Croatia commemorates 160th anniversary of historic Battle of Vis

President Zoran Milanović attended a ceremony on the island of Vis on 20 July 2026 to mark the 160th anniversary of the 1866 Battle of Vis, a pivotal naval clash during the Austro‑Prussian War. Milanović laid a wreath from a Croatian Navy vessel, followed by Austria’s ambassador Yvonne Tončić‑Sorinj and Vis mayor Hrvoje Mratinić, while historic Austrian uniforms were displayed.

The battle, in which the Austrian fleet defeated a numerically superior Italian force, is credited with halting Italian ambitions toward Dalmatia and shaping Croatian national consciousness in the 19th century. Milanović highlighted the event’s lasting importance for Dalmatia and Croatia, noting that the sailors from the Croatian Adriatic played a decisive role.