Petrinja

Petrinja lies near the Kupa River in central Croatia. Its medieval inhabitants received privileges from Duke Koloman in 1240. The old fortress was abandoned and destroyed in 1543 to prevent its capture by Ottoman forces. In 1592 the Ottomans built a new fortress at the confluence of the Petrinjčica and Kupa, establishing the site of the later town. Croatian forces took the fortress in 1594, and craftsmen and merchants subsequently settled around it. In 1773 Maria Theresa designated Petrinja a craft guild centre for the Military Frontier. From 1809 to 1813 it formed part of the French-administered Illyrian Provinces, a period during which it served as a trading and transport centre.