History of Novi Vinodolski

Novi Vinodolski has been inhabited since prehistoric times, as evidenced by discoveries from the Vlaška Peć cave near Kozica, which include artifacts from the Eneolithic, Neolithic, Early Bronze Age, and the beginning of the Middle Bronze Age. The Romans built the fortress of Lopar here, which was later taken over by the Slavs after the Roman army withdrew.

At the beginning of the 13th century, the Frankopan (Krk) princes acquired Modruš and Vinodol through a royal grant, and they built their castle and the fortified town of Novi Grad.
In 1288, the Vinodol Code was written here, regulating the relations between the new feudal lords and the nine Vinodol municipalities. This is the oldest legal text written in Glagolitic script in the Croatian language and the oldest legal monument of the southern Slavs.

After the Ottomans plundered and burned Modruš and the bishop’s palace, the seat of the Diocese of Modruš or Krbava was moved to Novi.
During the Uskok wars, the town was frequently attacked by the Venetians, who once destroyed it during a raid while the Frankopan army was away fighting the Turks.