FACULTY OF PHILOSOPHY / INSTITUT FOR CROATIAN HISTORY / IVANA LUČIĆA 3,
10000 ZAGREB

‘Bridges’
The revitalisation of the Stojan Janković Castle and the area of
Islam Grčki, Islam Latinski and Kašić villages
_______________________________________________________

Workcamp Islam Grčki

√ Place: Islam Grčki, Dalmatia, Croatia
√ Type of activity: Manual clearance of building material and overgrown vegetation
√ Objective: Recovery of the Janković Castle in Islam Grčki
√ Dates: 16 Jul - 23 Jul
√ Age range: 17+
√ Type: International
√ Language: English/French

__________________________DESCRIPTION OF THE WORKING SITE

The villages of Islam Grčki, Islam Latinski and Kašić have been populated both by Roman Catholics and Serb Orthodox for at least four centuries. For most of the 16th and 17th centuries the area of these villages was on the frontier between the Venetian Republic and the Ottoman Empire (Islam) In the second half of the 17th century ‘Morlacchs’ - people from this area, irrespective of their religion, used to fight in the Venetian service against Ottoman attacks under the command of Stojan Janković, a famous ‘serdar’ and ‘cavalier of St. Mark’, whose stronghold was actually the present tower. During his lifetime Stojan Janković was one of the most popular personalities in heroic folk songs of Dalmatia, a status which has been preserved until modern times. In old documents and maps the same family names can be found to be living and owning land in this same location for centuries. For much of history these people of different religions and different ethnic origins lived together peacefully, sharing common fates and often inter-married.

The Janković Castle, a Croatian cultural monument of the 1st category, is situated in Islam Grčki close to Islam Latinski. This complex of buildings surrounded with an arboretum was damaged by shelling during the Croatian Indipendence War (1991-1995) and by arson and vandalism after the war. Parts of its inventory are now scattered throughout various locations, while the buildings and the arboretum were left to ruin. The works done on the Janković Castle so far have been financially supported by the Croatian Ministry of Culture, but the funds are insufficient and it will take many decades to repair it.

The preservation of the Janković Castle - categorised in Croatia as a historic cultural monument of the 1st category - owned by a family Desnica of Serbian origin, have started with some programmes of public interest such as international workshops, presentations and volunteer camps would help people to return to their homes in largely depopulated areas, to rebuild their ties which had existed for centuries and were brutally severed only a few years ago and at the same time save an important monument of common culture and heritage.

_________________________________________JOB DESCRIPTION

Volunteers will be divided into a few groups which will work on:
1. Cleaning and clearing the relevant areas of the Castle complex. Works will be carried out by volunteers and will be followed by experts supervising of the professional builders who are responsible for the refurbishment of the Castle. This will include removing building waste and other waste as well as removing the overgrown vegetation in some parts of the buildings and around them.

2. Clearing the overgrown plants in the arboretum site and preparing the land for plant new plants. This part of works will be supervised by an expert who will be in charge of the arboretum revitalisation.

_________________________________________OTHER ACTIVITIES

The activity team will prepare a series of activities so that participants on the project will get to know something more about the history, culture and the habits of the northern Dalmatia.
These activities will be carried out every afternoon and at the weekend. All group members will participate.

__________________________________________THINGS TO BRING

→ Sleeping bag
→ Work clothes and gloves
→ Hat
→ Warm and waterproof clothes
→ Trainers and walking boots
→ Tents (if possible)

____________________________________LODGING AND SITUATION

Lodging: Auto-camp Adriasol, Novigrad
Situation of the work camp: In a rural area, 30 km from the town of Zadar.

________________________________________HOW TO GET THERE

Airports: Zadar or Zagreb

Buses: Zadar (international bus lines)

___________________________________________MEETING PLACE

Volunteers are requested to announce their time and place of arrival to the organisation (assistant of the project Bridges) in order we can organise your further transport from the bus station or airport to the camp site.

Documentation: - Identification card or passport
- Health card

__________________________INSURANCE AND REFUNDING THE FEE

All volunteers have to care about own life-insurance. The organisation of the working camp does not include this part. The volunteer’s fee covers only expenses for food and stay in the auto-camp. The volunteers will pay a fee of 10 euros per day on the day of their arrival to the camp.

_____________________________________________INFORMATION

University of Zagreb, Faculty of Philosoph, Institute for Croatian History, project Bridges, Prof. Drago Roksandić, PhD., +385(0)16120153;
assistant Tea Mayhew, +385(0)51372069; info@vidagents.com

_____________________________________________REGULATIONS

For further information, please ask on info@vidagents.com

________________________________________________________
Prof. Drago Roksandić, PhD, Project Manager, tel. +3851612153; e-mail: drago.roksandic@ffzg.hr; drago.roksandic@zg.htnet.hr
Tea Mayhew, MA, Project Co-ordinator; tel. +38551372069; e-mail: info@vidagents.com