1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Poglizza

POGLIZZA (Serbo-Croatian, Poljica), a tract of mountainous land in Dalmatia, Austria; formerly the seat of an independent republic. The territories of Poglizza lay chiefly within the south-easterly curve made by the river Cetina before it enters the Adriatic at Almissa (Omiš). They also comprised the fastnesses of the Mossor range (4500 ft.) and the fertile strip of coast from Almissa to Stobrez, 10 m. W.N.W. The inhabitants lived in scattered villages, each ruled by its count, and all together ruled by the supreme count. These officers, with the three judges, were always of noble birth, though elected by the whole body of citizens. There were two orders of nobles; the higher, including about 20 families, claimed Hungarian descent; the lower, claiming kinship with the Bosnian aristocracy. Below these ranked the commoners and the serfs. At a very early date the warlike highlanders of Poglizza became the friends and allies of the Almissan corsairs, who were thus enabled to harass the seaborne trade of their neighbours without fear of a sudden attack by land. Almissa received a charter from Andrew II. of Hungary in 1207, and remained under the nominal protection of Hungary until 1444, when both Almissa and Pogliazza accepted the suzerainty of Venice, while retaining their internal freedom. The population of Poglizza numbered 6566 in 1806. In the following year, however, the republic incurred the enmity of Napoleon by rendering aid to the Russians and Montenegrins in Dalmatia; and it was invaded by French troops, who plundered its villages, massacred its inhabitants, and finally deprived it of independence.

See the Annuario Dalmatico for 1885 (published at Zara); and A. Fortis, Travels into Dalmatia (London, 1778).