June 9, 2020 — Two skeletons found beneath Biograd na Moru’s old school are reviving local tales of unsolved century-old murders.
Workers building the BioSfera Center for Sustainable Active Tourism in Biograd discovered the remains on the south side of the school’s basement, between a stone outcrop and the external walls.
The structure’s 115-year history left many Biograd residents speculating how the bodies ended up in the soil, reviving local lore of secret century-old murders.
The city called conservationists and archeologists to take over the exhumation and study of the remains and to also confirm their age.
Archeologist and historian Marko Meštrov told Zadarski List the bones date back to the 16th or 17th centuries.
Employees of the Ministry of Culture’s Conservation Department in Zadar continuously work with representatives of the City of Biograd in order to avoid potential risks that accompany large infrastructural work in historical zones. They mostly focus on protecting the underground archeological heritage of the city, which needs to be preserved as much as possible.
The restoration and repurposing of historic buildings in well-worn areas present a constant danger of unearthing some forgotten history. Many recently-erected buildings along the Dalmatian coasts were delayed significantly by similar discoveries, which inevitably freeze all work until researchers and archeologists fully excavate, catalog and move any artifacts or remains.
The two bodies found in the old school may just be the beginning.
“Locals were buried in the old town of Biograd,” Meštrov said, suggesting there may be more skeletons under the school.
Work on the HRK11.3 million BioSfera in Biograd project stuttered from the outset after it began in early 2020. First, the coronavirus pandemic hit shortly after work began, creating a minor speed bump.
The work was stopped again with the discovery of the remains.
The project should be completed by Easter of 2021, according to Danijel Katičin, the director of the Vrana Lake Nature Park which is overseeing the project. Other partners include the City of Biograd, the Cluster for eco-social innovation and development CEDRA Split and Croatian Mountain Rescue Service. It’s mostly financed by the European Regional Development Fund.
The BioSfera project will promote active, cultural or gastro tourism offerings within the area while raising awareness of protected. It ultimately hopes to make Biograd na Moru an active tourism destination.
The old school building is a piece of the Biograd na Moru’s architectural heritage, protected in the Register of Individual Cultural Heritage as immovable cultural property. The old, 114-year-old building with an attic is laid along the main road leading to the Biograd waterfront. The building has a basement, ground floor, first floor and attic.
Due to the need to improve education, the building began to be built in 1905 thanks. It was completed in 1906, and school classes began immediately.
The newly opened mixed elementary school had three classes. The school at that time had parquets and a ventilation system, which made it one of the most modern schools in Dalmatia.
