Mirila

Virtualni muzej

Topography

The Zapadnjari (Kosa Koića) (near Koić)

The site is located west of the center of Starigrad between Tikvena dražica and the hamlet of Koići on the north side of the main coastal road.

It was once one of the largest in the southern Velebits: photograph by R. Simonović, 1924 (fi g. 3) and photograph by M. Trošelj, 1980). It was destroyed during construction of the main coastal road in 1956, and further by the building of weekend homes from the 1980s up to the present day. They belonged to the Zapadnjari, the families of the western hamlets: Koići (Slobodina), Milovci (Uramovac), Čavići - Šošići, Mali and Veliki Ledenik (Krapići, Petričevići, Jovići, Adžići and Bušljete - Povešići). In 1980, it was possible to document 42 mirilo stones of the arched-rounded type. A small number were two-eaved (“rooft op”), square, and amorphous, all oriented west - east.

The incised relief decoration primarily consisted of simple forms of crosses. Two headstones stood out with specifi c markings: a stylized anthropomorphic image on one, and on the other a branched form of cross with two pentagrams – as a symbol of astral-magical beliefs and as an early Christian symbol or a sign of the heavenly image at the time of death.

All the slabs with the simple cross symbol had an inscription – the fi rst and last name of the deceased, the year of birth and death or merely the initials and the year of death:

  • Jure Milovac 12 March 1916