RENA project researcher Dr Mirjana Crnić Novosel was one of the key initiators and leading contributors to the activities that resulted in the inclusion of the Fiuman dialect (dialetto fiumano) in the Register of cultural goods of the Republic of Croatia. This important milestone for the Italian national minority in Rijeka was achieved in early April this year. The Fiuman dialect was entered into the Register under reference number Z-7983, becoming one of 42 protected dialects and speech varieties at the national level and one of only five protected non-Croatian dialects, alongside Arbanasi, Istro-Venetian, Istriot, and Istro-Romanian.
The Fiuman dialect is of exceptional importance as an integral part of Rijeka’s linguistic, cultural, and historical identity, which has developed over the past six centuries alongside other local idioms, including the Čakavian dialects. Mirjana’s many years of dialectological research, including her work on the Fiuman dialect, have now received broader public recognition through this official designation.
We warmly congratulate our colleague Mirjana on this remarkable achievement, which has further highlighted the importance of the RENA project’s research objectives and made a significant contribution to their advancement.