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Bridge known as the Roman bridge on the river Orlja near the village of Klinčići, the historic monument

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Status of monument -> National monument

Published in the Official Gazette of BiH, no. 53/11.

Pursuant to Article V para. 4 Annex 8 of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Article 39 para. 1 of the Rules of Procedure of the Commission to Preserve National Monuments, at a session held on 11 March 2011 the Commission adopted a

 

D E C I S I O N

 

I

 

The historic monument of the bridge known as the “Roman bridge” on the river Orlja near the village of Klinčići, Municipality Olovo, is hereby designated as a National Monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina (hereinafter: the National Monument).

The National Monument is located on a site designated as cadastral plot 1278 (old and new survey), title deed no. 9, cadastral municipality Klinčići, Municipality Olovo, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The provisions relating to protection measures set forth by the Law on the Implementation of the Decisions of the Commission to Preserve National Monuments, established pursuant to Annex 8 of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Official Gazette of the Federation of BiH nos. 2/02, 27/02, 6/04 and 51/07) shall apply to the National Monument.

 

II

 

The Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (hereinafter: the Government of the Federation) shall be responsible for providing the legal, scientific, technical, administrative and financial measures necessary for the protection, conservation, restoration and presentation of the National Monument.

The Commission to Preserve National Monuments (hereinafter: the Commission) shall determine the technical requirements and secure the funds for preparing and setting up signboards with basic details of the monument and the Decision to proclaim the property a National Monument.

 

III

 

To ensure the on-going protection of the National Monument on the area defined in Clause 1 para. 2 of this Decision, the following protection measures are hereby stipulated:

-          all works are prohibited other than conservation-restoration works, routine maintenance works, works designed to ensure the sustainable use of the monument, and works designed to display the monument, with the approval of the Federal Ministry responsible for regional planning (hereinafter: the relevant ministry) and under the expert supervision of the heritage protection authority of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (hereinafter: the heritage protection authority);

-          conservation and restoration works shall be carried out using original materials and building techniques wherever possible, under the expert supervision of the heritage protection authority;

-          works that could be detrimental to the National Monument are prohibited, as is the erection of temporary facilities or permanent structures not designed solely for the protection and presentation of the monument;

-          a maintenance plan and programme shall be drawn up for the National Monument;

-          the dumping of waste is prohibited.

 

The following urgent protection measures are hereby prescribed:

-          clearing the site of the National Monument of self-sown vegetation;

-          conducting a detailed architectural survey of the structure;

-          conducting a structural analysis of the structural elements;

-          drawing up a conservation and restoration project.

 

IV

 

All executive and area development planning acts are hereby revoked to the extent that they are not in accordance with the provisions of this Decision.

 

V

 

Everyone, and in particular the competent authorities of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Canton, and urban and municipal authorities, shall refrain from any action that might damage the National Monument or jeopardize the preservation thereof.

 

VI

 

The Government of the Federation, the Federal Ministry responsible for regional planning, the Federation heritage protection authority, and the Municipal Authorities in charge of urban planning and land registry affairs, shall be notified of this Decision in order to carry out the measures stipulated in Articles II to V of this Decision, and the Authorized Municipal Court shall be notified for the purposes of registration in the Land Register.

 

VII

 

The elucidation and accompanying documentation form an integral part of this Decision, which may be viewed by interested parties on the premises or by accessing the website of the Commission (http://www.kons.gov.ba). 

 

VIII

 

Pursuant to Art. V para 4 Annex 8 of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, decisions of the Commission are final.

 

IX

 

This Decision shall enter into force on the day following its publication in the Official Gazette of BiH.

 

This Decision has been adopted by the following members of the Commission: Zeynep Ahunbay, Martin Cherry, Amra Hadžimuhamedović, Dubravko Lovrenović and Ljiljana Ševo.

  

No: 02-2.3-77/11-11       

11 March 2011

Sarajevo

 

Chair of the Commission

Amra Hadžimuhamedović

 

E l u c i d a t i o n

 

I – INTRODUCTION

Pursuant to Article 2, paragraph 1 of the Law on the Implementation of the Decisions of the Commission to Preserve National Monuments, established pursuant to Annex 8 of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a “National Monument” is an item of public property proclaimed by the Commission to Preserve National Monuments to be a National Monument pursuant to Articles V and VI of Annex 8 of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina  and property entered on the Provisional List of National Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Official Gazette of  BiH no. 33/02) until the Commission reaches a final decision on its status, as to which there is no time limit and regardless of whether a petition for the property in question has been submitted or not.

Pursuant to a petition/proposal submitted to the Commission by the Mayor of Olovo Municipality on 5 November 2007 and to the provisions of the law, the Commission proceeded to carry out the procedure for reaching a final decision to designate the Property as a National Monument, pursuant to Article V para. 4 of Annex 8 and Article 35 of the Rules of Procedure of the Commission to Preserve National Monuments.

 

Statement of significance

The bridge known as the Roman Bridge is not far from Olovo, spanning the river Orlja, which flows into the river Krivaja, between the village of Klinčići and the hamlet of Zaljani, on the old mining road linking the silver and lead mines of central Bosnia (including those of Olovo) with the main road – the Bosnian highway – which ran from Emona (Ljubljana) via Ulpiana (Lipljan) to Scupi (Skopje). It is not known when the bridge was built, but its position suggests that there could have been a bridge here in Antiquity. Two traditions relating to the date of the bridge still survive. The first is that it dates from Antiquity, but the second places it at a later date. It is of considerable historical value as the only surviving old stone bridge on the route of this ancient road. However, long-term exposure to the elements and the ravages of time have left it in very poor condition.

 

II – PRELIMINARY PROCEDURE

In the procedure preceding the adoption of a final decision to proclaim the property a national monument, the following documentation was inspected:

-          Data on the current condition and use of the property, including a description and photographs, data of war damage, data on restoration or other works on the property, etc.

-          An inspection of the condition of the property.

-          Copy of cadastral plan.

-          Copy of Land Register entry(1).

-          Historical, architectural and other documentary material on the property, as set out in the bibliography forming part of this Decision.

-          The views of the owner – Olovo Municipality – expressed by virtue of submitting the petition.

 

The findings based on the review of the above documentation and the condition of the property are as follows:

 

1. Details of the property

Location

The Roman Bridge spans the river Orlja, which flows into the river Krivaja, between the village of Klinčići and the hamlet of Zaljani, not far from Olovo, on the Klinčići to Ravne road.

The National Monument is located on a site designated as cadastral plot 1278 (old and new survey), title deed no. 9, cadastral municipality Klinčići, Municipality Olovo, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Historical information

            Only a few old stone bridges still survive; all the old wooden bridges have long since disappeared. Bridges constructed of more durable materials were erected on all major trade routes. The fundamental stereotomic form common to all bridge-building world-wide is the arch – a single arch between two banks, or a number of arches linking the river-banks in a certain rhythm. The principles of arch-building were discovered several thousand years ago, and were applied in this part of the world as a standard, well-established and self-explanatory construction method by the Romans, in mediaeval times and, finally, by Ottoman builders(2).

The bridge on the River Orlja is on the old mining road linking the silver and lead mines of central Bosnia (including those of Olovo) with the main road – the Bosnian highway – which ran from Emona (Ljubljana) via Ulpiana (Lipljan) to Scupi (Skopje). 

As with other stone bridges, it is very hard to determine when it was built, which allows folk traditions to flourish, hence the name “Roman Bridge” for this bridge. However, its position suggests that there could have been a bridge here in Antiquity. 

The bridge as it stands has no features typical of the Roman period (the characteristic arch, opus quadratum), suggesting that the parts of the bridge now above ground are of later date, which cannot be determined without detailed investigative works. In the present state of historical and archaeological knowledge, it is almost impossible to determine which of these bridges are Roman, stand on Roman foundations, or are of later date(3).   

 

2. Description of the property

“There are two sizeable settlements on the River Krivaja: Olovo and Zavidovići. There must have been at least one footbridge in these settlements, but there are no remains of such bridges; however, since they were probably wooden bridges, they would long since have disappeared.

The only old bridge in this area spans the little river Orlja, which flows into the Krivaja between the village of Klinčići and the hamlet of Zaljani, not far from Olovo, on the Klinčić to Ravne road.”(4)

The bridge on the river Orlja has a single arch, the abutments constructed of rubblestone and hewn stone blocks of various sizes and the barrel of finely dressed, fairly evenly-sized blocks. It was built on fairly level ground, with part of the barrel resting on the banks and part on large, evenly-cut blocks forming the footings for the entire barrel.

It is now 8.50 m long and 2.20 m wide overall at mid point. The roadway is now in poor condition, the result of neglect and exposure to the elements. The blocks forming the barrel are square-cut on two sides on the roadway surface. The bridge has no parapet or other features that would make it possible to reconstruct its original appearance.

The flanking walls [sic: abutment walls? wing walls?] look as though they were constructed of unevenly-hewn stone blocks laid dry, with a height of 3.00 m. Long-term neglect and exposure to the elements have led to the lime mortar washing out, reducing the level [sic: height?] of the wall.

The pointed arch of the bridge is of large, evenly-cut blocks, and has a span of 4.60 m.  Traces of the mortar used as binder when the bridge was built can be seen in the barrel, along with quantities of self-sown vegetation; most of the joints have been washed out.

The barrel is 30 cm in height at the top, increasing radially to 70 cm at the base. The highest point of the bridge is 2.50 m above water level. The intrados is of finely dressed blocks with radial joints.

Like the bridges in Stari Majdan and Kožetina, this bridge is of simple, rustic form, seeming to have grown organically from its setting.

 

3. Legal status to date

The bridge has not been subject to statutory protection(5).

 

4. Research and conservation-restoration works

No information is available concerning research, investigative or conservation-restoration works on the bridge.

 

5. Current condition of the property

The findings of an on-site inspection conducted on 5 March 2010 are as follows:

-          the bridge on the River Orlja is in very poor structural condition;

-          damage can be seen on the barrel, from which the mortar is missing from the joints, so that the entire structure is in poor condition;

-          the level [height?] of the flanking walls [abutment walls? wing walls?] has been reduced over time through neglect and exposure to the elements;

-          there is self-sown vegetation and biological deposits on the walls, in the joints and on the barrel;

-          the bridge is in such poor condition that it is used only as a footbridge.

 

III – CONCLUSION

Applying the Criteria for the adoption of a decision on proclaiming an item of property a national monument (Official Gazette of BiH nos. 33/02 and 15/03), the Commission has enacted the Decision cited above.

The Decision was based on the following criteria:

A.         Time frame

B.         Historical value

C.         Artistic and aesthetic value

C.iii.      proportions

C.iv.      composition

F.         Townscape/ Landscape value

F.iii.      the building or group of buildings is part of a group or site

 

The following documents form an integral part of this Decision:

-          copy of cadastral plan

-          photodocumentation, Canon Power Shot SX 10 IS 10.0 megapixel, Arijana Pašić

-          drawings of the bridge, Arijana Pašić

 

Bibliography

During the procedure to designate the monument as a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina the following works were consulted: 

 

1989     Gojković, Milan. Stari kameni mostovi (Old stone bridges). Belgrade: Naučna knjiga, 1989

 

2004     Lemja Chabbouh Akšamija. Arhitektura svrhe, Akcentirane kamene mostovne konstrukcije osmanskog perioda na carskom bosanskom drumu (The architecture of purpose, accented stone bridge structures of the Ottoman period on the imperial Bosnian road), master's dissertation. Sarajevo: Faculty of Architecture, 2004

 

(1) In a letter ref. 03-23-2-1299/08 the Federal Ministry of Regional Planning notified the Commission to Preserve National Monuments that it has no details or documentation on the property.

(2) Džemal Čelić and Mehmed Mujezinović, Stari mostovi u Bosni i Hercegovini, Sarajevo: Sarajevo Publishing, 1998, 30-31

(3) Džemal Čelić and Mehmed Mujezinović, op.cit., 16.

(4) Džemal Čelić and Mehmed Mujezinović, op.cit., 142.

(5) In a letter ref. 07-40-4-3826-1/08 of 9 October 2008 the Federal Ministry of Culture and Sport reported that the property was not protected by the Institute for the Protection of the Cultural, Historical and Natural Heritage of BiH.



Bridge known as the Roman bridge on the river OrljaBridge known as the ‘Roman bridge’ Bridge known as the ‘Roman bridge’  


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