With construction of new, modern roads, Bosiljevo and surrounding areas will gain in importance because of its geographic location. A new road junction will be constructed on the new expressway Zagreb-Rijeka, with branches towards Republic of Slovenia and towards Ogulin, tunnel Sv. Rok and Split. As this is exceptionally depopulated area, whose emigrants in diaspora and to other Croatian cities outnumber people still at home, we belive that advantages in construction of new traffic corridors will contribute to stabilizing current population, and its increase in future.

All mentioned earlier, is a just an overview of the current situation in this area.  If you express some specific wishes and interests, we will try to address them.

HISTORY

In conclusion, (perhaps it should have been in the beginning), we will give you a brief history of this region.  Certain archeological finds in the area indicate that the area was populated in the prehistoric times, but first written documents in which the name Bosiljevo is mentioned is dated in 1344 AD. At that time, Ivan, archdeacon in the statutes of the Zagreb diocese, mentions parish of "sv. Mavro in Bozilo".  There is also a mention of a church of Mother of God in Gradec, but it is uncertain if that church is in Gradisce by Orisje, or beside Lipa, where at one time existed a church that Turks desecrated during wars in these parts.

Later written documents are tied to the noble family of knez (prince) of Krk - Frankopan, which were owners of the Bosiljevo castle and surrounding areas. Even though the first preserved written document mentioning Frankopans and Bosiljevo dates from 1461 AD, they also ruled the area two or three centuries earlier, when they already extended their possessions from the island of Krk and Primorje, to the continental parts of Croatia.

During the period of ruling the area, many generations of Frankopan family succeded each other. It is worth mentioning Krk's knez Nikola, who first took the surname Frankopan. He was a Croatian Viceroy from 1426 AD, until his death in 1432 AD. After this Nikola, we find the surname Frankopan four more times as Croatian Viceroys. We should mention also Vuk Frankopan, who on 4 June 1853, beside the church of Assenssion of Mary, founded a Dominican monastery, and in battles with Turks bravely repulsed their attacks, while inflicting heavy losses. That same Vuk Frankopan owned a large and beautiful vineyard in the nearby Vukova Gorica, after whom today's Vukova Gorica is named.

The town (castle) of Bosiljevo was never conquered by the Turks. Its last owner of the Frankopan lineage was young and gentle poet Fran Krsto, who was born in Bosiljevo, and died tragically when he was, together with his brother-in-law Petar Zrinski, executed in Becko Novo Mjesto in 1671 A.D.

After the death of Fran Krsto Frankopan, Austria confiscated the town and king Leopold gave it, with document dated 25 May, 1684, to Viceroy count Nikola Erdedy. With the marriage of his daughter Ana Barbara to count Andrija Auersperg, he become the new owner of the town Bosiljevo. That was confirmed by king Karlo VI, with a decree of 11 November, 1717 AD.

On 21 March, 1826, N. Auersperg sold the town of Bosiljevo to marshal Laval Nugent, of Irish origin (born in Ballynacor, 3 November, 1777). He was a great Croatian patriot and regarded Croatia as his second homeland. After the death of marshal Nugent, the town was inherited by his son Arthur, and following his death in 1897, it was bought on a public auction by Arthur's niece, Ana Nugent on 9 August, 1902.

By the sale agreement, the property was bought from countess Nugent by Karlo Kausheg, and Makso Kmentt, and from these it was bought by the lawyer and public notary Dr. Juraj Horvat. By the sale of 9 June, 1911, the owner of Bosiljevo property became Ante Cosulich de Pecine from Susak. He substantially restored the castle, not sparing the cost. In 1948, family Cosulich sold the castle to Marko Ukic and Ante Vlahov, but their ownership was short lived, because the communist government confiscated it shortly afterwards.

After that, the castle served some time as a retirement home, and from the beginning of the 1960's until 1980 when it was closed, it was a restaurant and a motel. During the Homeland War, the castle was partially altered (remodeled) as a reserve hospital, but luckily was not used for that purpose. In 1996 the castle was rented to Sinisa Krizanec from Pregrada, with hope that it will be restored to the importance and glory that it deserves, but until today that still didn't materialize.

We already mentioned that this is a region from which a great part of the population has emigrated to many other parts of the world. First emigrations, due to economic reasons, mostly poverty and famine, began in the second half of 19th century. Many of these people adjusted very well to the conditions in, to them, strange new countries. Some of them became significant persons in organizing various organizations with the purpose of remembering their native regions, as well as mutual support in overcoming difficulties in their new life. Best known of them was Ivan (John) Ljubic. He was born in the village of Orisje on 14 June 1854. As he was intelligent, capable and well appreciated by our people in USA, in 1884 he was elected as the first president of National Croatian Society (Hrvatsko Narodno Drustvo), the forerunner of the Croatian Fraternal Union (Hrvatska Bratska Zajednica). He was the president during the period from 1894 to 1900. He died in 1923 in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania. Another famous Croat from this region is Stjepan Korenic, canon (church dean) and writer, born 4 October 1856 in Bosiljevo. He was known as prolific writer and a donator for culture. His name is found in the book "Znameniti i zasluzni Hrvati i pomena vrijedna lica u hrvatskoj povijesti 925-1925".