Posedarski (ród)

Źródło; Gusić family

Posedarski branch

In 1194, the nobles Albus Slavogost and Dragoslav of Krbava,[42] received a grant by Béla III of Hungary with estates in Posedarje.[43] In 1219, the grant was confirmed by King Andrew II of Hungary, and Slavogost is again mentioned in 1249 and 1251 grants by Ban Stjepan and King Béla IV of Hungary.[44] From him originated the branch.[20] Since the 14th century the family branch started calling themselves as Posdearski ("of Posedarje"), and have gained some estates in the city of Zadar.[45] In 1396, Stjepan son of Petar Posedarski bought for 3,000 florins Kačina Gorica, Suhovare, Grgurice and Krnica from Mihovil Kačić.[46]

The power of the family of Possidaria or de Posedarya,[44] was based on a rich economy and military, which lasted until the end of the 18th century. They were influential to the formation and command of an elite Croatian cavalry unit called as Cro(v)ati a cavallo or Cavalleria Croata which was used since the 15th century by the Republic of Venice in resistance against the Ottoman army forces.[47] Since the 15th century they actively fought as vassals of the Republic of Venice against the Ottomans, especially in the hinterland of Zadar.[45] Venetians called them into military service with high military title of colonel who commanded over all the officers, serdars, and harambašas, even replaced Venetian Provveditore Generale.[48]

In the 15th century, in 1495 count Juraj Posedarski of captain Petar helped Tomo Mogorović saving his brother Martin Mogorović from the Ottoman slavery by selling part of own estates, and was defending Obrovac when it fell to the Ottomans in 1527.[49] In the 16th century, in 1541 Vid Posedarski was a commander of Croatian cavalrymen in Venetian forces, as well commander of Croati a cavallo of the fraternity of St. Jeronim.[50] Later captains and commanders of the cavalry unit were Frane (1561, 1571; deceased 1588), Gašpar (1587–89; deceased 1613), Juraj (1594; deceased c. 1625), Petar (1594), Marko (1608), Šimun (1645; deceased 1652), Frane (1643; deceased c. 1666), Pavao (1709), Ivan Petar (1716), and Petar (1730-1760s; deceased 1771).[51]

During the Cretan War (1645–1669) and Morean War (1684–1699) between the Republic of Venice and Ottoman Empire, the most prominent was count and colonel Frane of Gašpar Posedarski.[52] He was appointed as the army commander of that area by Provveditore Generale in Dalmatia, Leonardo Foscolo, and fought alongside Morlachian leaders like Petar Smiljanić, Vuk Mandušić, Stjepan Sorić and others.[45][53] He participated in defence and conquest of Novigrad (1646–1647), liberation of Klis Fortress (1648), and died 1670.[18] He was mentioned in several epic verses of Razgovor ugodni naroda slovinskog (1756) by Andrija Kačić Miošić, where is described as a "mighty knight".[54] His brother Juraj was a captain and count, who as a warrior and commander of the Morlach army participated in the liberation of Učitelja Vas, Islam Latinski and Ravni Kotari. After his death in 1679,[18] the commander became Stojan Janković, while his son Frane of Juraj became the governor of Nin as well the new colonel of Venetian forces. Frane died in 1717, with the last male descendant being his son count Petar Posedarski, the governor and colonel who led the seigniory from 1730 until his death in 1771.[55]

The last direct descendant was the princess Domenika, daughter of Petar Posedarski, who married nobleman Josip Benja, with all the estates then owned by the noble family Benja-Posedarski from Zadar whose rights were confirmed by the government in Vienna in 1822. However, since the late 19th century due to agrarian reforms and especially 1940s, they have lost ownership over the estates.[45] The branch perished with counts Antun (dec. 1952) and Darinka Benja Posedarski (née Pavličević, dec. 1975) who did not have any descendants.[56] Notable members

   Stjepan Posedarski (15th-16th century), a humanist, chaplain and envoy of Ivan Karlović, who in his work wrote about the difficulties Croats faced after the Battle of Krbava Field (1493) with the anti-Ottoman sentiment, specifically in his Oratio (1519) to Pope Leo X.[57][58][59][60]
   Martin Posedarski (mid-16th century-1601), a count who since 1590 lived in Senj, participated in the Battle of Klis (1596) and dissatisfied with Venetian military policy against Ottomans permanently joined Uskoks from Senj as their military commander.[61] In 1599 with 500 soldiers and 17 Uskok ships in the port of Rovinj captured 9 Venetian Galleys, because of which was executed by Austrian general Josip Rabatta in 1601.[62]
   Frane Posedarski (died 1670), count and colonel who fought during the Cretan War (1645–1669) and Morean War (1684–1699).[18]