Komiža
Komiža | |
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UTC+2 (CEST) | |
Website | komiza |
Komiža (pronounced [kɔ̌miʒa]; Italian: Comisa) is a Croatian coastal town lying on the western coast of the island of Vis in the central part of the Adriatic Sea.
Komiža is located at the foot of the Hum hill (587 m). Town has a Mediterranean climate. The economy is based on farming, winemaking, fishing and fish processing, seafaring, and, in recent times, tourism. The fishermen are noted for their Falkuša vessels.
Komiža has two roads that connect it with the town of
General information
Situated in a deep bay, whose eastern shore abounds with large pebble beaches (Kamenica, Gusarica, Nova Pošta, Velo Žalo), Komiža offers excellent visitor opportunities: quality accommodations (hotels and apartments), and a number of cultural and historic sites, monasteries and fortresses. It is known for its fishermen.[3]
Sports and recreational facilities include three boccia courts, as well as various playgrounds for basketball, handball and football. Water sports and diving are part of the towns summer activities. Additionally, Komiža is well-known for its wines.
Geography
Komiža is located on the island of Vis, which is the most distant large island in the Central Dalmatian coast. Vis is centered on 90.3 square kilometers of land. Its widest point spans 17 kilometers and from north to south its maximum length is 8 kilometers. It is approximately 45-55 kilometers from the Dalmatian coastline to the island of Vis. The coastline of Vis measures 76.7 kilometers long and is marked by bays, coves and natural ports.[4]
Climate
Komiža experiences warm and temperate winters with warm to hot summers with the landward breeze making it the most moderate climate in the Republic of Croatia. The climate allows for
Population
Year | Pop. | ±% |
---|---|---|
1880 | 3,554 | — |
1890 | 3,852 | +8.4% |
1900 | 4,657 | +20.9% |
1910 | 4,948 | +6.2% |
1921 | 4,948 | +0.0% |
1931 | 4,570 | −7.6% |
1948 | 3,767 | −17.6% |
1953 | 3,892 | +3.3% |
1961 | 3,443 | −11.5% |
1971 | 2,421 | −29.7% |
1981 | 1,917 | −20.8% |
1991 | 2,255 | +17.6% |
2001 | 1,677 | −25.6% |
2011 | 1,526 | −9.0% |
2021 | 1,395 | −8.6% |
Source: Naselja i stanovništvo Republike Hrvatske 1857–2001, DZS, Zagreb, 2005 |
In the 2011 census, the municipality had a total of 1,526 residents, in the following settlements:[5]
- Biševo, population 15
- Borovik, population 12
- Duboka, population 13
- Komiža, population 1,397
- Oključna, no population
- Palagruža, no population
- Podhumlje, population 32
- Podšpilje, population 11
- Sveti Andrija, no population
- Žena Glava, population 46
population | 2703 | 2945 | 3554 | 3852 | 4657 | 4948 | 4948 | 4570 | 3767 | 3892 | 3443 | 2421 | 1917 | 2255 | 1677 | 1526 | 1394 |
1857 | 1869 | 1880 | 1890 | 1900 | 1910 | 1921 | 1931 | 1948 | 1953 | 1961 | 1971 | 1981 | 1991 | 2001 | 2011 | 2021 |
Landmarks
The settlement of Komiža was first mentioned in the 12th century. In the 13th century, the Benedictines[6] established the St. Nicholas Monastery on elevated ground above the settlement. The oldest part of the monastery is a single-naved Romanesque church with a semi-circular apse dating from the 13th century.
In the period between the 14th and 17th century a large five-naved church was built; its central nave dates back to the beginning of the 16th century and the large Baroque sanctuary to 1652. Two high square towers in Romanesque style are what is left from the original monastery fortifications; the tower above the church facade was converted into a bell tower in 1770. The citadel in the port was built in 1585.
The church of Our Lady of Pirates[7] consists of three single-naved churches connected via internal arches. The oldest of the three is the middle church (16th century), while the side churches were built in the 17th and the 18th centuries. The church features Baroque altars, an organ from 1670 and a 17th-century silver relief of Our Lady of the Rosary.
The fortified church of St. Roch (Rocco) was erected in 1763, and the church of Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows (the New Church) dates back to 1756.
The Art Nouveau building of the Community Centre from the beginning of the 20th century is a work by the architect A. Bezic; the Memorial Centre was designed by S. Planic, and the author of the reliefs and mosaics is B. Mardesic. The Gallery of Duro Tiljak has been open in Komiža since 1966, and since 1984 also the Gallery of Boris Mardesic.
Komiža is well known for its close proximity to the island of Biševo, which is visited by 10,000 tourists each year who come to see the unique Blue Grotto.[citation needed] Biševo, in the early 1900s with a population of about 200 residents, was noted for bee-keeping and wild honey production.[8] Popular sights also include the St. Nicholas' Convent monastery from the 13th century, the Kastel (Venetian Tower) in the harbor from the 16th century and the Baroque sanctuary from the 16th century.
There is also the annual celebration of Komiža's fishing heritage, Ribarska Noć (Fisherman's Night). The festival features fireworks, many types of traditional food, souvenir shops, ice cream stands, and a children's kayak race.
Winemaking
Today
The distillation of rosemary oil results in the production of up to 24,000 pounds oil per year.
Fishing tradition
In the early 20th century many Komižini fishermen emigrated to America and settled in Washington state. They were among the first to introduce modern fishing methods and helped pioneer the North Pacific salmon fishing industry. In the earliest days of the 20th century these intrepid men fished the fertile waters of
Komiižni fishermen also emigrated to California's San Pedro / Long Beach area and Monterey California's Cannery Row (immortalized in Steinbeck's novel of the same name) and were highly successful in the then thriving California sardine fisheries of the first half of the 20th century.
Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana is home to another group descended from Komižini fishermen who left Dalmatia over a century ago.[10] As a result of this influence it is still local custom to serve at least one meal every day that includes seafood. Traditionally these fishermen used the falkuša, a unique wooden sailboat that is tapered narrowly on both ends.[11]
Notable residents
- Ranko Marinković (1913–2001), an acclaimed Croatian novelist and dramatist born in Komiža. The public library in Komiža bears his name,[12] and the most prominent literary prize in Croatia was named after his famous novel (Cyclops - Nagrada Kiklop).
See also
References
- Wikidata Q119585703.
- ^ "Population by Age and Sex, by Settlements, 2021 Census". Census of Population, Households and Dwellings in 2021. Zagreb: Croatian Bureau of Statistics. 2022.
- ^ A Connecting Sea:Maritime Interaction in Adriatic Prehistory by Staso Forenbaher.page 17.
- ^ Komiža - Komiža, Otok Vis, Dalmacija, Hrvatska Archived 2008-01-17 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Population by Age and Sex, by Settlements, 2011 Census: Komiža". Census of Population, Households and Dwellings 2011. Zagreb: Croatian Bureau of Statistics. December 2012.
- ^ Footprint Croatia by Jane Foster
- ^ Croatia by James Stewart
- ^ "Komiza.com". Archived from the original on 2008-02-27. Retrieved 2008-01-28.
- ^ http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id.. [www.purealaskasalmon.com/our-story-pure-alaska-salmoncompany][www.portofeverett.com/docs/nmr_fishing.pdf][www.croatia.org/.../croatians/...croatians.../FISH-FISH%]
- ^ Croatians in California, 1849-1999 by Adam S. Eterovich
- ^ Hrvatsko Brodovlje by Mithad Kozlicic
- ^ "Gradska knjižnica "Ranko Marinković" Komiža". www.knjiznica.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 15 September 2017.