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Intangible cultural heritage
Chiaro-scuro photographs

Tourism and culture

PULA
(Southern part of the Istrian peninsula)
Liveliness and comfort, despite the sun, in the meeting of two worlds in front of the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Until the middle of the 19th century, Pula was a small fishing town with a little more than a thousand inhabitants, and with numerous life problems, since 1848, when Emperor Franjo Josip supported the transformation of the city into the central war port of the Empire, i.e. Zentrakriegshafen it began its development towards a modern metropolis, at the same time the demographic, spiritual, economic and social center of Istria. In the following decades, the city acquired an Arsenal and a Navy, and began to attract an increasing number of people from the entire former Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. Let’s add that the first electric tram in our area was driving through its streets. It was in 1904, four years later the Opatija electric tram, and six years later the Zagreb electric tram. Close to Pula is the magical Brijuni archipelago, which in the first decade of the 20th century became an elite tourist center and a meeting place for prominent and wealthy individuals of the Empire. The result of all of the above is the fact that at the beginning of the 20th century, Pula reached almost 40,000 inhabitants!

Alois Beer, 1912.

Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia
Photo archive of the Conservation Department in Rijeka
POREČ
The Euphrasian Basilica is one of the most beautiful preserved monuments of early Byzantine art in the Mediterranean. It was built in the 6th century on the site of an early Christian church during the reign of Emperor Justinian I and under Bishop Euphrasius, after whom it is named, and is part of the episcopal complex.
Over the centuries, the Euphrasian Basilica—also the cathedral dedicated to the Assumption of Mary—suffered damage from earthquakes, wars, and fires, leading to a series of modifications in which each era added its own contributions to the original early Christian structure. Today, what we witness is the third church, built in the Gothic style. Despite the passage of time, fragments of 3rd-century mosaics have survived, as well as authentic 5th-century floor mosaics, which, due to their delicate intricacy, represent a prime example of early Christian painting. The radiant mosaics decorating the interior and façade of the church are considered among the most beautiful preserved works of Byzantine art. In 1997, the Euphrasian Basilica was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Giuseppe Greatti (za Alinari), 1910.

Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia
Photo archive of the Conservation Department in Rijeka
SOLIN / SALONA
Detail of the remains of the ancient Salona
With the suppression of the last rebellion of the indigenous tribe of Illyria, at the very beginning of the 1st century AD, a period of peace and prosperity began for Salona, which is also manifested through urban development and strong construction activity. The photo shows the northeastern part of the Roman amphitheater. The amphitheater was built in the second half of the 2nd century and could accommodate 19,000 spectators, mostly followers of the bloody fights between gladiators and beasts. During the migration of the people, Salona was abandoned, but east of its ruins in the 7th century, the Croatian medieval city of Solin began to prosper. The Kaštela coast can be seen in the background.

Ćiril Metod Iveković, beginning of the 20th century (from the Dyggva photo archive)

Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia
Photo archive of the Conservation Department in Split
Inv. no. 20/115
POREČ (west coast of Istria)
The coexistence of historical and contemporary forms of economic activity: a view from the grounds of the former villa rustica to the modern Zelena laguna hotel complex in the final phase of construction
Villa rustica was a common form of settlement and economy outside the city area in Romanized environments during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Functionally, it represented a rural household in the true sense of the word, where the focus was on agriculture, so servants and slaves lived in it. The villa rustica complex used to be a hospital and even a prison. The opposite of the villa rustica was the villa urbana, which represented a particularly well-positioned temporary and idyllic country estate of the privileged classes.
If we ignore Brijuni and the mainland overseas neighbor Pula, the claim is that Istria, referring to its western coast, did not, like Opatija, have a tradition of hotel management. Therefore, from the second half of the 20th century, it turned to the development of mass tourism, which included the accelerated construction of large hotel capacities and offers based on sports, recreation, leisure and entertainment.

Vinko Malinarić, 1967.

Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia
Photo archive of the Conservation Department in Rijeka
Inv. No. 22217, neg. I-10898
DUBROVNIK
Coexistence of tourism and hospitality with culture and archaeological research
Bunićeva poljana, or as it is called in the regiment, Pujiška placa, is best known to many precisely because of the large number of cafes located there. But have you ever wondered what lies beneath, that is, what the archaeological excavations brought forth. So, archaeological excavations will confirm that the oldest, early medieval core of the city was located in this area in the form of a late antique defensive wall which, it is assumed, surrounded the first Dubrovnik cathedral, and when it lost its function, houses began to be built next to it. There is also the circular foundation of the cathedral’s bell tower, the construction of which began in the 14th century, only to stop on the ground floor, existing as such until 1830, when it was demolished. In this area, in front of the cathedral, there was once a four-leaved chapel with a cruciform plan, around which, as well as next to the cathedral, was the old Dubrovnik cemetery. But that may be superfluous to know at the moment when you are enjoying the city drinking your coffee.

Miiljenko Mojaš 1983.

Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia
Photo archive of the Conservation Department in Dubrovnik
Inv. No. 7150-5
BAUČIĆI (Omiš, Central Dalmatia)
Oneum Archeological Zone
The old ancient core of the settlement on the slopes of the Omis Dinara with partially preserved fortification walls, more than two meters wide, which follow the direction of the coast, and the rest of the polygonal tower built of horizontally layered rammed blocks, rises above the sea and the newly built residential part that stretches along the coast.

Unidentified author, 70s of the 20th century

Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia
Photo archive of the Conservation Department in Split
TRIBULJE (Island of Krk)
Threshing floor (largely circular places for threshing grain using treshers for grain or livestock) above Dobrinjska Draga. The coastal settlements of Soline, Čižići, Klimno and Šilo can be seen in the background

Vinko Malinarić, 1971.

Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia
Photo archive of the Conservation Department in Rijeka
Inv. No. 45443, neg. I-22611
OSOR (island of Cres)
The defensive walls of the city, of which those on the left belong to the ancient period, and those on the right to the Venetian administration of the 16th century
The new Venetian defensive walls of Osor greatly influenced the future urban planning and construction of the city, since they cut the city in half with their spatial orientation and radically reduced its area. On that occasion, the eastern malarial half of the settlement with the early Christian cathedral complex remained outside the boundaries of the new city, which focused on the western part, the strategically and economically much more important part. Then, on the foundations of the ancient tradition, the main town square was built on its territory, of course on the site of the former ancient forum, but also the new cathedral, the construction of which is considered one of the largest significant construction projects of that time in a wider area, without a possible comparison in the construction of the eastern coast of the Adriatic.

Srećko Ulrih, 1962.

Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia
Photo archive of the Conservation Department in Rijeka
Inv. No. 14449, Neg. I-7137
OPATIJA
Hotel Kvarner and Villa Amalia, view from the sea
Four decades afzter the construction of the Villa Angiolina , in 1884 Opatija got its first hotel – the Quarnero, the oldest hotel on the Adriatic, which was built in an impressive ten months thanks to the capital of the Southern Reilways. In the first decades, the hotel business was aimed at the well-known and wealthy, but often sickly, clientele of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, who come to Opatija mostly in winter to escape from the cold and gloomy continent in search of sun, seaair, rest and inspiration. Throughout history, many famous names have stayed in Opatija, its Hotel Quarnero and Villa Amalia (the Kvarner annexe built 1890), promoting Opatija’s tourism and culture. These include Isidora Duncan, Jan Kubelik, Amtom Chekhov, James Joyce, Salvatore Quasimodo, Lajos Zilahy, Antun Gustav Matoš, Ksaver Šandor Gjalski, Silvije Strahimir Kranjčević, Vladimir Nazor, Miroslav Krleža, Gabriele D’Annunzio, Stjepan Radić, Lenin, Tito and many others.

Benedikt Lergetporer, 1891.

Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia
Photo archive of the Conservation Department in Rijeka
Other Chapters
Cultural landscapes
A valid phrase describing the concept of a cultural landscape is “a space with identity.” In other words, the most concise definition of a cultural landscape is: a combined work of nature and humans. Although the term “cultural landscape” has been present in geographical terminology since the early 20th century, the key year for its international legal protection is 1992, when it was recognized as a distinct category of cultural heritage.
Banovina and Kostajnica
This heritage conservation photograph takes you into the historic noble seat of the Zrinski and Frankopan families, but also into the folk world of wooden, ornamented, ever-anchored boats.
Fishing, maritime, and river navigation
Fishing, maritime, and river navigation have been an integral part of human life since time immemorial, so it is no surprise that they are captured in old black-and-white conservation photographs with a hint of sepia. Beyond documenting the traditional activities of this economic sector, they continue to play a role in modern economic life, possessing a notable potential for societal development.
Traditional agriculture
Farming has always been the backbone of rural areas. It forms the foundation of food security and economic sovereignty for every region and nation, and it is inseparably linked to the diligent, calloused hands of our people. Conservation heritage photography tells this story in its own distinctive way.
Vedutas and scenes
Vedutas are painterly or (photo)graphic works that depict a part of the landscape—rural or urban, a square, street, or similar—in a detailed and faithful manner, regularly employing perspective to convey a sense of spatial depth. Vedutas become even more striking and lively when they include context, such as scenes with people and/or animals, whether these figures serve as nearly equal participants in the spatial composition or merely as its embellishment. Conservation photography often captures such veduta views, frequently and enthusiastically.
Spaces of intimacy
Alongside monumental cultural heritage—shared treasures of the broader community, the nation, and even the world—conservation heritage photography also gladly records another form of heritage: the opposite extreme of communal life, namely human intimacy. This represents the inalienable and unique inner and emotional world of an individual person.
Portraits
Whether in literature, painting, or photography, the portrait—one of the most direct literary or visual expressions of human intimacy—can either offer only a superficial engagement with the subject, presenting merely the model’s appearance, or it can pursue a deeper, more thoughtful, and intimate approach, contributing to the subject’s individualization and characterization.
Musical organs
Organs, queens among musical instruments, companions of St. Cecilia and symphonic ensembles, which originated in antiquity as hydraulis (the distant ancestors of today’s sea organs in Zadar!) and were gilded during the Baroque period—especially thanks to Bach’s virtuosity—were the focus of systematic study and protection during the Musical Instrument Protection campaign carried out by the national conservation service from 1972 to 1975. During this three-year fieldwork, aimed at documenting, systematizing, evaluating, and appropriately safeguarding musical instruments across the Republic of Croatia, just under 800 organs—mostly of monumental significance—were recorded, and a total of 5,462 photographs were taken. This effort formed the basis for the creation of the Unique National Register of Historic Organs.
Intangible cultural heritage
Intangible cultural heritage refers to practices, performances, expressions, knowledge, and skills that communities, groups, and individuals recognize as part of their cultural heritage, transmitting them from generation to generation. Unlike tangible heritage (monuments, objects), intangible heritage is “living,” constantly evolving, and provides a sense of identity and continuity. The following photographs, taken in the early 1960s, illustrate that the recognition of the importance of intangible heritage among Croatian conservators preceded UNESCO’s Recommendation on the Safeguarding of Traditional Culture and Folklore (1989), the UNESCO Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity (1998), and the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003) by two decades or more. These international frameworks ultimately led, in 2006, to the adoption of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, following ratification by a sufficient number of states.
Tourism and culture
Heritage photographs in general, including those presented in our virtual exhibition, although created long before the establishment of cultural tourism, should be valued not only for their contribution to our culture and tourism—since they promote our regions, monuments, and people—but also more broadly as a powerful national and social reference. They raise awareness of our identity and uniqueness in increasingly globalized and challenging times ahead.
Chiaro-scuro photographs
Must conservation photography be solely functional and documentary, or is it sometimes allowed the freedom to venture into interpretative realms? Reflect on this question in light of the following photographs…
Sign-off
The conservators and the eKultura team of the Ministry of Culture and Media thank you for your attention!
Impresum
Author of the exhibition: M.Sc. Sanja GrkovićMinistry of Culture and Media – Photo archive of cultural heritage The virtual exhibition was prepared by the Cultural Heritage Digitization OfficeMinistry of Culture and Media Photo preparation: DIGITAL FOTO ART, Dragutin Škreblin
Cultural landscapes
A valid phrase describing the concept of a cultural landscape is “a space with identity.” In other words, the most concise definition of a cultural landscape is: a combined work of nature and humans. Although the term “cultural landscape” has been present in geographical terminology since the early 20th century, the key year for its international legal protection is 1992, when it was recognized as a distinct category of cultural heritage.
Banovina and Kostajnica
This heritage conservation photograph takes you into the historic noble seat of the Zrinski and Frankopan families, but also into the folk world of wooden, ornamented, ever-anchored boats.
Fishing, maritime, and river navigation
Fishing, maritime, and river navigation have been an integral part of human life since time immemorial, so it is no surprise that they are captured in old black-and-white conservation photographs with a hint of sepia. Beyond documenting the traditional activities of this economic sector, they continue to play a role in modern economic life, possessing a notable potential for societal development.
Traditional agriculture
Farming has always been the backbone of rural areas. It forms the foundation of food security and economic sovereignty for every region and nation, and it is inseparably linked to the diligent, calloused hands of our people. Conservation heritage photography tells this story in its own distinctive way.
Vedutas and scenes
Vedutas are painterly or (photo)graphic works that depict a part of the landscape—rural or urban, a square, street, or similar—in a detailed and faithful manner, regularly employing perspective to convey a sense of spatial depth. Vedutas become even more striking and lively when they include context, such as scenes with people and/or animals, whether these figures serve as nearly equal participants in the spatial composition or merely as its embellishment. Conservation photography often captures such veduta views, frequently and enthusiastically.
Spaces of intimacy
Alongside monumental cultural heritage—shared treasures of the broader community, the nation, and even the world—conservation heritage photography also gladly records another form of heritage: the opposite extreme of communal life, namely human intimacy. This represents the inalienable and unique inner and emotional world of an individual person.
Portraits
Whether in literature, painting, or photography, the portrait—one of the most direct literary or visual expressions of human intimacy—can either offer only a superficial engagement with the subject, presenting merely the model’s appearance, or it can pursue a deeper, more thoughtful, and intimate approach, contributing to the subject’s individualization and characterization.
Musical organs
Organs, queens among musical instruments, companions of St. Cecilia and symphonic ensembles, which originated in antiquity as hydraulis (the distant ancestors of today’s sea organs in Zadar!) and were gilded during the Baroque period—especially thanks to Bach’s virtuosity—were the focus of systematic study and protection during the Musical Instrument Protection campaign carried out by the national conservation service from 1972 to 1975. During this three-year fieldwork, aimed at documenting, systematizing, evaluating, and appropriately safeguarding musical instruments across the Republic of Croatia, just under 800 organs—mostly of monumental significance—were recorded, and a total of 5,462 photographs were taken. This effort formed the basis for the creation of the Unique National Register of Historic Organs.
Intangible cultural heritage
Intangible cultural heritage refers to practices, performances, expressions, knowledge, and skills that communities, groups, and individuals recognize as part of their cultural heritage, transmitting them from generation to generation. Unlike tangible heritage (monuments, objects), intangible heritage is “living,” constantly evolving, and provides a sense of identity and continuity. The following photographs, taken in the early 1960s, illustrate that the recognition of the importance of intangible heritage among Croatian conservators preceded UNESCO’s Recommendation on the Safeguarding of Traditional Culture and Folklore (1989), the UNESCO Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity (1998), and the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003) by two decades or more. These international frameworks ultimately led, in 2006, to the adoption of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, following ratification by a sufficient number of states.
Tourism and culture
Heritage photographs in general, including those presented in our virtual exhibition, although created long before the establishment of cultural tourism, should be valued not only for their contribution to our culture and tourism—since they promote our regions, monuments, and people—but also more broadly as a powerful national and social reference. They raise awareness of our identity and uniqueness in increasingly globalized and challenging times ahead.
Chiaro-scuro photographs
Must conservation photography be solely functional and documentary, or is it sometimes allowed the freedom to venture into interpretative realms? Reflect on this question in light of the following photographs…
Sign-off
The conservators and the eKultura team of the Ministry of Culture and Media thank you for your attention!
Impresum
Author of the exhibition: M.Sc. Sanja GrkovićMinistry of Culture and Media – Photo archive of cultural heritage The virtual exhibition was prepared by the Cultural Heritage Digitization OfficeMinistry of Culture and Media Photo preparation: DIGITAL FOTO ART, Dragutin Škreblin
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