Craftsmanship and its importance
Traditional and artistic craftsmanship best reflect the longevity and creativity of people and nations who, thanks to them, have managed to live in harmony with nature for years, use its best resources and leave to new generations solid foundations for their future. The strength of traditional craftsmanship lies in the approach craftsmen take, their striving for excellence, and the pride they take in their work. Due to these fine qualities inherent in traditional and artistic craftsmanship we need to try and learn from them. Traditional crafts are the ones that require skilful mastery of traditional craft techniques when creating unique objects manufactured mainly by manual labour, and which in their production and working techniques, in the function and form of their products cherish and display the patterns of traditional culture, and thus may symbolize local, regional or national identity. Artistic crafts on the other hand are the ones that create products and services of high aesthetic value, beautiful design, creative visual and other solutions which are the result of creative development and personal artistic forms of expression of the craftsman - artist.
Not many traditional and artistic crafts are joined together in the Đakovo Association of Craftsmen, which is all the more reason why this association is particularly proud of the blacksmith craft shop “Vinković”. The owner of this craft shop Franjo Vinković, after 20 years of working as a blacksmith, submitted a request for obtaining a certificate and taking an exam for a master blacksmith artist in order to obtain the status of a traditional and artistic craftsman and thereby bring the profession of blacksmithing closer to younger generations. Franjo is one of the seven officially registered master blacksmiths in Croatia and the only one in Đakovo. The craft shop, which he inherited from his uncle, has a future because Franjo and his sons work hard to restore old fences, and there is always work to be done. They primarily produce handcrafted custom-forged pieces for exterior and interior spaces, which means that the majority of objects created in their shop are of unique design. This old traditional craft, which spreads the word about the town of Đakovo beyond its borders, is proudly cherished in the heart of Slavonia.
A bit about master craftsman Franjo
He made most of the tools himself so that he could be as efficient as possible in his workshop today. Some machines he owns are older than 80 years, but due to his expert handling, they still operate. His products are sold not only in Slavonia, but can also be found in such faraway places as Germany, Canada and Australia. In his craft shop he offers a wide variety of products, ranging from custom-forged handrails, fences, hangers, candlesticks, vases to decorative ornaments. His hands down favourite project, however, is the restoration of the front forged fence between the cathedral and the bishop's palace in Đakovo and the construction of an identical forged fence about thirty meters long in the interior of the palace. This has granted him the place among the few selected craftsmen and artists who have had the honour to work on this treasured building. Franjo is also very active in the training of young, future craftsmen, and due to this work, he was appointed president of the examination committee of the Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts for the Regional Chamber of Požega-Slavonia County for the examination of candidates taking the exam to become master blacksmiths. The town of Đakovo has recognised the importance of Franjo’s work and, has awarded him, along with numerous other rewards and acknowledgements, the Charter of Gratitude of the Town of Đakovo for his valuable contribution to the preservation of old crafts in the town of Đakovo.
An appealing and important part of the tourist attractions of the town of Đakovo
The importance of the craft shop “Vinković” for the tourism of the town is reflected in many things. Franjo regularly participates in events organized by the Town of Đakovo and Đakovo Tourist Board and is always a welcome addition when Đakovo is presented as a tourist destination at fairs, special expos and competitions. In his workshop Franjo has so far hosted a long list of local and world-famous journalists and media from China, Japan, Russia, France, the USA, Germany, etc., and the French daily newspaper Le Figaro wrote about Franjo when it ran a feature story on Slavonia. Tourist groups are very enthusiastic about participating in the presentation of traditional forging techniques, as this kind of authentic experience is exactly what modern tourists appreciate and look for. During the filming of television reports about tourist attractions of Đakovo and promotional videos, Franjo's craft shop is a must-see from which cameramen and reporters almost always leave to another location “with a heavy heart” and a considerable delay because Franjo, in addition to displaying his valuable craftsmanship to his visitors, offers plenty of laughs and interesting stories.
The arrival of TV crews, journalists, agents and tourist groups has become a daily routine for the entire Vinković family, and they gladly take active part in the realization of all projects. We are happy to be able to recommend Franjo to our colleagues in other tourist destinations in need of skilful blacksmiths for the restoration of protected cultural heritage. In almost twenty years of Franjo's blacksmiths shop sitting in the backyard of his family house in the Zvečaj Street, and exuding the atmosphere of blacksmiths shops of the past, many objects were forged between his hammer and his anvil, including such delicate ones that the average person would never believe such a rough job could produce. We are happy to invite you to visit Franjo and see for yourself. Franjo’s admirable craftsmanship has landed him several noteworthy projects he is currently working on: the forging of Roman swords commissioned by the Vinkovci Town Museum, the restoration of the fence around the chapel of St. Anthony in the village of Dalj and works on the Moise Palace, a patrician town house on the island of Cres, commissioned by the University of Rijeka. After this short presentation of blacksmithing in Đakovo, we could ask ourselves what makes a destination attractive or noteworthy. The answer lies in the uniqueness it offers, and when it comes to Đakovo, it is exactly in the traditional and artistic craft shop "Vinković" that this uniqueness can be found. Here you can enjoy a pleasant experience fully reminiscent of past times and witness the creation of handicrafts imbued with tradition.
FOTO: Marko Međugorac