Glagolitic script

Novi has a rich tradition of Glagolitic script, the oldest Croatian alphabet (Croats wrote in Glagolitic as their mother tongue in 10th/11th century, Cyrillic in the 12th century and Latin since the 14th century). Glagolitic script is found here in written legal monuments and documents (certificates, charters), in liturgical texts and codes of educational content, on inscriptions and on features from recent times.

Legal monuments and documents, from the archives of the Modruš or Krbava chapter, the Frankopan archives and the archives of the Pauline monastery on Osap

  • The Statute of Vinodol, from 1288, found in a Glagolitic script on a parchment from the first half of the 16th century. It is kept in the National University Library in Zagreb.
  • Two documents on border disputes, between people from Novi and Ledenice, and people from Novi and Bribir (dated 15.10.1309). They are kept in the collection of Glagolitic documents of the Archives of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts.
  • Certificate of Martin Frankapan from the will of the citizen Mihović dated 10 December 1944; charter of the Church of Virgin Mary on Osap and land for the construction of the Pauline monastery of Martin Frankapan from 14.5.1462 and others.

Liturgical texts and codes of educational content

  • Novljan Missal, from the 15th century, manuscript on parchment. It is kept in the parish office in Novi.
  • First Novljan Breviary from 1459, wrote the priest Juraj, by order of Jakov Potočnjak, for the Church of Saints Cosmas and Damian. It is kept in the parish office in Novi (466 sheets), in the Archives of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts in Zagreb (5 + 2 sheets) and in the Croatian State Archives in Zagreb (6 sheets).
  • Second Novljan Breviary, written for the Pauline monastery and the church of St. Mary of Osap. It was written in 1493 – 1495 in Grobnik by priest Martinac, along with four other clerks. It is kept in the parish office in Novi Vinodolski.
  • Glagolitic collection of exorcisms, prescriptions and records, on a parchment. Created in Novi, it is kept in the Archives of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts (IV d 56).
  • Blagdanar, a collection of sermons transcribed in Glagolitic script on paper. It is kept in the archives of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts (IV a 99).

Inscriptions

  • inscription on the arch of the church of St. Lucija in Zagorje: ·Č·U·P·Z· + IJuNA D(A)N ·I·Ʒ· (1499, ijuna dan 28.)
  • an inscription on two stones on the south outer wall of the church of St. Philip and James, records the date of the restoration of the church, by a combination of Arabic and Roman numerals and then in Glagolitic: ·1·S·XX / ·Č·F·I· (1520)
  • an inscription on a stone slab from the front of the chapel of St. Fabian and Sebastian, which stood on the site of today’s bell tower, and was demolished in 1909; today in the lapidary of the History Museum of Croatia, in Zagreb: VA IME B(O)Ž(I)E AMEN’ LET’ G(OSPO)DNIH’ Č·F·AÏ· (1511) VA VRIME PRESV(E)TOGA O(T)CA I G(OSPO)D(I)NA GDNA IJuLIJA P(A)PE 2 LÊTO NEGA 8 I B IŠE T(A)DA NAŠ GDN’ VZVELIČENI KNEZ BRNA DIN’ I B(I)ŠE T(A)DA PLOVAN’ GDN’ ANDRII T(A)DA BI ČINENA OVA CR(I) K(A)V’ S(VETIH) FABJANA I ŠE(BA)STJAN(A)

Characteristics of the Glagolitic script, of recent origin

  • Fountain – a memorial of the Statute of Vinodol on the Square, with an inscription in Glagolitic script plastically interpreted and a large sculptural inscription NOVI on Art (at the beginning of the promenade on Obala Petra Krešimira IV.).
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