As early as the 16th century, Turkish invaders built a fortress where the town of Petrinja is located today. After banishing the invaders, the new town of Petrinja developed on the juncture of the rivers Petrinjčica and Kupa, where it became an important military and commercial centre of the Military Borderland. The first Gavrilovićs arrived at Petrinja in the middle of the 17th century; after fleeing from the Turks, brothers Ivan and Petar started a butcher’s trade.
