L’historien Josip Belamaric animera la conférence “La route Napoléon (Route des français)” le mercredi 29 mars 2023 à l’ambassade de Croatie en France, à Paris. Inscription par e-mail : vrh.pariz@mvep.hr
Information sur l’intervention
MARMONT'S ROAD ON BIOKOVO MOUNTAIN - FRENCH ROADS IN DALMATIA
With the French administration (1806-1813), modern times began in Dalmatia. For example, the French government proclaimed the equality of citizens, abolished seigniorial privileges, abolished the Venetian laws on state ownership of land, reorganised education and health care, introduced a permanent postal service, strongly encouraged agriculture, crafts and trade, introduced weekly fairs and, finally, initiated the afforestation of the Karst areas. In addition, Croatian-language newspapers appeared for the first time in 1806.
During their short reign, the French also built a road along the coastline through Dalmatia - from Obrovac to the Kotor Mouths - in order to preserve the conquered territory, facilitate the movement of troops and stimulate trade. Thus, 500 km of white roads (macadam roads) were built, including the almost completed Dubrovnik road.
Fascinés par cette rapidité, cette vivacité d’entreprise et ce système d’organisation des travaux, les habitants de Zagora, l’arrière-pays dalmate, ont continué à en parler dans les décennies à venir. La légende dit que lors de sa visite en Dalmatie en 1818, l’empereur d’Autriche, François Ier, ayant vu les routes construites, aurait dit à Metternich, son chancelier, qu’il était regrettable que le maréchal Marmont ne soit pas resté en Dalmatie quelques années de plus. (À remarquer que l’auteur de cet anecdote est le maréchal Marmont lui-même).
Of course, the original construction plans were more ambitious than circumstances would allow. However, even in many
In such conditions, much has been done. Auguste Frédéric Louis Viesse de Marmont (1774 - 1852) is the main character in the history of the
French roads in Dalmatia. So important that many monuments to him have been erected all over Dalmatia, including in Makarska, at the foot of Biokovo. We can say that the history of the long 19th century and a good part of the 20th century cannot be imagined today without the prosperity brought by the construction of the French road in the hinterland of the Dalmatian mountain of Biokovo.
practical information
- Lecture by Josip BELAMARIĆ, "The Napoleonic route (French route)".
- Date and time: Wednesday 29 March 2023 at 7pm
- Location: Embassy of the Republic of Croatia in France. 7 square Thiers, 75116 PARIS
- Conference in Croatian, translated into French
- Registration by e-mail: vrh.pariz@mvep.hr
- Website: www.amcaparis.org
More about Josip Belamarić
Joško (Josip) Belamarić holds a PhD in art history and musicology from the University of Zagreb. He has worked in the field of protection of cultural monuments, and between 1991 and 2009 he headed the Regional Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments in Split. Since 2010, he has been working at the Institute of Art History, as the Head of the new "Cvito Fisković" Centre. He is a full professor at the Department of Art History of the University of Humanities and Social Sciences in Split, and a member of the Scientific Committee of the European Federation of Napoleonic Cities - Destination Napoleon.
He is known for his position that monuments and works of art can only be understood and interpreted through their cultural context. As a curator, he has demonstrated this through numerous exhibitions, such as The Hermitage of Blaca on the island of Brač; Split - from Palace to City; Tesori della Croazia; The Dalmatian Hinterland (Dalmatinska Zagora) - Unknown Country or through the permanent exhibition of the Sinjska Alka Museum. He has also led a series of restoration campaigns and helped to place several Croatian sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List. He is the author of numerous books and studies on historical town planning, medieval art and the renaissance on the Croatian coast.
