Croats of Italy

Croats of Italy

Total population
cca. 60,000
Regions with significant populations
Friuli-Venezia Giulia cca. 60,000 [1]  Molise 2,801 [1]
Languages
Italian, Croatian
Religion
Mostly Roman Catholic
Related ethnic groups
Italians, Croats

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The Croats of Italy are the ethnic group of Croats, or people with Croatian ancestry, living in Italy. In 2010 they numbered about 60,000,^[1] the first Croats having settled in Italy in the 15th century.^[1]

Croats living in Italy

The majority of the 60,000 Croats in Italy live in the northeast, in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region.^[1] Of these 30,000 live in Trieste, 20,000 live between Trieste and Venetia, while the remaining 10,000 live in small settlements around the region.^[1] They do not have guaranteed minority rights.^[1]

Molise Croats

Main article: Molise Croats

Molise Croats, who were first Croats to settle in Italy, have protection as a language minority, since the Italian Constitution does not contain laws about national minorities.^[1] They got protection as a minority on 5 November 1996 by an agreement signed between Croatia and Italy.^[1] According to 2001 census, there were 2,801 Molise Croats, of which 813 lived in San Felice del Molise (Croatian: Štifilić; Filić), 800 in Acquaviva Collecroce (Croatian: Kruč) and 468 in Montemitro (Croatian: Mundimitar).^[1] Number of Molise Croats is in decline.^[1]

Associations, publications and media

In region of Molise there is Federation of Croatian-Molise Cultural Associations which unifies Association "Luigi Zara", Foundation "Agostina Piccoli", Association "Naš život" (English: Our Life) and Association "Naš grad" (English: Our Town).^[1] But, main association of all Croats of Italy is Alliance of Croatian Associations founded in 2001; this association consists of Croatian-Italian Association of Rome, Croatian Union of Milano, Croatian Union of Trieste, Croatian Union of Venetia, Croatian-Italian Association of Udine and Association "Luigi Zara".^[1] Also, Club of Friends of Croatia is active in Milano.^[1] An Croatian organization that has longer history in Italy is Pontifical Croatian College of St. Jerome, a Catholic college. Also, another Croatian Catholic organizations exist in Italy, Domus Croata "Dr. Ivan Merz", an organization of Croatian pilgrims.^[1]

Foundation "Agostina Piccoli" and Association "Naš život" are issuing bilingual magazine "Riča živa/Parola viva" (English: Living Word), while Alliance of Croatian Associations prints also bilingual magazine "Insieme" (Croatian: Zajedno, English: Togehter).^[1]

Famous Croats of Italy

• Andrea de Adamich, Italian racing driver
• Saša Bjelanović, Croatian footballer
• Giulio Clovio, Italian-Croatian painter
• Gino Gardassanich, American footballer
• Giovanni Martinolich, Italian chess master
• Predrag Matvejević, Croatian writer
• Abdon Pamich, Italian race walker
• Nikola Radulović, Italian basketball player
• Giani Stuparich, Italian writer
• Fulvio Tomizza, Italian writer
• Pope Sixtus V
• Uros Vico, Italian tennis player
• Antonio Vojak, Italian footballer
• Oliviero Vojak, Italian footballer

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p} "Hrvatska manjina u Talijanskoj Republici". Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration. http://www.mvpei.hr/hmiu/tekst.asp?q=01hmi-hmi005. Retrieved 8 November 2011.