Stari Grad, Croatia
Stari Grad | |
---|---|
Town | |
Coordinates: 43°11′N 16°35′E / 43.183°N 16.583°E | |
Country | Croatia |
County | Split-Dalmatia |
Island | Hvar |
Government | |
• Mayor | Antonio Škarpa (Ind.) |
• City Council | 13 members |
Area UTC+2 (CEST) | |
Postal code | 21460 |
Area code | 021 |
Website | stari-grad |
Stari Grad ("Old Town") (Italian: Cittavecchia or Cittavecchia di Lesina) is a town on the northern side of the island of Hvar in Dalmatia, Croatia.[3] One of the oldest towns in Europe, its position at the end of a long, protected bay and next to prime agricultural land has long made it attractive for human settlement. Stari Grad is also a municipality within the Split-Dalmatia County.
The most ancient part of Stari Grad falls within the UNESCO Protected World Heritage Site of the Stari Grad Plain, while the entire municipality lies within the surrounding buffer zone.
Name
Stari Grad was originally named Faros (
This battle meant the loss of the most important strategic Liburnian positions in the centre of the Adriatic, resulting in their final retreat to their main ethnic region,
Population
The municipality of Stari Grad has a population of 2,781 (2011 Census), of which 1,885 live in the town itself.
population | 4494 | 4720 | 5511 | 5990 | 5975 | 5007 | 5027 | 4258 | 3388 | 3433 | 3231 | 3016 | 2857 | 2884 | 2817 | 2781 | 2772 |
1857 | 1869 | 1880 | 1890 | 1900 | 1910 | 1921 | 1931 | 1948 | 1953 | 1961 | 1971 | 1981 | 1991 | 2001 | 2011 | 2021 |
Geography
Stari Grad lies on the north side of the island of Hvar, at the end of the Stari Grad Bay, a deep water channel, protected to the north by the hills of the Kabal peninsula and by the high mountain ridge of Hvar to the south.
The island's best agricultural land opens up to the east of Stari Grad town. This fertile plain has been farmed since pre-historic times, and the Greek field layout is still largely intact, thanks to continuing maintenance over the years of its dry stone walls. In 2008, the Stari Grad Plain became a UNESCO protected world heritage site.
History
Year | Pop. | ±% |
---|---|---|
1961 | 3,231 | — |
1971 | 3,016 | −6.7% |
1981 | 2,857 | −5.3% |
1991 | 2,884 | +0.9% |
2001 | 2,817 | −2.3% |
2011 | 2,781 | −1.3% |
Source: Naselja i stanovništvo Republike Hrvatske 1857–2001, DZS, Zagreb, 2005 |
The area around present day Stari Grad was settled by the
In 384 BC, the town was formally founded by
In 218 BC, the
An inscription from the 2nd century BC, refers to the Farians and their delegation to the Greek island of Paros and the oracle at Delphi. It makes mention of the Roman senate and the people (who are) well disposed and benevolent towards the city of Faros from the times of their ancestors. Further inscriptions, mosaics, tombstones, stone reliefs, fine pottery, jewellery, coins, villae rusticae in the Plain tell the story of life in and around the ancient Roman town.
The first church was built in the 5th century, in the southeast corner of the town, close to the city walls, on the foundations of a prior Greek house. In the 6th century, a new church was built on the same site, a twin basilica with a baptistry dedicated to St Mary and St John.
In the 7th century, following the fall of
Roman Faria was taken over by the Slavs at the beginning of the 8th century. At this point, the town received the name we know it by today – Hvar (the letter F not being part of the
In 1278, the people of Hvar chose to put themselves under the protection of the
During the 16th century, the town was attacked by the Turks, the first time repulsing them, but in 1571 they lost, and much of the town was burnt down. Following that loss, Stari Grad was slowly rebuilt from the ruins. During the 17th and 18th centuries, prosperity once again grew from sea-trade. The old waterfront (Stara Riva) was extended and the town underwent a major architectural and urban transformation, resulting in the town structure we see today.
In 1797
The 19th century was peaceful, and a time of prosperity for the entire island. However, the advent of phylloxera destroyed the island's grapevines, and the town's sailing vessels could not compete with the new steam ships. Large numbers of people moved away to start a new life elsewhere. Today, Stari Grad is again rebuilding itself, this time with tourism as the main focus.[8] [9]
Culture
- Town Music a society of local music enthusiasts, founded in 1876.
- Theatre "Petar Hektorović" Amateur theatre troop, dating from 1893, specialises in comic plays
- Town Library is the direct descendant of the "Croatian National Reading Room" founded in 1874. The Town Library is now located in the Town Hall, built 1893.
- Stari Grad Museum is housed in the former Palaca Biankini. Special exhibits show a reconstruction of an ancient Greek shipwreck, the archaeological collection from the Stari Grad Plain, and a 19th-century Captain's room. In addition, the Museum houses an art collection and Juraj Plancic Gallery. (Website: Stari Grad Museum)
- Music School "Toma Cecchini" is a branch of the Music School "Josip Hatze" in Split.
- Faros Kantaduri traditional Dalmatian singing group founded in 1995, blending Gregorian Chant with the multipart harmonies of Dalmatian Klapa. (Website: www.faroski-kantaduri.hr Archived 2018-08-08 at the Wayback Machine)
- St. Stevens Church Singers, some of whom are also members of Klapa "Garmica", a traditional Dalmatian singing group.
- During the summer months, art and cultural events are organized, such as workshops on ancient Faros, classical languages and culture, archaeological restoration of mosaics and pottery, open singing, puppetry and painting for children.
Archeology
The town itself, and the surrounding area are rich in archaeological sites dating from pre-history and classical times. Permanent exhibitions in the Stari Grad Museum display the collection of artifacts found at local sites, both on land and under the sea.
- Old Town Walls
- Greek settlement
- Stari Grad Plain
- Roman Villas (villa rusticae)
- Maslinovik – Greek tower in the Stari Grad Plain
- Glavica – Illyrian fort above Stari Grad
- Purkin Kuk – Illyrian fort above Stari Grad
Architecture
- Church of St John (sv. Ivan)
- Church of St Jerome (sv. Jerolim)
- Church of St Roch (sv. Rok)
- Church of St Peter (sv. Petar), church with Dominican monastery
- Church of St Lucia (sv. Lucija), church with remains of the monastery of Dominican trećeretkinja (picokara)
- Church of St Nicholas (sv. Nikola)
- Church of St Stephen (sv. Stjepan)
- Chapel of Our Lady (Kapela Gospojica) in the Stari Grad Plain
- Chapel of St Helen (sv. Jelina) on the road to Dol
- Tvrdalj Castle – Residence of the Renaissance poet Petar Hektorović, built 16th century
- Trg Škor – Baroque Square dating from 17th–18th century
- Palace Biankini – neorenaissance house with a court and garden, which today houses the Stari Grad Museum. (Website:Museum of Stari Grad Archived 2012-02-24 at the Wayback Machine)
- House and Mausoleum of Šime Ljubića, classical style, built 1887
- Old windmill (Mlin na vjetar), south side of the harbour
The present-day Church of St. John, together with the archaeological remains found south of it, comprises an Early Christian complex dating from 5th/6th century. The original walls are preserved up to the beginning of the barrel vault that was built during the restoration in the early Romanesque period (11th century). The church floor was decorated with geometrical and figural details of which some are preserved. In the interior is original Early Christian altar. The large rosette on the facade is from the Gothic-era adaptation of the church in the 14th century.
The Church of St. Rocco, patron of Stari Grad, was raised by the confraternity of the same name, with provisions by the poet and nobleman Petar Hektorović in the 16th century. The
The Dominican monastery of St. Peter the Martyr was founded, with help of townspeople, by friar Germanicus of Piacenza in 1482. The church and the monastery were ransacked and burned by the Turks in 1571 and after that the monastery was fortified with round towers. The church was partially demolished and built anew in 1894. All that remained from the old church is the bell tower and the chapel with the tomb of the Renaissance poet Petar Hektorović. The monastery museum host the oldest Greek inscriptions from Pharos (4th century BC). The picture gallery has a number of valuable paintings of Venetian artists such as the famous "The Lamentation of Christ" by Tintoretto (1518–1594).
Notable inhabitants
Notable inhabitants and persons with the origin from Stari Grad.
- Petar Hektorović (1487–1572), poet, author of "Ribanja i ribarskog prigovaranja"
- Šime Ljubić (1822–1896), archaeologist
- Jakša Račić (1868–1943), mayor of Split
Stari Grad bays
There are numerous bays on each side of Stari Grad Bay. One of the largest bays is Tiha, located on the northern side. Tiha is a perfect anchoring point as it is safe, and sheltered from all winds (the name Tiha translates to silent/calm). Zavala is a slightly smaller bay, but equally calm, with plenty of anchoring spots. The other side (south side) of Stari Grad bay, is quite higher, and offers smaller bays with hills meters away from the beach. Gracisce is one of those bays, with a pebble covered beach, and a thick pine forest just meters above. Closer to the city on the southern side there are a few beautiful beaches, such as the small sandy Maslinica bay. One more worth mentioning is Arkada, located underneath the hotel of the same name on the northern side, with a calm space for anchoring nearby.[10]
References
This article needs additional citations for verification. (January 2011) |
- 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.
- The Chronicle-Herald. Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Archived from the originalon February 1, 2015. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
- ^ a b "Population by Age and Sex, by Settlements, 2011 Census: Stari Grad". Census of Population, Households and Dwellings 2011. Zagreb: Croatian Bureau of Statistics. December 2012.
- ISBN 0-631-19807-5, 1996
- ISBN 9789025610500.
- ISBN 978-1-4443-3838-6.
- ^ A. Čavić: Stari Grad, povijesni vodič; izdanje Centra za kulturu Staroga Grada, 2004.
- OCLC 215232714.
- ^ "Stari Grad sailing! - yacht Charter Croatia". 15 April 2016.
External links
- Stari Grad Municipal website
- Stari Grad Tourist Office
- Stari Grad Museum Archived 2012-02-24 at the Wayback Machine
- A brief history of Stari Grad Archived 2017-10-22 at the Wayback Machine
- News from Stari Grad (in Croatian)
- Faros Kantaduri Archived 2018-08-08 at the Wayback Machine
- UNESCO website: Stari Grad Plain
- Stari Grad Plain Archived 2021-05-11 at the Wayback Machine (in Croatian)
- Hvar Touristik