For the origin of the name Rastovac we find in the literature the standpoint and conclusion that the name originated from the croatian noun "hrast", which means oak. Certainly there were many oak and oak forests in this area, whereby the village could have been named. However, it is possible that the name of Rastovac originated from the Old Croatian word "ras" - which means the lowest, flattened part of a territory. Rastovac is a village in the municipality of Marina, in the County of Split-Dalmatia.
History
editAccording to historical sources, the ancient Illyrians lived in these areas, approximately 4000 to 750 BC. They were great stone builders. They made weapons and tools from copper, bronze, iron and built fortresses on the hills to have controlled their territory from the invasion and enemy. What we know about Illyrians is that they worshiped the cult of the Sun and the Moon, and they built a round stone pile. Illyrians buried their dead in stone piles togather with their wepons and made shamanic rituals on the funerals. They were engaged in agriculture, cattle breeding and wine-making. They did not use a letter. The ethnomusicologists said that the "ojkalica" is an ancient type of singing that dates from Illyrians. Local people are using nowdays a baking lid called "peka" on the same way like old Illyrians did. There is a folk group in Rastovac which is singing "ojkalica" songs.
Mount Bobovac was most likely used from Illyrians as a fortification and observation site. Its strategic position dominates the Rastovac valley and surely it was extremely important to them. There are the large natural stone walls, larger than 3 meters, which are located on the south side of Bobovac. At the top of the hill Kosmač was found the ruined Illyrian tumul and the ceramic type Lamboglia 2 and dolia which confirms that in the area of today Rastovac was inhabitated a few thousand years ago.
At the beginning of the New Era, on the west side of the Adriatic sea, the Roman Empire grows. In order to expand their empire, they need to conquer East Adriatic coast with Illyrian tribes. Romans won the battle and used the Illyrians as their and slaves and later as soldiers. Today's territory of Dalmatia became the Roman province.
The Roman Passenger of Pliny The elderly, couple of years after the death of Jesus Christ passes through these parts and describes the area from Skradin to the Cape Ploča (between Ražanj and Kanica) and states that in the present area of Rastovac there was a Dalmatian tribe Tarioti. From Grebaštica to Trogir there were 15 smaller towns / fortresses and describes their main center, Tarion. Archaeologists are still searching for Tariona nowdays. At the beginning of 2004, brothers Maks and Ante Ugrina invited historians from Trogir to show them a Roman inscription on Mount Bljušćevica, which according to expert estimates dates back to about 20 years after Christ. This valuable archaeological discovery confirms Pliny's note that the Tariot border really was on Bljušćevica. Where Tarion was, we may never find out.
When Roman Empire collapsed, the barbarian tribes among Croats came, in the 7th century and gave a village Slavic name - Rastovac. Near the village are Drid near Marina and Mitlo, which belong to the first old Croatian counties of the 10th and 13th centuries. There is little known about what happened in the village since Croat's arrival until the year 1570, but what we certainly know is that the land was not much cultivated because of constant warfare. People had sheep and goats, and at the time of the arrival of the enemy they could quickly escape.
In the book of Ivan Mužić "Vlasi in the Old Croatian Histography" on page 111, we find interesting information about the Vlas, the cattle-breeding people who prays to Austrian duke Carlo to return their property in Rastovac. Their names are: Milan Novaković, Grgur Stipanović, Jadran Ivanić, Petar Bitešić, Lovro Ivanović, Bartul and Lovre Pavković and Ivan Vuković.
It is easy to assumed that Rastovac was several times inhabited and displaced by various people because of the constant invasion of the Turks from the land and the Venetians from the sea. In support of this, the area of the village is today called Dračeva selina, Razorine and Grebište. All this is associated with something devastated and demolished. During the Kandian war between Venetians and Turks during the 1657th, sources said that in the area of today's Marina and surrounding villages there was plenty of stock and food. Bosnian pasha Seid Ahmet repeatedly tried to conquer Split, but he always failed. He withdrew with his army to the area of Bosiljna (today's Marina), which had no protection from the Venetian side and attacked the troops, cavalry and artillery. The battle between the local population led by commander Jakov Jerković and relentless Turks was completed after a week. Nearly all the population was killed and the few survivors were captured and taken to Bosnia as slaves.
After the fall of the Ottoman empire, abandoned and robbed villages are being inhabited with new, and perhaps old, inhabitants. The tradition says that grandmother Ugrinka came to Rastovac with her three sons and resides in the area of today's Lastve. The vast majority of Rastovac names are Ugrina. Scientific article "Živalj Bosiljne - Marine from 1583 to 1800" suggests that the surname Ugrina in church books was first mentioned in 1720. as Ugričić, Ugrinović, Ugricin and Ugrin. 36 families of that surname were recorded in those years. From the same article we find an interesting fact, according to the author, Ugrina is actually a nickname that after a while became a surname, and actually comes from the surname Radić ?!
On the following website you can see how Rastovac looked in 1830., where there were other old houses and how many vineyards were cultivated.
austro ugarski katastar - Rastovac 1830.
Old stone houses still feature engraved years of construction. However, if we compare the Austro-Hungarian Cadastral maps from 1830. on the existing website, there were houses in the village of Rastovac in the same place and before the engraved year of building!
Between 1860. and 1880., for the rule of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy in the village, most likely due to plague and hunger, there was a sharp decline in population.
In 1861. the church of Our Lady of Health was built in Bobovac hill. There is no information when the chapels of St. John near the bowling play field and St. Antony (built in the house of Ante Ugrina Kaiša), but it is evident from the old cadastre that it was not before 1830. There was no church in Bobovac hill too. Most likely that locals were buried in the neighboring village of Mitlo, whose church originated from 1406. Behind the chapel of St. John there is a grave of young man from a village that has suddenly become ill and then has died. The locals did not want to bury body to Bobovac hill from fear.
The interesting fact is that the name Bobovac is from the newer era, on the cadastral maps of 1830., did not have that name. Only Kapine is mentioned. If you enter the name Bobovac on the Internet will get you information that it is a royal city in Bosnia, not far from Vares, which raised Stjepan II Kotromanić in the 14th century.
From the fall of Austro-Hungary until the beginning of the Second World War, the Rastovac peasants were diligently cultivated the land, paid taxes and served the army.
At the beginning of the Second World War, Rastovac peasants joined the Partisan Movement. In April 1943, Joko Ugrina and Jozo Vuleta Ugrina were executed by their Partisan Sumerians and accused of supporting the Croatian Peasant Party and closely cooperating with the friars from the Blizna and Bristivica, who were proclaimed Ustashas. According to the oral tradition of the elderly, the village was burned down by Italian occupiers. Severe hunger was borne by the then residents of the Marina's countryside. In a report by Partisans Commissar Ivan Lučin on January 25, 1945, he wrote that the villagers begged the partisans to kill them when they could not live by starvation.
After the war, Rastovac was connected to electricity grid and asphalt road to Bobovac has been built. A primary school and a reading room have been built too.Reading room had task of promoting socialist ideology. Residents of the village wish to connect the road from Bobovac to Gustirna and to connect to the water supply network.
In early 1990, the Croatian state was created. Soon, the Homeland War begins and all the military capable men went to the battlefield. Fortunately, no one from the village was injured or killed.
In 2002, the Church of Our Lady of Health in Bobovac was renovated. With the help of locals, the Croatian Army and parish priest Ferdo Jukić the asphalt road to the cemetery was completed .
In 2003, the village got an asphalt road to Gustirna.
In 2013, the village was connected to the water supply network.
Today's residents of Rastovac are engaged in agriculture, olive growing, wine-growing and wine making. The broadest variety of grapes is Babic, and Oblica of Olives.
Population
editFrom the enclosed chart, in 1869 there were no residents in Rastovac, which is not correct.
The number of inhabitants of the village was added to the population list of Sapina Doca.
Why this happened, it is difficult to know, however, in the stories of the elderly population, roughly those years the village was plague and hunger, and few lived. The population census of 1880. shows the smallest number of inhabitants ever, which corroborates the possible thesis about the presence of plague in the village of those years.
Celebrities
editCulture
editKUD “Andrija Matijaš – Pauk” Rastovac - pučki pjevači ojkalice
Events
editCelebration of Our Lady of Health / Grace on Bobovac - September 24
auto utrke Rastovac - Blizna Donja - 15. studenog
Attractions
edit- chapel of St. John
- chapel of St. Anthony
Sports and Recreation
edit- Bowling playfield
- Hunting
Distances and average driving time
edit- Rastovac - Split , 47 km, 50 min.
- Rastovac - Marina , 7.4 km, 9 min.
- Rastovac - Trogir , 21 km, 28 min.
- Rastovac - Zračna luka Split , 27 km, 30 min.
- Rastovac - Rogoznica , 20 km, 20 min.
- Rastovac - Primošten , 17 km, 23 min.
- Rastovac - Šibenik , 35 km, 44 min.
- Rastovac - Blizna Donja , 4.6 km, 8 min.
- Rastovac - Zagreb , 387 km, 3 sata 49 min.
Bus lines
editPromet Split d.o.o Trogir - Vinovac , number 52
Sources
editeniklopedija.hr, Illiryans
the web site about the "ojkalica", text: Nediljko Budiša and Mirko Matijaš
Pottery in Dalmatia, Branka Vojnović - Traživuk, a scientific article on the peculiar tradition in Dalmatia
Saltus Tariotarum, doc. dr. sc. Alen Miletić, expert article on thermal inscription on Mount Bljušćevici near Rastovac
Castellum Tariona, doc. dr. sc. Alen Miletić, expert article on the fortress of Tarion, which is still being traced
Archaeological and historical notes of the Roman castellum of Tarion, Enzo Catani, a scientific article on the thermal inscription on Mount Bljušćevici near Rastovac and new interpretations of the same
Drid Fortress, Miroslav Katić, a scientific article on the Fort of Drid near Marine The Franciscan Web Site,
the History of the Parish of the Blessed, description of the Church of St. Mary in the Blur from IX. century
"Vlasi in Old Croatian Historiography", Ivan Mužić, page 111.
Maritime Battle, Source: Frane Zubak
"Živalj Bosiljina - Marine in the period from 1583 to 1800, Nevenka Bezić-Božanić, art historian, on page 200 is quoted as saying that Ugrina comes from the surname Radić
"Bobovac - royal city", text: Fra Ignacije Gavran
"Crime and Terror in Dalmatia 1943 - 1948 committed by members of NOV, JA, OZN and UDB", Blanka Matković, B.Sc. historian and Ivan Pažanin, mag. iuris, the correspondence of Josip Rožić on pages 250 to 253.
"Crime and Terror in Dalmatia 1943 - 1948 committed by members of NOV, JA, OZN and UDB", Blanka Matković, B.Sc. historian and Ivan Pažanin, mag. iuris, letter by Ivana Lučina on page 391.
Franciscan Web Site, History of the Parish Parish, description of the Church of Our Lady of Health in Rastovac
Slobodna Dalmacija, "The new road ran by children" article from 25.3.2003
Krka in Rastovac, Marina Municipality web site from 24.09.2013
Population by age and gender by settlements, 2011 census
Settlements and Population of the Republic of Croatia 1857.-2001., Www.dzs.hr