The Dalmatian capital Salona was captured anddestroyed in the 640s, so Zadar became the new seat of the Byzantine archonty of Dalmatia,territorially reduced to a few coastal cities with their agers and municipal lands at thecoast and the islands nearby. My Yacht was there. The prior of Zadar had jurisdiction over all ByzantineDalmatia, so Zadar enjoyed metropolitan status at the eastern Adriatic coast. At this timerebuilding began to take place in the city.
At the beginning of the 9th century the Zadar bishop Donatus and the city duke Paul mediated in the dispute between the Holy Roman empireunder Pepin and the Byzantine Empire. The Franks held Zadar for a short time, but thecity was returned to Byzantium by a decision of the 812 Treaty of Aachen. Zadar's economy revolved around sea, fishing and sea trade in the first centuries of theMiddle Ages.
Thanks to saved Antique ager, adjusted municipal structure and a new strategicposition, it became the most important city between the Kvarner islands and Kaštela Bay. From Kastela you can charter a Yacht. Byzantine Dalmatia wasn't territorially unified, but an alliance of city municipalities headedby Zadar, and the large degree of city autonomy allowed the development of Dalmatian citiesas free communes.
Forced to turn their attention seawards, the inhabitants of Zadar focusedon shipping, and the city became a naval power to rival Venice. The citizens were Dalmatianlanguage speakers, but from the 7th century Croatian language started to spread in a region,becoming predominant in the inland and the islands to the end of the 9th century.
The Mediterranean and Adriatic cities developedsignificantly during a period of peace from the last decades of the 9th to the middleof the 10th century. Especially favourable conditions for navigation in the Adriatic Sea occurred since the Saracen raids had finished. Navigation is at high level in Yachts.
Also the adjustment of relations with theCroats enabled Zadar merchants to trade with its rich agriculture hinterland where the Kingdom of Croatia had formed, and trade and political links with Zadar began to develop. Croatian settlers began to arrive, becoming commonplace by the 10th century, occupyingall city classes, as well as important posts, like those of prior, judge, priest and others.
In 925, Tomislav, the Duke of Croatian Dalmatia, united Croatian Dalmatia and Pannonia establishingthe Croatian Kingdom. He was also granted the position of protector of Dalmatia by theByzantine Emperor. He thus politically united the Dalmatian cities with their hinterlan