and Lošinj is second. Cres and Lošinj are connected by a small bridge in the town of Osor (Italian Ossero), on the island of Cres.
Lošinj is the 11th largest island in the Adriatic Sea, 33 km long, with the width varying from 4.75 km in the north and middle of the island, to 0.25 km near the town of Mali Lošinj. The total coastline of the island is 112.7 km.
With over 2600 hours of sunlight a year, the island has become a popular destination for German and Italian tourists in the summer months. Average air humidity is 70%, and the average summer temperature is 24 °C (75 °F) and 7 °C (45 °F) during the winter.
The highest elevations are the mountains Televrin (also called Osoršćica) (588 m) and Sv. Nikola (557 m). The towns of Nerezine and Sveti Jakov lie at their base. The island is formed predominantly of chalk limestone and dolomite rocks. There are sand deposits in the western part of the Kurila peninsula.
History
The island of Lošinj has been thought to be inhabited since ancient times. This is evidenced by hill-forts at the foot of Osoršćica and around the port of Mali Lošinj. The Romans called this island Apsorrus (Ptolemy), and named the islands of Lošinj and Cres together as Apsirtides. In several places, ruins of Roman villas have been excavated (villae rusticae: Liski, Sveti Jakov, and Studenčić near Ćunski). In the Middle Ages, Lošinj was unpopulated and the property of the clerical and secular nobility of Osor. Built in the Roman Era, several small eremitic churches have been preserved (St. Lovreć near Osor, and St. James in Sveti Jakov).
The first evidence of settlers from the mainland was in 1280. Pursuant to a contract with Osor, their settlements gained self-governance in 1389. The name Lošinj was first mentioned in 1384. Parallel with the gradual decline of Osor from the 15th century onwards, the settlements Veli Lošinj and Mali Lošinj played an increasingly important role.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, trade, shipbuilding and seafaring on the island developed more intensely. After the fall of the Republic of Venice, Lošinj was under the Austro-Hungarian rule up to its breaking off in 1918; under Italy up to 1943. In 1945 the island was annexed to Yugoslavia. Lošinj was then an under Croatian rule in 1991 after Croatia's declared independence from Yugoslavia.
The 1945 annexation of the island to Yugoslavia was associated with a substantial exodus of its people of Italian descent to Italy and to other countries, due to their unwillingness to live under Yugoslav communist rule. These expatriates today are a vibrant "community" living in Italy and around the world, and publish a newsletter (http://www.lussinpiccolo-italia.net) which keeps their memories and traditions alive.
People
- Agostino Straulino: Born in the city of Mali Lošinj on October 10, 1914 and died in Rome on December 14, 2004. He was one of the legends of Italian sailing. He learned to sail by going to school in his boat. His first experiences were sailing in the Kvarner Bay. He won a Gold Medal in the 1952 Summer Olympics (Helsinki) for Sailing (Starboat Class) and a Silver Medal in the 1956 Summer Olympics (Melbourne). Between 1949 and 1956, he won eight consecutive European championships in the Starboat Class. In 1952 and 1953, he was also World Champion in this class.
- Gaudentius of Ossero: He was born c. 1000 AD and presided over the Ossero (Osor) ecclesiastical province as bishop and later became a saint and patron of the island. A legend claims that he banished all poisonous snakes from the islands while hiding in a cave from persecutors. His remains now lie in the alter of the church of his same name in Osor.
- The Cosulich Family (http://www.cosulich.it) of shipbuilders originated in Lošinj probably prior to the 1700s and rose to prominence in the region, eventually establishing a successful shipping business in Venice and around the world, where the Cosulich line became renowned.
Categories
Islands of Croatia