Vrboska
Encyclopedia
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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...
in Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
, Croatia
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 ...
, in the Municipality of Jelsa
Jelsa, Croatia
Jelsa is a town in Croatia, on the island of Hvar. Jelsa is also a district within the county of Split-Dalmatia.- District of Jelsa :The district of Jelsa covers an area of 121.2 km2 from the north coast to the south coast of Hvar...
. Founded in the 15th century as a fishing harbour, Vrboska is best known for the fortress Church of Sv. Marija (St Mary), built as a refuge for its inhabitants during the 16th century. Vrboska has a population of 526 as of the 2001 Census.
Geographical
Settlement on the northern coast of the island of HvarHvar
- 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...
in a deep narrow bay surrounded by pine forest, vineyards, and olive groves. Vrboska lies on the north-eastern side of the UNESCO protected world heritage site Stari Grad Plain
Stari Grad Plain
The Stari Grad Plain on the island of Hvar is an agricultural landscape that was set up by the ancient Greek colonists in the 4th century BC, and remains in use today. The plain is generally still in its original form...
.
Name
Vrboska, (local dialect Varboska) The name is probably derived from Vrbanj, the inland village whose inhabitants originally used the sheltered inlet as a fishing port. Another theory is that it comes from the latin verboscam, meaning forested.History
Founded in the middle ages, the oldest building is the church of St Peter, which was built before the 14th century between the boundaries of Pitve and Vrbanj. In the immediate vicinity, on the Stari Grad Plain, is the ancient Villa Rustica.Matija Ivanić
Matija Ivanic
Matija Ivanić was a prominent 16th century citizen of the Dalmatian city of Hvar that led the Hvar Rebellion against the Venetian Republic. After the defeat of the Rebellion, Ivanić became a symbol of freedom in Venetian-controlled Dalmatia. Personifying defiance both against Venice and against...
, the populist leader of the Hvar Rebellion
Hvar Rebellion
The Hvar Rebellion was a popular uprising of the people and citizens of the Dalmatian island of Hvar on the Adriatic Sea against the island's nobility and their Venetian masters...
of 1510-1514, had a house in Vrboska. The Venetian troops attacked the town in 1510, causing extensive damage. In 1571, the town was again attacked, this time by the Turks, under Uluz Ali. Soon afterwards, in 1575, the church of St Mary was fortified, to become a church-fortress, a unique sight in the islands.
The place developed as a fishing community, trading and growing in prosperity. At the beginning of the 20th century, Vrboska had a sardine factory, wooden boat-building industry, a hotel, fishing trade association, and regular boat connections with Split and the neighbouring island of Brač. There was a community hall, library and health clinic.
Economy
Vrboska today is a tourist destination with a popular yachting marina.Culture
The church of St. Mary of Mercy was re-built in the shape of a fortress around 1575 following the Turkish attack on the older church from 1465. The parish church of St. Lovrinac was built in 1571, and restored in the 17th century. The main altar of St. Lovrinac has a Paola Veronesca, and work of John Rendic. There are also paintings by the Venetian Masters: Tizian, Cagaliarija, Bassano, Scuria, Cellinia and others. The church of St. Peter, mentioned in 1331, was a border point between the territory of neighbouring villages Pitve and Vrbanj, even before the founding of Vrboska. Restored in 1469 it is considered one of the oldest religious buildings on the island. The townsfolk of Vrboska are proud also of their Fishing Museum.The patron saint of Vrboska is St Lovrinac.