Bukovica on the pages of the »Kraglski Dalmatin«

Abstract

During the French rule Bukovica was one of the most backward regions in Dalmatia as presented on the pages of the »Kraglski Dalmatin«, the first newspapers issued in the Croatian language in Zadar from 1806 to 1810. Backwardness of this region is seen not only in the poor, karst urea but also in the neglect for it on the part of other foreign rulers from Venice and Austria The inhabitants, living and working in a traditional rural society, were uneducated. The new French rulers, especially the chief ruler Vincenzo Dandolo, tried to liberate the people of Bukovica and other parts of Dalmatia from traditional backwardness, damaging customs with the help of different announcements, through the pages of »Kraglski Dalmatin«, village priests and monks. This was not easy and the progress was slow since there was not much time, there were war troubles and the inhabitants were slow to learn the educational massages from the pages of the »Kraglski Dalmatin«.