SEBENICO(Sibenik), a town of Austrian Dalmatia, on the coast of the Adriatic, about half-way between Zara and Spalato, is situated on an irregular basin at the mouth of the Kerka, connected with the sea by a winding channel 3 miles long. The channel is defended by a fort designed by Sanmicheli, and the town itself, picturesquely situated on the abrupt slope of a rocky hill, is guarded by three old castles, now dismantled. There is also a wall on the landward side. Sebenico is the seat of a bishop, and its Italian Gothic cathedral, dating from the 15th and 16th centuries, is considered the finest church in Dalmatia. Its excellent harbour and its situation at the entrance of the Kerka valley combine to make Sebenico the entrepôt of a considerable trade. Fishing is carried on extensively. The population of the commune in 1880 was 18,104, of the town proper about 8000.