Makarska
Encyclopedia
Makarska is a small town on the Adriatic coastline of Croatia
, about 60 km (37.3 mi) southeast of Split
and 140 km (87 mi) northwest of Dubrovnik
. It has a population of 13,716 residents. Administratively Makarska has the status of a town and it is part of the Split-Dalmatia County
.
It is a tourist centre, located on a horseshoe shaped bay
between the Biokovo
mountains and the Adriatic Sea. The city is noted for its palm-fringed promenade, where fashionable cafes, bars and boutiques overlook the pretty harbour where many pleasure craft are moored. Adjacent to the beach are several large capacity hotels as well as a camping ground.
The center of Makarska is an old town with narrow stone-paved streets, a main church square where there is a flower and fruit market, and a Franciscan
monastery
that houses a sea shell collection featuring a giant clam
shell.
Makarska is the center of the Makarska Riviera
, a popular tourist destination under the Biokovo mountain. It stretches for 60 km (37.3 mi) between the towns of Brela and Gradac. In the summertime tens of thousands of tourists flock to the area from Germany
, Austria
, Czech Republic
, Slovakia
, Sweden
, Slovenia
, Hungary
, Bosnia and Herzegovina
as well as other countries.
(Köppen climate classification
: Csa). Winters are warm and wet, while Summers are hot and dry. Makarska is one of the warmest cities in Croatia.
Vegetation is of the evergreen Mediterranean type, and subtropical flora (palm-trees, agaves, cacti
) grow in the city and its surroundings.
ian systems of measurement. A similar tablet was found in the Egyptian pyramids. In the Illyrian era this region was part of the broader alliance of tribes, led by the Ardaeans, founded in the third century BC in the Centina area (Omiš
) down to the River Vjosë in present-day Albania
.
After the division of the Empire in 395, this part of the Adriatic became part of the Eastern Roman Empire and many people fled to Muccurum from the new wave of invaders. The city appeares in the Tabula Peutingeriana
as the port of Inaronia, but is mentioned as Muccurum, a larger settlement that grew up in the most inaccessible part of Biokovo
mountain, probably at the very edge of the Roman civilisation. It appears on the acts of the Salonan Synod of 4 May 533 AD held in Salona
(533), when also the town's diocese was created.
king Totila
. The byzantine
Emperor expelled the Eastern Goths (Ostrogoths). In the 7th century the region between the Cetina
and Neretva
was occupied by the Slavs, who established the Neretva Principality, with Mokro (Makarska) as its administrative centre. The doge of Venice
Pietro I Candiano
, whose Venetian fleet aimed to punish the piratesque activities of the city's vessels, was defeated here on September 18, 877 and had to pay tribute to the Neretvans for the free passage of its ships on the Adriatic.
The new inhabitants were skilful boatsmen both on the rivers and the sea and they became excellent mariners and fearless pirates. The Croats who moved into this part of the coast were called Arentani by the byzantine Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus (10th century), and their state was called Pagania or Neretljanska: Moroko (once Muccurum), Verulja (Gornja Brela), Ostrok (Zaostrog
), Slavinac (Lapčan near Gradac) and that they held these islands: Meleta (Mljet
), Psara (Hvar
), Bracis (Brač
), Hoara (Sušac
), Jis (Vis Island) and Lastovo
. During the period of the Neretvan principality a port known as Makar developed on the coast.
in the 12th century, and was conquered by the Republic of Venice
a century later. Making use of the rivalry between the Croatian leaders and their power struggles (1324–1326), the Bosnian Ban Stjepan Kotromanič annexed the Makarska coastal area. There were many changes of rulers here: from the Croatian and Bosnian feudal lords, to those from Zuhumlje (later Herzegovina).
In the eventful 15th century the Ottomans
conquered the Balkans
. In order to protect his territory from the Turks
, Duke Vukčič handed the boardlands Krajina
and Neretva over to the Venetians, in 1452. The Makarska coastal area fell to the Turks in 1499. The city was surrounded with walls that had three towers. The name Makarska was cited for the first time in a 1502 document telling how nuns from Makarska were permitted to repair their church.
, Mostar
, for a short time in Makarska itself and finally in Gabela
on the River Neretva.
During the wars between Venice and the Turks over Crete
(1645–1669) the desire amongst the people of the area to be free of the Turks intensified, and in 1646 Venice recaptured the coastline. But a period of dual leadrship lasted until 1684, until the danger of the Turks ended in 1699.
(1797). In 1695 Makarska became the seat of a bishopric and commercial activity came to life, but it was a neglected area and little attention was given to the education of its inhabitants. At the time when the people were fighting against the Turks, and Venice paid more attention to the people's demands. According to Alberto Fortis
in his travel chronicles (18th century), Makarska was the only town in the coastal area, and the only Dalmatian town where there were absolutely no historical remains.
and the Imperial Council in Vienna demanded the introduction of the Croatian language for use in public life, but the authorities steadfastly opposed the idea. One of the leaders of the National (pro-Croatian) Party
was Mihovil Pavlinović of Podgora
. Makarska was one of the first communities to introduce the Croatian language (1865). In the second half of the 19th century Makarska experienced a great boom and in 1900 it had about 1800 inhabitants. It became a trading point for agricultural products, not only from the coastal area, but also from the hinterland (Herzegovina and Bosnia
) and had shipping links with Trieste
, Rijeka
and Split (city)
.
The Congress of Vienna
assigned Makarska to Austria-Hungary
, under which it remained until 1918.
Makarska was part of the Independent State of Croatia
. It was a port for the nation's navy
and served as the headquarters of the Central Adriatic Naval Command, until it was moved to Split
.
After the war Makarska experienced a period of growth, and the population tripled. All the natural advantages of the region were used to create in Makarska one of the best known tourist areas on the Croatian Adriatic.
In 2007, exhumation of victims from the World War Two were still ongoing.
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, about 60 km (37.3 mi) southeast of Split
Split (city)
Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...
and 140 km (87 mi) northwest of Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik is a Croatian city on the Adriatic Sea coast, positioned at the terminal end of the Isthmus of Dubrovnik. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations on the Adriatic, a seaport and the centre of Dubrovnik-Neretva county. Its total population is 42,641...
. It has a population of 13,716 residents. Administratively Makarska has the status of a town and it is part of the Split-Dalmatia County
Split-Dalmatia County
Split-Dalmatia County is the central-southern Dalmatian county in Croatia. The administrative center is Split. The population of the county is 455,242...
.
It is a tourist centre, located on a horseshoe shaped bay
Headlands and bays
Headlands and bays are two related features of the coastal environment.- Geology and geography :Headlands and bays are often found on the same coastline. A bay is surrounded by land on three sides, whereas a headland is surrounded by water on three sides. Headlands are characterized by high,...
between the Biokovo
Biokovo
Biokovo is the second-highest mountain range in Croatia, located along the Dalmatian coast of the Adriatic Sea, between the rivers of Cetina and Neretva...
mountains and the Adriatic Sea. The city is noted for its palm-fringed promenade, where fashionable cafes, bars and boutiques overlook the pretty harbour where many pleasure craft are moored. Adjacent to the beach are several large capacity hotels as well as a camping ground.
The center of Makarska is an old town with narrow stone-paved streets, a main church square where there is a flower and fruit market, and a Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
that houses a sea shell collection featuring a giant clam
Clam
The word "clam" can be applied to freshwater mussels, and other freshwater bivalves, as well as marine bivalves.In the United States, "clam" can be used in several different ways: one, as a general term covering all bivalve molluscs...
shell.
Makarska is the center of the Makarska Riviera
Makarska riviera
The Makarska Riviera is a part of the Croatian coast of the Adriatic Sea, about 60 kilometers long and only several kilometers wide, squeezed under towering mountain Biokovo. Sunny climate and long pebbly beaches make this region a popular tourist destination...
, a popular tourist destination under the Biokovo mountain. It stretches for 60 km (37.3 mi) between the towns of Brela and Gradac. In the summertime tens of thousands of tourists flock to the area from Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
as well as other countries.
Climate and vegetation
Makarska experiences a hot-summer Mediterranean climateMediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate is the climate typical of most of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, and is a particular variety of subtropical climate...
(Köppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
: Csa). Winters are warm and wet, while Summers are hot and dry. Makarska is one of the warmest cities in Croatia.
Vegetation is of the evergreen Mediterranean type, and subtropical flora (palm-trees, agaves, cacti
Cactus
A cactus is a member of the plant family Cactaceae. Their distinctive appearance is a result of adaptations to conserve water in dry and/or hot environments. In most species, the stem has evolved to become photosynthetic and succulent, while the leaves have evolved into spines...
) grow in the city and its surroundings.
Pre-history
Near present-day Makarska, there was a settlement as early as the middle of the 2nd millennium BC. It is thought that it was a point used by the Cretans on their way up to the Adriatic (the so-called "amber route"). However it was only one of the ports with links with the wider Mediterranean, as shown by a copper tablet with Cretan and EgyptEgypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian systems of measurement. A similar tablet was found in the Egyptian pyramids. In the Illyrian era this region was part of the broader alliance of tribes, led by the Ardaeans, founded in the third century BC in the Centina area (Omiš
Omiš
Omiš is a town and port in the Dalmatia region of Croatia, and is a municipality in the Split-Dalmatia County. The town is situated approximately south-east of Croatia's second largest city, Split. Its location is where the emerald-green Cetina River meets the Adriatic Sea...
) down to the River Vjosë in present-day Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
.
The Roman era
Although the Romans became rulers of the Adriatic by defeating the Ardaeans in 228, it took them two centuries to confirm their rule. The Romans sent their veteran soldiers to settle in Makarska.After the division of the Empire in 395, this part of the Adriatic became part of the Eastern Roman Empire and many people fled to Muccurum from the new wave of invaders. The city appeares in the Tabula Peutingeriana
Tabula Peutingeriana
The Tabula Peutingeriana is an itinerarium showing the cursus publicus, the road network in the Roman Empire. The original map of which this is a unique copy was last revised in the fourth or early fifth century. It covers Europe, parts of Asia and North Africa...
as the port of Inaronia, but is mentioned as Muccurum, a larger settlement that grew up in the most inaccessible part of Biokovo
Biokovo
Biokovo is the second-highest mountain range in Croatia, located along the Dalmatian coast of the Adriatic Sea, between the rivers of Cetina and Neretva...
mountain, probably at the very edge of the Roman civilisation. It appears on the acts of the Salonan Synod of 4 May 533 AD held in Salona
Salona
Salona was an ancient Illyrian Delmati city in the first millennium BC. The Greeks had set up an emporion there. After the conquest by the Romans, Salona became the capital of the Roman province of Dalmatia...
(533), when also the town's diocese was created.
The migration of the nations
In 548, Muccurum was destroyed by the army of the OstrogothOstrogoth
The Ostrogoths were a branch of the Goths , a Germanic tribe who developed a vast empire north of the Black Sea in the 3rd century AD and, in the late 5th century, under Theodoric the Great, established a Kingdom in Italy....
king Totila
Totila
Totila, original name Baduila was King of the Ostrogoths from 541 to 552 AD. A skilled military and political leader, Totila reversed the tide of Gothic War, recovering by 543 almost all the territories in Italy that the Eastern Roman Empire had captured from his Kingdom in 540.A relative of...
. The byzantine
Byzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
Emperor expelled the Eastern Goths (Ostrogoths). In the 7th century the region between the Cetina
Cetina
Cetina is a river in southern Croatia. It has a length of and its basin covers an area of . Cetina descends from an altitude of 385 m at its source to the sea level when it flows into the Adriatic Sea. It is the most water-rich river in Dalmatia....
and Neretva
Neretva
Neretva is the largest river of the eastern part of the Adriatic basin. It has been harnessed and controlled to a large extent by four HE power-plants with large dams and their storage lakes, but it is still recognized for its natural beauty, diversity of its landscape and visual...
was occupied by the Slavs, who established the Neretva Principality, with Mokro (Makarska) as its administrative centre. The doge of Venice
Doge of Venice
The Doge of Venice , often mistranslated Duke was the chief magistrate and leader of the Most Serene Republic of Venice for over a thousand years. Doges of Venice were elected for life by the city-state's aristocracy. Commonly the person selected as Doge was the shrewdest elder in the city...
Pietro I Candiano
Pietro I Candiano
Pietro I Candiano was briefly the sixteenth Doge of Venice in 887.He followed Orso I Participazio and Giovanni II Participazio as Doge of Venice, elected to the throne at the side of the elderly, and beloved, Giovanni circa April 887. He launched a military attempt against the Dalmatian Croat...
, whose Venetian fleet aimed to punish the piratesque activities of the city's vessels, was defeated here on September 18, 877 and had to pay tribute to the Neretvans for the free passage of its ships on the Adriatic.
The new inhabitants were skilful boatsmen both on the rivers and the sea and they became excellent mariners and fearless pirates. The Croats who moved into this part of the coast were called Arentani by the byzantine Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus (10th century), and their state was called Pagania or Neretljanska: Moroko (once Muccurum), Verulja (Gornja Brela), Ostrok (Zaostrog
Zaostrog
Zaostrog is a tourist town and harbor along the Adriatic Sea in southern Dalmatia, Croatia. It is located between Makarska and Ploče. It consists of two parts, an older part below a steep limestone section of the Biokovo mountain range, and a newer coastal zone...
), Slavinac (Lapčan near Gradac) and that they held these islands: Meleta (Mljet
Mljet
Mljet is the most southerly and easterly of the larger Adriatic islands of the Dalmatia region of Croatia. The National Park includes the western part of the island, Veliko jezero, Malo jezero, Soline Bay and a sea belt 500 m wide from the most prominent cape of Mljet covering an area of...
), Psara (Hvar
Hvar
- Climate :The climate of Hvar is characterized by mild winters and warm summers. The yearly average air temperature is , 686 mm of precipitation fall on the town of Hvar on average every year and the town has a total of 2800 sunshine hours per year. For comparison Hvar has an average of 7.7...
), Bracis (Brač
Brac
Brač is an island in the Adriatic Sea within Croatia, with an area of 396 km², making it the largest island in Dalmatia, and the third largest in the Adriatic. Its tallest peak, Vidova Gora, or Mount St. Vid, stands at 778 m, making it the highest island point in the Adriatic...
), Hoara (Sušac
Sušac
Sušac is a small rocky island in the Adriatic Sea with an area of 4.03 km2, and 16.4 km of coastline southwest of Korčula and Lastovo, on the halfway to the island of Vis, in Croatia. The coast consists of slopes and cliffs over 100 meters tall, but the opposite side features a natural harbour. A...
), Jis (Vis Island) and Lastovo
Lastovo
Lastovo is an island municipality in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County in Croatia. The municipality consists of 46 islands with a total population of 792 people, of which 93% are ethnic Croats, and a land area of approximately . The biggest island in the municipality is also named Lastovo, as is the...
. During the period of the Neretvan principality a port known as Makar developed on the coast.
Under various rulers
The principality was annexed to the Kingdom of CroatiaKingdom of Croatia (medieval)
The Kingdom of Croatia , also known as the Kingdom of the Croats , was a medieval kingdom covering most of what is today Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Balkans.Established in 925, it ruled as a sovereign state for almost two centuries...
in the 12th century, and was conquered by the Republic of Venice
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
a century later. Making use of the rivalry between the Croatian leaders and their power struggles (1324–1326), the Bosnian Ban Stjepan Kotromanič annexed the Makarska coastal area. There were many changes of rulers here: from the Croatian and Bosnian feudal lords, to those from Zuhumlje (later Herzegovina).
In the eventful 15th century the Ottomans
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
conquered the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
. In order to protect his territory from the Turks
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
, Duke Vukčič handed the boardlands Krajina
Krajina
-Etymology:In old-Croatian, this earliest geographical term appeared at least from 10th century within the Glagolitic inscriptions in Chakavian dialect, e.g. in Baška tablet about 1105, and also in some subsequent Glagolitic texts as krayna in the original medieval meaning of inlands or mainlands...
and Neretva over to the Venetians, in 1452. The Makarska coastal area fell to the Turks in 1499. The city was surrounded with walls that had three towers. The name Makarska was cited for the first time in a 1502 document telling how nuns from Makarska were permitted to repair their church.
Under the Turks
The Turks had links with all parts of the Adriatgic via Makarska and they therefore paid a great deal of attention to the maintenance of the port. In 1568 they built a fortress as defence against the Venetians. During Turkish rule the seat of the administrative and judicial authority was in FočaFoca
Foča is a town and municipality in southeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina on the Drina river, in the Foča Region of the Republika Srpska entity.-Early history:...
, Mostar
Mostar
Mostar is a city and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the largest and one of the most important cities in the Herzegovina region and the center of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation. Mostar is situated on the Neretva river and is the fifth-largest city in the country...
, for a short time in Makarska itself and finally in Gabela
Gabela
Gabela is a town in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina, 5 kilometres south of Čapljina and 4 kilometers from Metković, in Croatia. It is situated in the navigable lower course of the Neretva, off the major road linking the coast with the mountainous hinterland...
on the River Neretva.
During the wars between Venice and the Turks over Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
(1645–1669) the desire amongst the people of the area to be free of the Turks intensified, and in 1646 Venice recaptured the coastline. But a period of dual leadrship lasted until 1684, until the danger of the Turks ended in 1699.
Once more under the Venetians
After the return ot the Venetian ruler in 1646, it was given to the Austrians by the Treaty of Campo FormioTreaty of Campo Formio
The Treaty of Campo Formio was signed on 18 October 1797 by Napoleon Bonaparte and Count Philipp von Cobenzl as representatives of revolutionary France and the Austrian monarchy...
(1797). In 1695 Makarska became the seat of a bishopric and commercial activity came to life, but it was a neglected area and little attention was given to the education of its inhabitants. At the time when the people were fighting against the Turks, and Venice paid more attention to the people's demands. According to Alberto Fortis
Alberto Fortis
Abbe Alberto Fortis , was a Venetian writer, naturalist and cartographer.Alberto Fortis was born in Padua on either 9 or 11 of November 1741. He journeyed extensively in Dalmatia...
in his travel chronicles (18th century), Makarska was the only town in the coastal area, and the only Dalmatian town where there were absolutely no historical remains.
From 1797 to 1813
With the fall of Venice, the Austrian army entered Makarska and remained there until Napoleon took the upper hand. The French arrived in Makarska on 8 March 1806 and remained until 1813. This was an age of prosperity, cultural, social and economic development. Under French rule all the people were equal, and education laws written, for the first time in many centuries, in the Croatian language were passed. Schools were opened. Makarska was at this time a small town with about 1580 inhabitants.Under the Austrians (1813-1918)
As in Dalmatia as a whole, the Austrian authorities imposed a policy of Italianization, and the official language was Italian. The Makarska representatives in the Dalmatian assembly in ZadarZadar
Zadar is a city in Croatia on the Adriatic Sea. It is the centre of Zadar county and the wider northern Dalmatian region. Population of the city is 75,082 citizens...
and the Imperial Council in Vienna demanded the introduction of the Croatian language for use in public life, but the authorities steadfastly opposed the idea. One of the leaders of the National (pro-Croatian) Party
People's Party (Kingdom of Dalmatia)
People's Party was a political party in the Kingdom of Dalmatia. It was founded in 1861 after the failure of Bach's absolutism, as branch of the People's Party in Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia...
was Mihovil Pavlinović of Podgora
Podgora
Podgora is a small town in the Split-Dalmatia county of Croatia. It is located on the Adriatic coastline of Dalmatia. The town has a population of 1,500 while the municipality of Podgora has a population of about 3,000 .Podgora has a largely tourism-based economy. With its five hotels, it has...
. Makarska was one of the first communities to introduce the Croatian language (1865). In the second half of the 19th century Makarska experienced a great boom and in 1900 it had about 1800 inhabitants. It became a trading point for agricultural products, not only from the coastal area, but also from the hinterland (Herzegovina and Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
) and had shipping links with Trieste
Trieste
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
, Rijeka
Rijeka
Rijeka is the principal seaport and the third largest city in Croatia . It is located on Kvarner Bay, an inlet of the Adriatic Sea and has a population of 128,735 inhabitants...
and Split (city)
Split (city)
Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...
.
The Congress of Vienna
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of European states chaired by Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, and held in Vienna from September, 1814 to June, 1815. The objective of the Congress was to settle the many issues arising from the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars,...
assigned Makarska to Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
, under which it remained until 1918.
The 20th century
In the early 20th century agriculture, trade and fishing remained the mainstay of economy. In 1914 the first hotel was built, beginning the tourism tradition in the area. During World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Makarska was part of the Independent State of Croatia
Independent State of Croatia
The Independent State of Croatia was a World War II puppet state of Nazi Germany, established on a part of Axis-occupied Yugoslavia. The NDH was founded on 10 April 1941, after the invasion of Yugoslavia by the Axis powers. All of Bosnia and Herzegovina was annexed to NDH, together with some parts...
. It was a port for the nation's navy
Navy of the Independent State of Croatia
The Croatian Navy of the Independent State of Croatia was a national navy during World War II. Circa 1942, the force was divided into a Coast and Maritime Traffic Command with headquarters in Crikvenica, Makarska and Dubrovnik, and a River and River Traffic Command with headquarters in...
and served as the headquarters of the Central Adriatic Naval Command, until it was moved to Split
Split (city)
Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...
.
After the war Makarska experienced a period of growth, and the population tripled. All the natural advantages of the region were used to create in Makarska one of the best known tourist areas on the Croatian Adriatic.
In 2007, exhumation of victims from the World War Two were still ongoing.
Main sights
- St. Mark's Cathedral (17th century), in the Main Square.
- Statue of the friar Andrija Kačić MiošićAndrija Kacic MiošicAndrija Kačić Miošić was a Croatian poet and Franciscan monk.Born in Brist near Makarska, he became a Franciscan monk. He was educated in Zaostrog monastery and Buda...
by the famous Croatian sculptor Ivan RendićIvan RendicIvan Rendić was a Croatian sculptor.He began sculpting early on in life, thanks to the stoneworking tradition of the island of Brač, where he was raised. He finished arts school in Venice in 1871 and afterwards became a part of the Fioretine sculpting atelier...
. - St. Philip's Church (18th century).
- St. Peter's church (13th century), situated on the Sv. Petar peninsulaSveti Petar (Makarska, Croatia)Sv. Petar is a small peninsula at the port entrance of Makarska, Croatia. It is named after a 13th-century chunch of St. Peter. Today the peninsula serves as a city park and beach. The rocky beach on the outside of the peninsula is clothing optional but mostly used by naturists. Nearby the beach...
, rebuilt in 1993. - The Franciscan monastery (16th century). It houses a library with numerous books and rare incunabula's and a famous, world known collection of shells from all over the world, collected in a Malacological Museum from 1963.
- Napoleon monument, erected in the honour of the French Marshal Marmont in 1808.
- The BaroqueBaroque architectureBaroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
Ivanisevic Palace. - Villa Tonolli, which is home to the Town Museum.
Notable people
- Giuseppe AddobbatiGiuseppe AddobbatiGiuseppe Addobbati was an Italian film actor known for his roles in Spaghetti Western and action films in the 1960s and 1970s. He was often billed as John MacDouglas for films released to an American audience....
(1909–1986) - Italian film actor - Andrija Kačić MiošićAndrija Kacic MiošicAndrija Kačić Miošić was a Croatian poet and Franciscan monk.Born in Brist near Makarska, he became a Franciscan monk. He was educated in Zaostrog monastery and Buda...
(1704–1760) - Croatian poet and monk - Alen BokšićAlen BokšicAlen Bokšić is a former football attacker from Croatia. He was a renowned forward known for his technique.-Career:Bokšić was born in Makarska and started his career in the club Zmaj from Makarska. As a young player he moved to Hajduk Split and was introduced into the first team . With Hajduk, he...
(1970–) - Croatian retired football player