Vitaljina
{{Short description|Southernmost settlement in Croatia}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name = Vitaljina
| native_name =
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| settlement_type = Village
| image_skyline = Vitaljina.JPG
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| pushpin_map = Croatia
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| pushpin_label_position = left
| coordinates = {{coord|42|25|59|N|18|29|20|E|source:kolossus-itwiki|display=title}}
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = {{flag|Croatia}}
| subdivision_type1 = County
| subdivision_name1 = Dubrovnik-Neretva
| subdivision_type2 = Municipality
| subdivision_name2 = Konavle
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| area_footnotes = {{Cite Q|Q119585703|mode=cs1}}
| area_total_km2 = 11.9
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| population_footnotes = {{Croatian Census 2021|S}}
| population_as_of = 2021
| population_total = 153
| population_density_km2 = auto
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| timezone = CET
| timezone_DST = CEST
| utc_offset = +1
| utc_offset_DST = +2
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Vitaljina is a village in the municipality of Konavle, in Dubrovnik-Neretva County, Croatia. Connected by the D516 state road, it is the southernmost settlement in Croatia, located between the Adriatic Sea and Montenegro. {{As of|2021}}, the population of Vitaljina was 153.
The village has faced attacks from numerous groups in its history. In the 16th century, raiders and pirates targeted the village because it was close to the Dalmatian coast. When the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) invaded Croatia during the Croatian War of Independence, Vitaljina was the first village attacked in Dubrovnik-Neretva County. The JNA occupied and destroyed the village during the war.
History
The villagers of Vitaljina were frequent victims of raiders and pirates in the 16th century. The attackers disregarded the authority of the Republic of Ragusa and targeted Vitaljina in particular due to its proximity to the Dalmatian coast.{{cite book |last1=Harris |first1=Robin |title=Dubrovnik: A History |date=31 January 2006 |publisher=Saqi Books |isbn=978-0-86356-609-7 |page=116 |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Dubrovnik/-5hnDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=vitaljina+history&pg=PA18-IA15 |language=en}}
During the Croatian War of Independence, Vitaljina was the first part of Dubrovnik-Neretva County to be attacked by Yugoslav forces, in the evening of 23 September 1991.{{cite web |url=http://www.hrvatski-vojnik.hr/hrvatski-vojnik/1372007/prilog_dubrovnik.pdf |title=Dubrovnik – Grad biser u hrvatskoj kruni |trans-title=Dubrovnik – The Pearl of the Croatian Crown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100307100422/http://www.hrvatski-vojnik.hr/hrvatski-vojnik/1372007/prilog_dubrovnik.pdf |archive-date=7 March 2010 |access-date=13 April 2025 |language=hr}} The Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) and irregular Serb forces occupied the village before looting and razing it.{{cite book |title=Balkan Battlegrounds: A Military History of the Yugoslav Conflict, 1990-1995 |date=2002 |publisher=Central Intelligence Agency, Office of Russian and European Analysis |isbn=978-0-16-066472-4 |page=236 |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Balkan_Battlegrounds/uGM1MrB981IC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=vitaljina+history&pg=PA236 |access-date=13 April 2025 |language=en}} The JNA desecrated graves in the village, using them to store landmines and other explosives.{{cite book |last1=Brautović |first1=Mato |last2=Brosse |first2=Renaud de la |title=Reporting the Attacks on Dubrovnik in 1991, and the Recognition of Croatia |date=11 May 2017 |publisher=Cambridge Scholars Publishing |isbn=978-1-4438-9341-1 |page=140 |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Reporting_the_Attacks_on_Dubrovnik_in_19/t2_XDgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=vitaljina+history&pg=PA140 |access-date=13 April 2025 |language=en}}
On 1 September 2022, a waterspout of intensity IF1 made landfall in Vitaljina.{{cite web |date=1 September 2022 |first=Thilo |last=Kühne |title=Tornado: Vitaljina |url=https://eswd.eu/cgi-bin/eswd.cgi |website=European Severe Weather Database}} The waterspout damaged the local cultural center and a family residence, lifted roofs and fences from their foundations, felled trees, and destroyed a football field and building-in-construction.{{cite web |last=S. |first=An. |date=1 September 2022 |title=Pijavica poharala konavosko selo Vitaljinu |trans-title=Waterspout ravages Konavle village Vitaljina |url=https://www.tportal.hr/vijesti/clanak/pijavica-poharala-konavosko-selo-vitaljinu-20220901 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220901180812/https://www.tportal.hr/vijesti/clanak/pijavica-poharala-konavosko-selo-vitaljinu-20220901 |archive-date=1 September 2022 |website=tportal |language=hr |issn=1334-3130}}{{cite web |date=25 March 2025 |first=Rade |last=Popadić |title=Veliko nevrijeme na jugu Dalmacije: Pijavica prelazila preko naselja, lomila stabla, oštećen automobil |trans-title=Big storm in southern Dalmatia: Waterspout passes over settlement, breaks trees, damages car |url=https://www.dalmacijadanas.hr/veliko-nevrijeme-na-jugu-dalmacije-pijavica-prelazila-preko-naselja-lomila-stabla-ostecen-automobil/?fbclid=IwAR1JhC65ARVTJ6bwaxqGsMzJtc8J-4MGyxvjkzfQ1Gk3ftBh4LwPXbw032M |website=Dalmacija danas |archive-date=25 March 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250325002302/https://www.dalmacijadanas.hr/veliko-nevrijeme-na-jugu-dalmacije-pijavica-prelazila-preko-naselja-lomila-stabla-ostecen-automobil |language=hr}} Additionally, a landslide caused by the waterspout damaged a vehicle. No casualties were reported.{{cite web |date=1 September 2022 |title=Video i foto: Pijavica protutnjala Vitaljinom, polomila stabla, nogometni teren, kuće i gospodarske zgrade, potpuno uništila montažni objekt |trans-title=Video and photo: Waterspout roared through Vitaljina, broke trees, a football field, houses and outbuildings, completely destroyed a prefabricated building |url=https://dubrovacki.slobodnadalmacija.hr/dubrovnik/zupanija/konavle/pijavica-protutnjala-vitaljinom-polomila-stabla-nogometni-teren-kuce-i-gospodarske-zgrade-potpuno-unistila-montazni-objekt-1220836 |website=Dubrovački vjesnik |archive-date=1 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220901195350/https://dubrovacki.slobodnadalmacija.hr/dubrovnik/zupanija/konavle/pijavica-protutnjala-vitaljinom-polomila-stabla-nogometni-teren-kuce-i-gospodarske-zgrade-potpuno-unistila-montazni-objekt-1220836}}
Geography
The area of Vitaljina is {{convert|11.9|km2}}. The village is the southernmost settlement in Croatia.{{Croatia Yearbook 2015|page=46}}
Demographics
The 2021 census recorded a population of 153 residents in Vitaljina. The majority were Croats and Catholic.
Transport
Croatia's D516 state road terminates at Vitaljina's border with the Montenegrin village of Kobila.{{cite web |title=Dubrovnik – Vitaljina |url=https://eurovelo8.hr/en/etapa/dubrovnik-vitaljina |website=EuroVelo |publisher=Government of Croatia |access-date=13 April 2025}} The 27 Dubrovnik-Vitaljina bus operated by Libertas Dubrovnik makes regular trips every weekday from and to Dubrovnik.{{cite web |title=27 – Dubrovnik-Vitaljina |url=https://www.libertasdubrovnik.hr/en/line/41/dubrovnik-vitaljina-27 |website=Libertas Dubrovnik |access-date=13 April 2025 |language=en}}