With its surface of 2.4 km Prvic is considered to be one of the smaller islands (with less than 15 km 2) and the only one among twenty small populated Croatian islands with two settlements. The names of both settlements consist of two words: Prvic Luka and Prvic Sepurina shovving their mutual relationship and belonging to the island of Prvic. Legend has it that the name derives from Prvim - the God of spring or threshing of old pagan Croats who had brought the name from their
ancient homeland. Geographysts and numerous scientists claim that Prvic acquired its name as result of its position in the archipelago and say
"It is named because it lies closest to the mainland and you meet him first when leaving Sibenik". . .
Colonisation of Prvic is related to the Franciscans (hermits) and edification of the monasterv in 15th century. Houses built at that time and even earlier did not resist the tooth of time and were built outside the present settlements - on the estates of noble families of Sibenik. They were used primarily for household purposes, but many of them were places for the "rest of spirit and soul". Mansion of Vrancic family and house noble Divnic (Difiniko) family date from that period. In the course of the years two already mentioned settlements arose on Prvic. First was Luka in 17th and Sepurina in 18th century when principal lines of the urbanisation of the settlement were drawn and they still exist. Houses merged around those lines - streets, passages and along the Church singersshore. They were all built of stone, most of them with one story characteristic for the Mediterranean type of settlements, their roofs covered with flat pantiles. Later the were reconstructed and rose on two
or three stories . In many parts of Sepurina and Luka this ground floor matrix is kept, with slight changes, up to the present day. During the 19th century Prvic was among the densely populated Croatian island, with Crkveni pivaèi inhabitants than some settlements on coast or hinterland. This was due to migrations from previous centuries, when on various occasions, threatened by Turkish invasion of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Dalmatian hinterland the population fled to the islands and accordingly to Prvic.
In the first half of the 19n century there were no massive migrations — except of women by marriage. Population grew as a result of high birth rate especially in sepurina, ant his tendency continued through the second half of the century. Many generations spent their entire lives on Prvic, from birth through their adult lives and death . As a result it was possible to reconstruct the Prvic family genealogies from both settlements on the basis of original documentation - as shown in detail in excerpts from family trees and in numbers in tables.
Inhabitants of Prvic mostly lived on agriculture, fishery and Church singersfare, some on cattle-breeding. Land estates held in colonial relations were distant and scattered throughout the island and on mainland. On mainland there were estates in Srima, in Bristak (between Vodice and Tribunj, in Ivinje (between Tribunj and Tisno) and on the islands, beside Prvic, in Lupac, Orut, Tijat, Misjaci, Obonjan and Zirje. Prvic land estates stretched on seven catastral communities ( Prvic, Zaton, Vodice, Tribunj, Tisno, Zlarin and Zirje) and three political municipalities ( Zadar, Sibenik and Tisno). People mostly made wine and oil and caught fish near Zirje and ventured even to Kornati. In earlier times they dived for coral and sponges, and in 19th century were known for their catch of sardines. For a long time, they were the most numerous and most important fisherman of the Sibenik area.
Wine and salted fish were important trading and export articles. Engaged in the trade, people from Prvic became friends with sailors from Rovinj who owned barges and cogs and transported wine from Prvic and salted fish to Istria and Triest. They knew merchants and coopers from Volosko who brought wooden casks for wine and barrels for salted fish. Although Prvic was a closed island community populated with farmers and fishermen, there was a lively communication not only with neighbouring settlements but with other settlements on coast of Istria and Dalmatia. According to available record, the first school in Prvic was built in the early forties of the 19th century. First teachers were priests. Church and the monastery on Prvic played a crucial part in religious profile of the population and contributed to their approach to the civilisation. In the Church of the Holy Mary of Mercy is buried Faust Vrancic, author of the first Croatian dictionary and famous book of innovations Machinae novae (New machines). In the monastery Dragutin Parcic conducted his experiments in photography which are appreciated by the experts even today. Two of his preserved photographs of Prvic Luka from 1859, are possibly among the first telescope shots, marking the beginning of the scientific photography in Croatia.

 

From the Book ' Stanovnistvo i obitelji otoka Prvica ' by Ante Ukic