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The village of Donji Humac, island of Brač in Croatia

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PresentationPresentation

General presentationGeneral information
With its two hundred inhabitants, Donji Humac is one of the more small villages of the island of Brač in Croatia.

This traditional small village - one of the oldest localities of the island - is mainly inhabited by stonecutters, shepherds and farmers.

Donji Humac is part of the commune of Nerežišća in the county of Split-Dalmatia.

EtymologyEtymology
Donji Humac means Humac-Bas, in opposition to the village of Gornji Humac, Humac-Haut, located on the commune of Pučišća.

Under the Republic of Venice, Donji Humac named Sant’ Elia (Saint Elias) in Italian.

SituationSituation

The village is located on the side sunny of the hill of Humac, hidden with the sight of the sea where the many ships of the pirates was used marauding.

Donji Humac is distant of approximately 2 kilometers of Nerežišća and only 8 km of Supetar, the capital of the island of Brač.

VisitsVisits

Humac preserved through the ages the original style of its rural architecture, known on this karstic littoral since unmemorable times. There are only some buildings more raised than the others which disturb the harmony of the traditional houses, with the covered roofs of roofing stones. In the gardens one can see huts (bunja) made dry stones.
The Church Saint Ann
The church Saint Ann. Click to enlarge the image.The bell-tower of the church Saint Ann (Polježičanin author). Click to enlarge the image in Flickr (new tab).The parish church Saint Ann was in the beginning an arched chapel mentioned in the documents like Stomorica (deformation of Latin Sancta Maria) dating from Xe century. An additional building was added at the beginning of the 14th century; at that time, the church was surrounded by a cemetery. At the beginning of the 18th century, the church was again increased of two secondary naves, at the same time as an interesting bell-tower with bulb red baroque was built.

In the church, on a wall of the old vault, is an invaluable fresco, dating from the 13th century, which represents Christ on the throne between the Virgin and a saint bearded Jean-Baptiste; this fresco would have miraculous powers.

The Cave of Kopačina
The cave of Kopačina (Dhrzic author). Click to enlarge the image in Flickr (new tab).The cave of Kopačina is the prehistoric site most important on the island of Brač; it covers several millenia of the history of the island. The cave is encircled by steep slopes, and, starting from a plate on the southern part of the cave, opens a splendid sight on Donji Humac, Bobovišća and the west coast of the island.

A source of water, which existed close to the cave (which was covered when the well of the village was dug), and the abundant offer of wild animals in the zone of the cave provided excellent living conditions to the prehistoric man.

This 18 meters length cave is divided into two rooms. A large number of objects out of stone recovered, of the knives, the drills, the arrows, the scrapers and the wild bones of horses, wild cattle and wild stags belong to Épipaléolithique (fine of the Paleolithic superior, approximately 10,000 before J. - C.). Artefacts discovered in the lower part of the cave belong to the Mesolithic era (approximately 8000 before J. - C.). These testimonies show the strong development of hunting and the breeding. Fragments of pottery and an axe bronzes some dating from the old Bronze Age (around 1800 before J. - C.) were found on the sub-base.

The cave of Kopačina is located at 500 meters (20 min) in the North-West of Donji Humac.

The Chapel Saint Elias
The chapel Saint Elias (Giricinka author). Click to enlarge the image in Flickr (new tab).The chapel Saint Elias outside has a quadrangular apse and in semicircular arch inside the vault. The chapel is arched and its walls are segmented by blind arcades. The chapel dates from Xe and 11th centuries; it is one of oldest Croatian vaults the préromanes of the island.
The mausoleum of the Mount Saint Elias
The Roman mausoleum (Giricinka author). Click to enlarge the image in Flickr (new tab).Beside the chapel Saint Elias the vestiges of a Roman mausoleum are. The funerary room - out of stones of size with a moulded cornice - which is preserved, belonged to a monumental mausoleum even richer whose certain decorative fragments are also integrated in the walls of the chapel Saint Elias. According to many fragments of sculptures found on the site, this monument can be the 1st century after J. - C.

This mausoleum is regarded as the most beautiful monument of the Roman architecture of the island.

The Career
The career (author Kerky Oe). Click to enlarge the image in Flickr (new tab).The proximity of the historical careers, which always exist, gave to Donji Humac several stonecutters, among whom the contemporary sculptor Petar Jakšić.

InformationPractical information

General information
Visiting timesVisiting times
HotelsHotels
RestaurantsRestaurants
The Tavern Kopačina (Konoba Kopačina)
Meat specialities of lamb of Brač.

Other topicsOther topics

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The village of Donji Humac, island of Brač in Croatia
The hermitage of Blaca, island of Brač in Croatia
The mount Vidova Gora, island of Brač in Croatia
Broader topics
Croatia
Interactive map of the island of Brać in Croatia
The town of Supetar, island of Brač in Croatia
The town of Postira, island of Brač in Croatia
The town of Pučišća, island of Brač in Croatia
The town of Selca, island of Brač in Croatia
The town of Bol, island of Brač in Croatia
The town of Nerežišća, island of Brač in Croatia
The town of Milna, island of Brač in Croatia
The town of Sutivan, island of Brač in Croatia
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