Last modified: 2023-04-29 by rob raeside
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![[Municipality flag]](../images/h/hr-st-zd.gif)
image by Željko Heimer, 8 September 2013
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The municipality of Zadvarje (289 inhabitants in 2011) is located some 45 km south-east of Split, in a valley of the hinterland between the coastal mountains of Mosor and Biokovo. The municipal territory extends towards the coast with 4 km of the coastline in the Bay of Vrulja, without any settlement.
An hydroelectric plant was erected in the municipality in the 1920s. The medieval fort of Duare (meaning "gates", guarding the passage towards the sea from inlands), was for long disputed between the Venetians and the Ottomans. The modern name of the village can be, tentatively, translated as "Behind the Gates".
Željko Heimer, 29 December 2010
The symbols of Zadvarje (municipal website; photos) are prescribed by Decision Odluka o grbu i zastavi Općine Zadvarje (text), adopted on 2 July 2011 by the Municipality Assembly and published in the Municipality official gazette Službeni glasnik Općine Zadvarje.
The symbols were designed by the Heraldic Art d.o.o. company, from Rijeka.
The flag is prescribed "in proportions 1:2, light blue with the coat of arms, bordered yellow, in the middle".
However, the flag in actual use is notably darker blue than the ceremonial flag, therefore medium blue rather than light blue.
Željko Heimer, 10 July 2012
![[Municipality coat of arms]](../images/h/hr)st-zd.gif)
image by Željko Heimer, 8 September 2013
The coat of arms of Zadvarje is "Vert a waterfall argent and in the chief azure opened gates or".
The coat of arms is, obviously, based on the previous design, revamped in the modern style of Croatian municipal heraldry. The symbolics from the the previous emblem was retained: the doors making the arms canting and the old fort of Duare guarding the pass and the Velika Gubavica waterfall (48 m in height, the largest in "this part of Europe").
Željko Heimer, 10 July 2012
![[Municipality coat of arms]](../images/h/hr)st-zd9x.gif)
image by Željko Heimer, 29 December 2010
The previous coat of arms depicts white mountains
above the sea represented with uneven blue and white horizontal lines,
a stream is pouring between the mountains into the valley and atop is
a yellow tower, all between two black trapezoid flanks. The mountains represented are Mosor and Biokovo, the stream is Gubavica and the fort is the medieval fortress of Duare. The black flanks presumably recall the municipality's name.
This design was probably rejected by the central authorities (provided it was ever submitted for approval).
Željko Heimer, 29 December 2010
![[Ceremonial flag]](../images/h/hr-st_zd.gif)
image by Željko Heimer, 8 September 2013
The ceremonial flag is a light blue gonfalon ending triangularly with a fringe, the coat of arms in the middle topped with the name of the municipality and with two kostela branches below.
The tree locally known as kostela is known under the Latin binomial Celtis australis L. According to Wikipedia, the English names of the tree are "European nettle tree", "Mediterranean hackberry", "lote tree", or "honeyberry". This tree was often referred to by the old writers (Homer, Herodotus etc.) as the lotus. As the lote tree it is also known as the Islamic metaphor for the highest possible knowledge humans may obtain regarding Allah. The municipal website explains that the streets of Zadvarje are lined with several centuries old alleys of Mediterranean hackberry. The Croatian Wikipedia provides
for over 50 names of this tree in Croatian, in various regions; while
the official name is košćela crna, other best known names are koprivić, ladonja and pelegrinka.
Željko Heimer, 10 July 2012
![[Municipality coat of arms]](../images/h/hr-st-zd09.gif)
![[Municipality coat of arms]](../images/h/hr-st-zd09).gif)
image by Željko Heimer, 13 April 2023