The town of Stari Grad, island of Hvar in Croatia

Stari Grad is also a commune being part of the county of Split-Dalmatia and which understands the localities of Fraud, Rudina, Selca and Vrbanj.

It is one of oldest the town of Croatia, rested by the Greeks into 384 before J. - C.; it constitutes the historical heart of the island of Hvar.

The old city of Stari Grad was registered on the list of the world heritage of UNESCO on July 7th, 2008.

The city was founded into 384 before J. - C. by Greek colonists coming from the island of Paros; they probably gave to the colony the name of “Pharos” (Φapoσ) per reference in the name of their metropolis.

At the time Roman, the city became known under the name of Faria, which was transformed into Hvar by the Slavic population which took possession of the area later (the letter F which is not part of the old Slavic alphabet).

When the capital of the island of Hvar was moved towards the new town of Hvar, the old capital was indicated like the “old city”: its Latin name of “Civitas Vetus” is attested starting from 1205.

Its names Croatian (Stari Grad) and Italian (Cittavecchia di Lesina) preserved this direction.

In the local dialect, the inhabitants names their city “Stori Grod”.

The city is at the place where the bay meets the vast plain of Stari Grad being reproduced on the list of the world cultural heritage of UNESCO. This situation for a long time made this area attractive for the human settlements.

Stari Grad is distant of 18 km of the capital of the island, Hvar.

The city presents today - especially southern part of bay - a maze of lanes to the traditional stone houses of size, with their flowered staircases and their carved balconies, their arched passages and their closed gardens, which make all the charm of Stari Grad. It is this oldest part of Stari Grad which is a site protected from the World heritage of UNESCO.

Dominate bay, the old country houses preserved their external oven.

The Saint John chapel is at the end is old city, close to the old door of the ancient city, in a lane which joined the Saint Stephen church. Since the lane, steps go down in the very sober Romance nave, with still awkward architecture.

This church baroque has a bell-tower, separated bell-tower, built on the vestiges of the door of the Greek city of Pharos, with stones recovered on the old ramparts. Inside the church, one can admire the triptych of “the Virgin, holy Jerome and holy Jean-Baptiste” of Francesco da Santacroce.

The construction of the villa occupied the poet a good part of his life during the 16th century, of 1520 to 1569. During the years 1520 and 1530, the building work related mainly to housing for the travellers and the poor. However, in 1539, a Turkish attack on Stari Grad left most of the burnt and ransacked city: Petar Hektorović flees towards Italy; of return in 1541, he undertook to strengthen his house so that it can be used as refuge for the inhabitants.

In 1571, Stari Grad was again attacked and Tvrdalj was set fire to by the Turks. One year later, Petar Hektorovic died and damaged the Tvrdalj palace was divided between his/her parents. The installation of the villa was continued according to the indications left by Petar Hektorović in its will.

Tvrdalj was conceived like a simple residence of summer, without any decorative traditional statue or other decorations in the fashion of noble houses of the time. Its defensive architecture gives him a distinctive appearance however: a high wall surrounds the complex of dwelling, with defensive characteristics like a ravelin and a “altana” (loggia built on the roof) with merlons. The building presents, on the side of the sea, a long frontage closed to protect it from any attack. The main entrance was done by a gate baroque giving on the sea front, where the inscription “Conditori Omnium” (With the creator of all things) accommodated the visitors. On the east coast, a housing for the travellers and the poor was, having his own entry.

The design of Hektorović was a simple plan of residences on one level around a central court. Districts of dwelling, kitchen and the cellar, as well as the districts of the servants, and several wells, are laid out around the interior court.

Beside the swimming pool a small tower with pigeon is. Hektorović says itself that its construction started with the parabola of fish in the basin, symbolizing Christ, and finished with the doves, which symbolized the Holy Spirit.

Behind the principal building is the “gracious closed garden”, mentioned in the poem “Ribanje”, where Hektorović cultivated medicinal herbs.

In front of the castle a statue in bust of Petar Hektorović is.

Obviously of stone in the atrium a hole presents which was used to empty the chamberpots; engraved in the stone above the door of these latrines, one reads this sentence “If you nosti, cur superbis” (If you know yourself, why you are to trust?).

On a plate in the wall under the arcade close to the swimming pool, an Italian inscription: “Fede E realta O quanto E bleated” (Like the faith and the truth are beautiful!).

Above the entry of the swimming pool: “Petrus Hectoreus, Marini filius, landlord sumptu and industria, AD suum and amicor usum construxit” (Petar Hektorović, son of Sailor, built it with its own expenses and by its own efforts, for its own use and that of his/her friends).

On the northern side of the basin: “Memorae novissima” (you Recall what will occur later).

On the east coast of the basin: “Nihil occultum” (Nothing is hidden).

Above the inscription the print of dishes and jugs is which were formerly embedded in the wall.

On the southern part of the basin: “Respice quod salvant nec apertures nec gloria mundi not decoration aut aetas bit quia cuncta rapit” (Remembers that neither the wealths, neither glory, neither the beauty, nor the age can save you death, which takes everyone).

On the west coast of the basin: “Connventibus virtute and genio F.” (Built by uprightness and the skill to work together).

The low-relief above the inscription presents symbols: two compasses, a wheel, and faces of a man and a woman radiating of light.

On the wall close to the ethnographic collection: “If screw AD vitam ingredi serva elected” (If you want to enter the life, observes the commands).

On the wall on the west coast, outside: “H’m fugiunt fluxu not redeunte dies” (Alas the days ebb like the waves but do not return).

Telephone: 00,385 (0) 21 76 57 63

Schedules: from May to June, 10:30 at 12:30; from July to September: 10:00 at 13:00, and 18:00 at 21:00

Tariff of entry: 10 kunas.

This residence, with a court and a garden, shelters today the Museum of Stari Grad which presents: an archaeological collection of the plain of Stari Grad, a multi-media exposure devoted to a Greek ship cast in front of the island of Hvar and a room of captain of the 19th century. The first stage presents an exposure of Croatian painters originating in the city, of which the painter of the 19th century Juraj Plančić.

The Biankini palace is located near the Tvrdalj castle; the visits are twinned, with the same schedules.

The monastery has an old library, archives and a small archaeological collection made up of Greek and Roman vestiges of old Pharos.

Visit:

Schedules: from May to June: 10:30 at 12:30; from July to September: 10:00 at 13:00 and 18:00 at 21:00

Tariff of entry: 10 kunas.

Inside, one notices the table “the burial of Christ” allotted to Tintoret and ordered by Petar Hektorović (the poet would be represented there under the features of the old man); also, two paintings of Gianbattista Crespi. On the high altar a crucifix of the 17th century is.

Petar Hektorović is buried in front of the furnace bridge.

Inside, a furnace bridge baroque out of wood, with figures of saints carved at the 17th century.

It is the most fertile plain of the Adriatic islands; it was cultivated since prehistoric times, but they are the former Greeks who marked it of their print: after the foundation of the colony of Pharos at the 4th century before J. - C., the Greeks divided the grounds located close to the city into geometrical pieces, so that the plain is divided into approximately 73 rectangular pieces of approximately 181 m out of 905 m (approximately 16 hectares). Certain pieces themselves are divided into smaller square pieces of 181 m out of 181 Mr.

What is remarkable it is that this system of agricultural organization in regular batches used by the Greeks, will chora it, was preserved until today. The ancient layout was preserved by a rigorous maintenance, during more than 24 centuries, of the dry stone low walls and the ways, with their stone shelters. In the same way, the system of collection of rainwater for the irrigation, using cisterns and small drains, was preserved. The same cultures, mainly the vine and the olive-tree, are still cultivated in the fields.

The defensive system of the plain took again the old towers illyriennes and supplemented them by new forts; the vestiges of four of them were identified, of which the Maslinovik tower.

This exceptional unit was registered on July 7th, 2008 on the list of the World heritage of UNESCO, like “practically unchanged” testimony of the ancient Greek system of land splitting up, will chora it. The site is also a nature reserve.