REGION-SOUTH-DALMATIA

Several tens of kilometres down the coast, at the mouth of the Neretva River, the landscape again changes dramatically. Everything is peaceful and flat; there is no spectacular meeting of mountain and sea, only the monotonous flow of the river in a tranquil delta covered with reed. The silence of the scene is interrupted by occasional wing flutter of local birds, while shallow trupe gently glide on the water. The Trupe are local boats that have been made for centuries in the river valley, and still are an important part of life there.
The beginning of Christian spirituality in this area is represented by the small old-Croatian church of Sv. Mihajlo (St. Michael) in Stonsko polje (Ston field), characterized by original building solutions and harmonious blending with the environment. Although far from urban centres, this church was decorated with wall paintings that are the only preserved examples of early Romanesque painting in Dalmatia. The towns of Mali Ston and Veliki Ston, which guard the entrance to Peljesac Peninsula, were founded by the Dubrovnik Republic in the 14th century. These are lovely small urban communities, with a special flavour imparted to them by salt pans and oyster farms. Within their walls both towns reveal a small grid of streets built on a plan, whose regularity is set off against the wild Mediterranean abundance of Peljesac Peninsula. The abundance supplied by Mediterranean nature and climate clearly encouraged a rational approach to urban thinking and living. As for Peljesac Peninsula, the famous wines of Postup and Dingac are the best expression of the Mediterranean bounty that is to be found all over the peninsula, in Hrasni, Kuna, Orebic, and Lovisce.

The nearby island of Korcula takes pride in its strong astringent wines, as well as in its dense coniferous forest that a massive fire ten years ago did not manage to destroy. According to legend, Korcula owes its name to this dark green cover growing on pure rock. There are many things to do on the island: visit the cathedral of Sv. Marko (St. Mark’s) in the town of Korcula, admire the carving and building skills of local family workshops, sail into the port of Punat, stop by Smokvica and Blato, spend a night in Vela luka, take a local boat from Prizba to a nearby islet. Two mediaeval chivalric tournaments are held on the island: Moreska in Korcula and Kumpanjija in Blato. These tournaments originated in memories of times long gone that over the centuries became part of local folklore. The beginning of the town of Korcula goes back to the 4th century B.C., when the Greeks founded a colony on the island which was recorded on the famous tablet called the Psephism of Lumbarda. Already at the beginning of the 13th century, Korcula had a town statute. Throughout history, the life of the town revealed a high level of consciousness about communal life and urban culture. The town of Korcula has two focal points: a secular square with the town council and a spiritual square with the cathedral. Such an arrangement of public space is characteristic of the Late Middle Ages, and in the town of Korcula it was applied on a smaller scale obviously following the standards of much more powerful European towns of that time.

The town of Lastovo on the eponymous island exemplifies in a different way the long traditions of urban life in the Mediterranean. It is situated on the slopes of a gently ascending hill, so that for centuries houses had been built close together. The available space was utilized in an optimal fashion, so that each succeeding house rises above others, and has its own view, sun, and air. Numerous surrounding islets set in a deep blue sea provide an additional charm of Lastovo, especially for boaters.

The nearby island of Mljet is full of history. Its landscape evokes the legend that Ulysses visited Mljet on his wanderings in the Mediterranean. Whether there is any foundation to the legend is not easy to determine, but it is a fact is that the island has a long history, as evidenced by numerous Illyrian ruins, mediaeval churches, and its biggest attraction-a Benedictine monastery built on the islet in the middle of Vransko Lake in the 12th century. After that, the monastery was rebuilt several times, a common occurrence in the Adriatic area during its turbulent history.

Those on the lookout for picturesque small islands will not miss the opportunity to visit the Elafiti islands, which stretch from Peljesac to Dubrovnik. Once, Dubrovnik aristocracy relaxed in their modest summer villas on the islands. In spite of modern tourist construction, one can still feel here the magnificence of the lifestyle and culture of the most powerful citizens of the Dubrovnik Republic. To round off the experience, one should also see the Renaissance Arboretum in Trsteno, laid out at the beginning of the 16th century around the Gucetic villa. In spite of devastation caused by war and fire, the park still evokes the sophistication of life in Renaissance Dubrovnik.

Dubrovnik is best approached by way of Rijeka Dubrovacka, a long and narrow canyon named after the river running through it. In this picturesque environment, Dubrovnik nobility had luxurious and elegant summer villas. Enjoying this beautiful environment and the freedom they had as a result of their diplomatic skill, citizens of the independent and affluent Dubrovnik Republic built such villas during the peak of their prosperity from the 15th through the 17th century. These houses blend harmoniously in the scenery defined by a gentle shore and the calm water, testifying to the considerate attitude of their builders to the natural environment. When you look at them today, though deserted and quiet, they produce the same effect as the sight of Dubrovnik itself-they speak of the habit of harmony acquired by centuries of existence in the Mediterranean. That harmony is the result of an attitude of moderation, and characterizes Dubrovnik at every turn. According to Constantine Porphyrogenitus, Byzantine emperor and historian, this town on the rock was built by refugees from the colony of Epidaurum in the 7th century. It survived numerous sieges and earthquakes, trusting itself to its patron saint St. Vlaho (St. Blaise). All the knowledge of the history and Renaissance culture, of the Baroque churches, of the legislation and the economy of this unique place cannot replace the pleasure of being in it and the pleasure of experiencing its harmony. Dubrovnik was really built to human scale, allowing its citizens to find enough space for themselves in the community by adhering to the town motto of attending to the common good by forgetting the private good. That is why Dubrovnik appears as a paradigm of town as community that, unlike literary utopian dreams, realized to a great extent the ideal of a kind of urban democracy. That is shown by its walls and elegant fountains, the Rector’s Palace, the Sponza Palace, Franciscan and Dominican monasteries, the pharmacy from the 14th century, and the bronze statues of "zelenci" ("green men"), which still strike the town clock, symbolizing the passage of time. Dubrovnik has a rich cultural scene today, especially in the summer when the Dubrovnik Summer Festival is held and the international Lazareti Art Workshop is active. Dubrovnik’s surroundings are attractive too: the romantic Lokrum and the villages of Zupa Dubrovacka, Cavtat, which emerged from the ashes of Epidaurum, and Konavle, with its miniature towns and picturesque folk costumes and customs. The influence of Dubrovnik is felt all the way down to Prevlaka and Cape Ostro, the southernmost point of mainland Croatia. The whole of that small area was a part of a universe to which "Grad" (the Town) was the metropolis, and which at the same time was a measure for the Town. One should add that the history of Dubrovnik was also marked by culture, shipping, and trade. Its culture left a mark even on Palagruza, the lonely island in the middle of the Adriatic Sea and the southernmost point of Croatia.

Several tens of kilometres down the coast, at the mouth of the Neretva River, the landscape again changes dramatically. Everything is peaceful and flat; there is no spectacular meeting of mountain and sea, only the monotonous flow of the river in a tranquil delta covered with reed. The silence of the scene is interrupted by occasional wing flutter of local birds, while shallow trupe gently glide on the water. The Trupe are local boats that have been made for centuries in the river valley, and still are an important part of life there.
The beginning of Christian spirituality in this area is represented by the small old-Croatian church of Sv. Mihajlo (St. Michael) in Stonsko polje (Ston field), characterized by original building solutions and harmonious blending with the environment. Although far from urban centres, this church was decorated with wall paintings that are the only preserved examples of early Romanesque painting in Dalmatia. The towns of Mali Ston and Veliki Ston, which guard the entrance to Peljesac Peninsula, were founded by the Dubrovnik Republic in the 14th century. These are lovely small urban communities, with a special flavour imparted to them by salt pans and oyster farms. Within their walls both towns reveal a small grid of streets built on a plan, whose regularity is set off against the wild Mediterranean abundance of Peljesac Peninsula. The abundance supplied by Mediterranean nature and climate clearly encouraged a rational approach to urban thinking and living. As for Peljesac Peninsula, the famous wines of Postup and Dingac are the best expression of the Mediterranean bounty that is to be found all over the peninsula, in Hrasni, Kuna, Orebic, and Lovisce.

The nearby island of Korcula takes pride in its strong astringent wines, as well as in its dense coniferous forest that a massive fire ten years ago did not manage to destroy. According to legend, Korcula owes its name to this dark green cover growing on pure rock. There are many things to do on the island: visit the cathedral of Sv. Marko (St. Mark’s) in the town of Korcula, admire the carving and building skills of local family workshops, sail into the port of Punat, stop by Smokvica and Blato, spend a night in Vela luka, take a local boat from Prizba to a nearby islet. Two mediaeval chivalric tournaments are held on the island: Moreska in Korcula and Kumpanjija in Blato. These tournaments originated in memories of times long gone that over the centuries became part of local folklore. The beginning of the town of Korcula goes back to the 4th century B.C., when the Greeks founded a colony on the island which was recorded on the famous tablet called the Psephism of Lumbarda. Already at the beginning of the 13th century, Korcula had a town statute. Throughout history, the life of the town revealed a high level of consciousness about communal life and urban culture. The town of Korcula has two focal points: a secular square with the town council and a spiritual square with the cathedral. Such an arrangement of public space is characteristic of the Late Middle Ages, and in the town of Korcula it was applied on a smaller scale obviously following the standards of much more powerful European towns of that time.

The town of Lastovo on the eponymous island exemplifies in a different way the long traditions of urban life in the Mediterranean. It is situated on the slopes of a gently ascending hill, so that for centuries houses had been built close together. The available space was utilized in an optimal fashion, so that each succeeding house rises above others, and has its own view, sun, and air. Numerous surrounding islets set in a deep blue sea provide an additional charm of Lastovo, especially for boaters.

The nearby island of Mljet is full of history. Its landscape evokes the legend that Ulysses visited Mljet on his wanderings in the Mediterranean. Whether there is any foundation to the legend is not easy to determine, but it is a fact is that the island has a long history, as evidenced by numerous Illyrian ruins, mediaeval churches, and its biggest attraction-a Benedictine monastery built on the islet in the middle of Vransko Lake in the 12th century. After that, the monastery was rebuilt several times, a common occurrence in the Adriatic area during its turbulent history.

Those on the lookout for picturesque small islands will not miss the opportunity to visit the Elafiti islands, which stretch from Peljesac to Dubrovnik. Once, Dubrovnik aristocracy relaxed in their modest summer villas on the islands. In spite of modern tourist construction, one can still feel here the magnificence of the lifestyle and culture of the most powerful citizens of the Dubrovnik Republic. To round off the experience, one should also see the Renaissance Arboretum in Trsteno, laid out at the beginning of the 16th century around the Gucetic villa. In spite of devastation caused by war and fire, the park still evokes the sophistication of life in Renaissance Dubrovnik.

Dubrovnik is best approached by way of Rijeka Dubrovacka, a long and narrow canyon named after the river running through it. In this picturesque environment, Dubrovnik nobility had luxurious and elegant summer villas. Enjoying this beautiful environment and the freedom they had as a result of their diplomatic skill, citizens of the independent and affluent Dubrovnik Republic built such villas during the peak of their prosperity from the 15th through the 17th century. These houses blend harmoniously in the scenery defined by a gentle shore and the calm water, testifying to the considerate attitude of their builders to the natural environment. When you look at them today, though deserted and quiet, they produce the same effect as the sight of Dubrovnik itself-they speak of the habit of harmony acquired by centuries of existence in the Mediterranean. That harmony is the result of an attitude of moderation, and characterizes Dubrovnik at every turn. According to Constantine Porphyrogenitus, Byzantine emperor and historian, this town on the rock was built by refugees from the colony of Epidaurum in the 7th century. It survived numerous sieges and earthquakes, trusting itself to its patron saint St. Vlaho (St. Blaise). All the knowledge of the history and Renaissance culture, of the Baroque churches, of the legislation and the economy of this unique place cannot replace the pleasure of being in it and the pleasure of experiencing its harmony. Dubrovnik was really built to human scale, allowing its citizens to find enough space for themselves in the community by adhering to the town motto of attending to the common good by forgetting the private good. That is why Dubrovnik appears as a paradigm of town as community that, unlike literary utopian dreams, realized to a great extent the ideal of a kind of urban democracy. That is shown by its walls and elegant fountains, the Rector’s Palace, the Sponza Palace, Franciscan and Dominican monasteries, the pharmacy from the 14th century, and the bronze statues of "zelenci" ("green men"), which still strike the town clock, symbolizing the passage of time. Dubrovnik has a rich cultural scene today, especially in the summer when the Dubrovnik Summer Festival is held and the international Lazareti Art Workshop is active. Dubrovnik’s surroundings are attractive too: the romantic Lokrum and the villages of Zupa Dubrovacka, Cavtat, which emerged from the ashes of Epidaurum, and Konavle, with its miniature towns and picturesque folk costumes and customs. The influence of Dubrovnik is felt all the way down to Prevlaka and Cape Ostro, the southernmost point of mainland Croatia. The whole of that small area was a part of a universe to which "Grad" (the Town) was the metropolis, and which at the same time was a measure for the Town. One should add that the history of Dubrovnik was also marked by culture, shipping, and trade. Its culture left a mark even on Palagruza, the lonely island in the middle of the Adriatic Sea and the southernmost point of Croatia.