Croatian pre-Romanesque art and architecture

Croatian Pre-Romanesque art and architecture or Old Croatian Art is Pre-Romanesque art and architecture of Croats from their arrival at Balkans till the end of the 11th century when begins the dominance of Romanesque style in art; that was the time of Croatian rulers (Croatian dukes and Croatian Kingdom).

Croats have moved from northern Europe, together with other Slavs and Avars, to the area of former Roman provinces of Pannonia, Dalmatia and Istria, where they live til the present day. There they founded several principalities: Pannonian Croatia in the north around the river Sava, and Dalmatian Croatia along the western and southern Adriatic coast. Together they were known as White Croatia, while to the east there were medieval principalities in southern Dalmatia which were at times collectively called Red Croatia.

Croats have been developed to the stage of Iron Age, and they didn’t know how to enjoy the riches of Roman cities, so they inhabited not the city itself but its suburbs (like the river island on the delta of river Jadro next to city of Salona). Croats have assimilated Avars, accepted Christianity, and the ruling cast learned to speak and write Latin. Croats have accepted Christianity from Franks to the west and from Byzantium from the east. Most of the principalities have turned to Christianity in the 9th century except Pagania which was true to old Slav mythology until the 13th century.

First Croatian ruler that was recognized by the pope was duke Branimir, who was called by pope John VIII dux Chroatorum in his letter in 879. First king of Kingdom of Croatia, Tomislav from the House of Trpimirović was crowned around year 925 as rex Chroatorum and he united Pannonian Principality and Littoral Croatian Duchy into respectable medieval country which peaked during the reign of Petar Krešimir IV (1058-1074).

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