Šibenik

Šibenik (shēbĕ'nĭk), Ital. Sebenico, town (1991 pop. 41,012), S Croatia, on the Adriatic Sea. It is a seaport, naval base, and resort center on the Dalmatian coast. The city has shipbuilding, metalworking, and aluminum industries. Founded in the 10th cent., Šibenik was an early residence of the kings of Croatia. It was captured by Venice in 1117, but was held by Hungary from 1351 to 1412, when it again passed to Venice. It passed (1797) to Austria, which held it until 1918. The city was incorporated into Croatia, then a constituent republic of Yugoslavia, in 1922. Šibenik's finest buildings date from the Venetian period, notably the Cathedral of St. Jacob (1431-55) and a town hall with a Renaissance loggia (built in 1542).