Šibenik

Šibenik
Grad Šibenik
City of Šibenik
View of Šibenik from Barone Fortress
St. Francis Monastery
Church of St. John
Šibenik
Location of Šibenik within Croatia
Coordinates: 43°44′N 15°55′E / 43.733°N 15.917°E / 43.733; 15.917
Country Croatia
County Šibenik-Knin
Government
  TypeMayor-Council
  MayorŽeljko Burić (HDZ)
  City Council
21 members
Area
  City
399.5 km2 (154.2 sq mi)
  Urban
44.1 km2 (17.0 sq mi)
Elevation
0 m (0 ft)
Population
 (2021)
  City
42,599
  Density110/km2 (280/sq mi)
  Urban
31,115
  Urban density710/km2 (1,800/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
  Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
HR-22 000
Area code+385 22
License plateŠI
ClimateCsa
Websitesibenik.hr

Šibenik (Croatian: [ʃîbeniːk] ), historically known as Sebenico (Italian: [sebeˈniːko]), is a historic town in Croatia, located in central Dalmatia, where the river Krka flows into the Adriatic Sea. Šibenik is one of the oldest Croatian self-governing cities on the Adriatic, the capital and cultural, educational, administrative and economic center of Šibenik-Knin County, and is also the third-largest town in the Dalmatian region. As of 2021, the town has 31,115 inhabitants, while the municipality has 42,599 inhabitants.The seat is the Šibenik Diocese.

It was first mentioned on Christmas 1066 in a grant of Peter Krešimir IV, so it is also called Krešimir's Town. Until the plague pandemic in 17th century it was the largest city on the entire eastern coast of the Adriatic. Šibenik was the de facto capital of the Croatia from December 1944 to May 1945. It is also significant as the place of foundation of the Croatian Navy.

The Cathedral of St. James is the most significant architectural achievement of the 15th and 16th centuries on the soil of Croatia. Due to its exceptional values, it was included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List in 2000, which was joined on that list by the Fortress of St. Nicholas.