Petrinja
Petrinja is a town in central Croatia near Sisak in the historic region of Banovina. The city belongs to Sisak-Moslavina County (Sisačko-moslavačka županija).
History
The name of Petrinja has its roots in Latin petrus, meaning "stone". It is said that the town existed in Roman era in the area of Zrinska Gora, which is very rich in stone.
West of Petrinja is Petrova gora (Peter's mountain), site of the 1097 Battle of Gvozd Mountain between King Petar Svačić of Croatia and Coloman of Hungary.
The first written trace of Petrinja as an inhabited settlement is the one about the benefits awarded to the inhabitants of Petrinja by the Slavonian duke Koloman in 1240. This old medieval Petrinja belongs to the time of warring with the Turks. In 1592, Petrinja was given a new location with the construction and building of a Turkish fortress at the confluence of the Petrinjčica and the Kupa rivers. The fortress was to serve the Turks in conquering Sisak, Turopolje and Zagreb.
On August 10, 1594, the fortress was first liberated by the Croatian army. Therefore, August 10 has become the day of gratitude towards God and St. Lawrence, and this saint has been chosen for the patron saint of the parish and the town of Petrinja.
Over the time, Petrinja has increasingly become the place of the settlement for many craftsmen and merchants whose arrival marks the beginning of the town's development.