Biograd's historical coat of arms

Biograd na Moru (in the Middle Ages also known as Alba Civitas, Belgrad) was built on the ruins of the ancient romanian settlement Blandona. It was first mentioned in the mid-10th century (Constantine Porphyrogenitus) as a Croatian town. In the 11th century it was the seat of Croatian kings. Around 1059 it was the seat of a diocese; in the same year the Benedictine monks' monastery of St. John was founded and in 1069 the nuns' monastery of St. Thomas. In 1102 Koloman was crowned the Croatian king here and in 1125 the town was destroyed by the Venetians. It also suffered much damage during the Venetian-Turkish wars, particularly in 1646.

The core of the ancient habitation was located on a small peninsula. Until the end of the 19th century, the town had walls with circular towers. The remains of the cathedral, a three-nave basilica, were destroyed, and the remains of the monastery church of St. John, also a three-nave basilica, have been explored and conserved. The church of St. Thomas has been preserved only in fragments. Outside the ancient settlement, the ruins of a smaller one-nave church with an apse have been found and close to it also early Croatian graves. The parish church of St. Anastasia, built in 1761, features Baroque altars, one of which is of gold-plated wood.

Outside the ancient settlement are also the small churches of St. Roch (Rocco) and St. Anthony (1850). The broader area features also prehistoric sites and the remains of an antique aqueduct. The Town Museum houses an archaeological collection with prehistoric, antique and early Croatian finds, as well as a collection of ships' cargo from the end of the 16th century.

Information provided by: