CROATIAN HERALDRY

Adam S. Eterovich

FRANICEVIC--FRANICEVICH

Franicevic is found on the island of Hvar and in the Metkovic and Makarska areas on the Adriatic coast of Dalmatia in Croatia. The name Franicevic is related to the noble houses of Drazojevic, Marijanovic and Tomasovic.

Identical in composition, the Franicevic-Drazojevic-Marianovic coats of arms exhibit vertical lines for the color red; white is silver; and the dots, gold.

Count Drazojevic, Gianco Janco, also Franicevic-Mariani-Marianovic, came to Dalmatla in the 1600's to the Poljica Republic, Omis, Split, Island of Hvar and Brac, Trogir and other places in the Dalmatian region. One branch of this large clan was under the domain of Count Girolamo Gianco Marianovich-Mariani. The Drazojevich was also known to have Draxenovich and Drazenovich variations.

During the time when the Turks had moved into the Bosnia-Hercegovina, many Croatian families and clans of the upper class, nobility, intellectuals and craftsmen moved into Dalmatia. Since Dalmatia was under the Republic of Venice at the time, many people, as citizens of Venice, used the Latin-Italian versions of their Slavic names. These names were alternate names of convenience and became nicknames and later actual family names.

Coats of arms for the Franicevic-Marianovic-Drazojevic families are on display at the University Library in Zagreb and list from the year 1595.

Courtesy of the Croatian Genealogical and Heraldic Society, 2527 San Carlos Ave., San Carlos, California, 94070. Phone: 650-592-1190; E-Mail croatians@aol.com; Web www.croatians.com. Adam S. Eterovich.