From 1193 until 1553 Modruš and the large surrounding estate was owned by members of the
Frankopan noble family, who were living in the
Tržan castle above the medieval settlement.
Ecclesiastical history
During the 1460s, due to the Ottoman (Turkish) advance in
Dalmatia, the medieval Catholic
Diocese of Corbavia (established in 1185 at
Udbina, in
Krbava region -hence the name-, including the county of Modruš) was formally suppressed by Pope
Pius II, but its territory immediately reassigned to establish as successor see the Diocese of Modruš (Croatian = Curiate Italian) / Modrussa / Modrussen(sis) (Latin), named after its new see, near
Fiume (Rijeka), at the rock fortress of the Frankopan counts (now in the comune
Josipdol). Again it was a
suffragan of the Metropolitan
Archdiocese of Spalato (Split).
Due to a Croat defeat against the Turks at
Udbina in (1493), the episcopal see was again transferred, now to
Novi Vinodolski (Italian Novi in Valdivino), south-east of Fiume, but kept Modruš as its title.
Turkish raids having devastated the nearly-abandoned bishopric since the 1560s, its administration was vested in the nearby
Diocese of Segna, and in 1630 Pope
Urban VIII united both sees per aequalitatem jurium in
personal union, formally remaining separate suffragans of Spalato, as confirmed in 1833 by
papal bulla from
Gregory XVI. They became known (informally, incorrectly) as the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Senj-Modruš.
By the 19th century, besides the cathedral little survived the Turkish rule, except its
Chapter of Canons, divided in three parts residing in the diocese's last
parishes : Novi itself,
Bribir and
Buccari.
On 27 July 1969 by
Paul VI's
papal bulla 'Coetu intante', Modruš was united with the
Diocese of Rijeka–Opatija (Fiume in Italian), which was elevated to Metropolitan archbishopric and renamed
Archdiocese of Rijeka–Senj (Fiume-Segna), by privilege bearing the 'additional' title Bishops of Modruš.
Residential Bishops of Modruš
Suffragan Bishops of Modruš
Niccolò di Cattaro (October 1461 – ?)
Cristoforo da Ragusa (1480.05.29 – death 1498?99)
Giacomo Dragazio (12 April 1499 – death 1499.09.07)
Simone de Begno (1509.11.07 – death 1536.03)
Pierpaolo Vergerio (1536.05.05 – 1536.09.06), previously
Apostolic Nuncio (papal ambassador) to
Austria-Hungary (1533 – 1535); later Bishop of
Koper (Capodistria,
Slovenia) (1536.09.06 – retired 1549.07.03), died 1565
From 1193 until 1553 Modruš and the large surrounding estate was owned by members of the
Frankopan noble family, who were living in the
Tržan castle above the medieval settlement.
Ecclesiastical history
During the 1460s, due to the Ottoman (Turkish) advance in
Dalmatia, the medieval Catholic
Diocese of Corbavia (established in 1185 at
Udbina, in
Krbava region -hence the name-, including the county of Modruš) was formally suppressed by Pope
Pius II, but its territory immediately reassigned to establish as successor see the Diocese of Modruš (Croatian = Curiate Italian) / Modrussa / Modrussen(sis) (Latin), named after its new see, near
Fiume (Rijeka), at the rock fortress of the Frankopan counts (now in the comune
Josipdol). Again it was a
suffragan of the Metropolitan
Archdiocese of Spalato (Split).
Due to a Croat defeat against the Turks at
Udbina in (1493), the episcopal see was again transferred, now to
Novi Vinodolski (Italian Novi in Valdivino), south-east of Fiume, but kept Modruš as its title.
Turkish raids having devastated the nearly-abandoned bishopric since the 1560s, its administration was vested in the nearby
Diocese of Segna, and in 1630 Pope
Urban VIII united both sees per aequalitatem jurium in
personal union, formally remaining separate suffragans of Spalato, as confirmed in 1833 by
papal bulla from
Gregory XVI. They became known (informally, incorrectly) as the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Senj-Modruš.
By the 19th century, besides the cathedral little survived the Turkish rule, except its
Chapter of Canons, divided in three parts residing in the diocese's last
parishes : Novi itself,
Bribir and
Buccari.
On 27 July 1969 by
Paul VI's
papal bulla 'Coetu intante', Modruš was united with the
Diocese of Rijeka–Opatija (Fiume in Italian), which was elevated to Metropolitan archbishopric and renamed
Archdiocese of Rijeka–Senj (Fiume-Segna), by privilege bearing the 'additional' title Bishops of Modruš.
Residential Bishops of Modruš
Suffragan Bishops of Modruš
Niccolò di Cattaro (October 1461 – ?)
Cristoforo da Ragusa (1480.05.29 – death 1498?99)
Giacomo Dragazio (12 April 1499 – death 1499.09.07)
Simone de Begno (1509.11.07 – death 1536.03)
Pierpaolo Vergerio (1536.05.05 – 1536.09.06), previously
Apostolic Nuncio (papal ambassador) to
Austria-Hungary (1533 – 1535); later Bishop of
Koper (Capodistria,
Slovenia) (1536.09.06 – retired 1549.07.03), died 1565