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Servant of God Marija of the Crucified Jesus Petkovic and Etno house Barila

Servant of God Marija of the Crucified Jesus Petkovic

Servant of God Marija of the Crucified Jesus Petkovic was born December 10, 1892. in Blato. She was the sixth of thirteen children born to Marija Marinovic and Antun Petkovic. From an early age she was a lively and happy soul, showed strong natural abilities and displayed a propensity towards Godliness, obedience and mercy. At the age of fourteen she took the vow of chastity. She participated actively in the church and the elderly. To the poor, orphaned and young girls she offered spiritual and physical help. At the request of Dubrovniks bishop Msgr. Josip Marcelic the Order of Daughters of Mercy was founded October 4, 1920. the Franciscan Order with the purpose to spread for the good of all her instructions. She took responsibility for the education and upbringing of nuns, establishing help for young ladies, children in need and the sick. She founded kindergartens, day-care centres, Home Economics and sewing classes.

Ethno house "Barilo"

Ethno house Barilo and its ethno collection is situated in the centre of Blato. It is a unique and interesting collection of applied objects from mans everyday life. Special interest is given to a collection of hand made crafts. Ethno house gives the visitors an unforgettable island atmosphere and a vision of the life of our ancestors. All that you can feel and taste with friendly hosts and their traditional recipes.

Prigradica and Blato

Prigradica is a town on the northern coast of the island of Korcula, near Blato. It was once a well known export harbour for the highly esteemed Blato wine and olive oil. Today Prigradica is a tourist town which has preserved its authentic rustic feel. The nearby villages, untouched for centuries, are a unique back to the past experience. With its harmonious urban whole, Blato aroused interest of a number of travelogue writers as early as the 18th century. The centre of the town features a nice line of lime-trees, stretching for more than 1 km, providing a unique experience in June, when lime-trees are blossoming. The most beautiful view on Blato and its surroundings is offered from the road leading to the southern coast, where many accommodation facilities are located. These are the picturesque coves of Grscica and Prizba, Karbuni and Potirna. In front of them is a group of islands with beautiful beaches. On the northern coast is the Prigradica Cove with a nice harbour.

The inhabitants of Blato have always cherished their tradition and culture, which is substantiated by the existence of 15 cultural societies and associations. The most prominent is the Chivalrous Society "Kumpanija" (Companions), established in 1927. The chivalrous game called "kumpanija", is one of the most interesting traditions in Blato, and regularly takes place on the 28th of April, on St. Vicenzas Day (patroness of the town), whose bones were relocated to Blato two centuries ago by consent of the Pope Pio VI. Kumpanija is a chivalrous fight between two armies showing their readiness to defend their home, as a memory of distant centuries when the defence of the island was in hands of the island defence unit called "kumpanija" (Companions). Upon consent of the local head, the leader of soldiers, so-called "kapitan" (Captain) starts with the sword dance in several dance figures. An especially interesting part is the role of "alfir" (standard-bearer), dancing with a large flag. After the end of this chivalrous game, the soldiers may dance with girls (dance called "tanac"). Kumpanija is accompanied by bellows and a big war drum. The thousand-year-old custom of sacrificing an ox was abandoned several decades ago. The game takes place in front of the church of All Saints, on the so-called "plokata", in a suggestive ambience, where also other feasts and events are held.

BLATO, a town in the interior of the island of Korcula (4-odd km from the coast), 7 km southeast of Vela Luka. It lies on the eastern edge of the Blato field. Economy is based on farming (Mediterranean crops). The chief arable land is the Blato field, which has been dried (water has been taken into the Bristva Cove by a tunnel). Most of it is under vineyards. Blato is the econ-omic centre of the island, located on the regional road Korcula - Vela Luka.

Island Korčula

Korcula, an island in the central Dalmatian archipelago; area 279.03 sq km (length 46.8 km, width 5.3-7.8 km); population 17,038; the coast is rather indented. The highest peaks are Klupca (568 m) and Kom (510 m). The climate is mild; an average air temperature in January is 9.8 °C (in the town of Korcula) and in July 26.9 °C; the average annual rainfall is 1,100 mm; the annual insolation reaches 2,671 hours (Vela Luka).

The island is largely covered with the Mediterranean flora; at some places are pine forests. Economy is based on farming, viticulture, fruit growing, fishing and fish processing, shipbuilding, processing of synthetic materials and tourism. Summer tourism has a long tradition on the island; nautical tourism has been recently developed.

Major places on the coast are Korcula, Lumbarda, Vela Luka, Raciste, and in the interior Blato, Zrnovo, Smokvica, Cara and Pupnat. The regional road connects major places on the island. Ferry lines connect the island of Korcula with the mainland. The island was inhabited as early as the Neolithic (cave Vela Spilja near Vela Luka, cave Jakasova Spilja above the cove of Rasohatica, Zrnovo) and the Bronze Age. A Greek colony existed here in the 6th and the 5th centuries BC; at that time the island was called Korkyra Melaina (remains of Greek habitations in Lumbarda, in the vicinity of Blato and in Potirna). From 35 BC the island was part of the Roman Empire; traces of Roman settlements have been discovered in the vicinity of Lumbarda, Vela Luka (locality Beneficij), Blago and on Pelegrin. On the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, the island became part of the Ostrogoth state (AD 493) and then came under the Byzantine rule (AD 555). In the 9th century it was taken by the Nerentani/Narentini, and in AD 1000 by Venice. In 1180 the island came under the Hungarian-Croatian king (in 1214 the statute of the town and the island were passed). From 1221, during two centuries, the island had several rulers - rulers from Zahumlje, Venice (in 1298 the Genoese fleet defeated the Venetian fleet near Korcula), King Lodovic I (1358), Bosnian rulers (1390) and the Dubrovnik Republic (1413-1417). In the period 1420-1797 the island was under Venice but it retained its autonomy. Due to frequent attacks of the Turkish fleet and pirate ships (all until the beginning of the 18th c.) several important points on the island were fortified (especially the town of Korcula). - After the fall of Venice there was another period of various rulers (1797-1805 Austria, 1805-1813 France, 1813-1815 Great Britain, 1815-1918 Austria). Korcula was under the Italian occupation in the period 1918-1921, and after that was annexed to Croatia. The centre of the island, the town of Korcula, with its cultural and historical heritage, its town ramparts (similar to those of Dubrovnik) ranks among the favourite tourist destinations in southern Croatia. - As for the local economy, shipbuilding (town of Korcula, Vela Luka) and stone cutting (extraction of white marble from a quarry on the eastern coast of the island) have been important branches for centuries. Korčula The town of Korcula, the historical centre of the island, has a very nice location in the Peljesac Channel. It is also known for its outstanding cultural and historical heritage and a long tradition in seafaring, shipbuilding and stone-masonry. It is the birthplace of the adventurer and traveller Marco Polo.

Today Korcula is an important tourist centre. Tourism has a years-long tradition on the island. The first modern hotel, Korcula, was opened in 1912, in a building erected in 1871. Hotel guests have been enjoying the sunset at the hotel terrace for decades, which is a unique experience in the early summer.

Activities

Visitor opportunities of the island of Korcula include various types of accommodation - hotels, apartments, campsites, marina; sports and recreational facilities, especially interesting are water sports; organized excursions and a rich cultural life and entertainment programs. Cultural events of "Moreska" and "Kumpanija" have become world-famous.

To make your holiday more interesting and eventful, you can choose some of these activities. Korcula island gives you numerous possibilities to discover its beauties, which the ancient Greeks and Romans longed for.

Rent a Boat The waterfronts of Korcula Island and the 50+ surrounding islets are best explored by boat. For experienced sea-going visitors, town of Vela Luka offer a variety of speedboats, inflatable boats as well as other kinds of small boats.

Rent a Car, Scooter and Bike To make your stay more convenient a car is a necessity. A variety of car hire companies can be found in Vela Luka as well as hire of scooters and bicycles.

Taxi service A transportation by car or mini van from the Split airport to the city center or port of Split, as well as, from the Dubrovnik airport to the city center or to the Peljesac peninsula and the island of Korcula can be arrange from town of Vela Luka. All transfers can be adjusted to your specific needs and will provide a pleasant and safe trip to your chosen destinations.

Scuba Diving To those interested in the sport of adventure, we suggest Diving into the beautiful, mystical word of the sea to explore sunken ships, caves and life along the steep, craggy seacliffs.

Cycling is one of the most widespread activities today. We can show you all the beauties of Korcula island, either on your own bike or a hired one. In this area there are six bicycle routes prepared for its visitors, all of which start and end in Blato.

Trakking is an activity for all ages. You have more options; easy sea side paths or prevailing hard hill paths. This area has prepared six hiking trails in its picturesque environment for its visitors.

Adriatic sea

The Adriatic sea got its name from an ancient port of the same name. The Adriatic spans from the Balkan to the Apennine peninsula. The part belonging to the Republic of Croatia is the eastcoast which extends all the way from Prevlaka in the south to cape Savudrija in the west,including all islands, islets and cliffs along the coast,and the archipelago of Palagruza (the number of islands, islets and cliffs is more than 1700). This is a unique area in Europe forcruising with motor boats, speedboats, or sailboats, but also for enjoying the underwater world.

Islands

Croatia is truly a land of islands because it has more than a thousand of them and each one is different. Many of them are inhabited but each and every one is exceptional, with its own story and destiny. To have a weak spot is human and the connoisseurs of Croatian islands have thousands of them. To be more precise 1185 of them. Thats how many islands, islets and cliffs are located in front of 1777 kilometers of the Adriatic coast. The first trip to the Adriatic coast and its islands is a journey into the unknown. Every other trip will be a journey to the already familiar beauty of this country, always different but equally breathtaking.

Split

Split, a city and port in Central Dalmatia. Situated on a peninsula between the eastern part of the Gulf of Kastela and the Split Channel. A hill, Marjan (178 m), rises in the western part of the peninsula. The ridges Kozjak (780 m) and Mosor (1,330 m) protect the city from the north and northeast, and separate it from the hinterland. Split has the Mediterranean climate: hot dry summers (average air temperature in July reaches 26 °C) and mild, humid winters (average annual rainfall is 900 mm). Split is one of the sunniest places in Europe: the average daily insolation during the year is about 7 hours (in July about 12 hours).

Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik is a town, port and tourist centre of the southern Croatian coast. It lies at the foot of the limestone Srd Mount (412 m), in a valley enclosed to the south-west by the Lapad plateau and a smaller reef with the oldest part of Dubrovnik. The ancient town core was connected with the suburban zone on the other side of the valley by levelling and filling up of a marshy valley between the Gruz Bay in the north and Stari Porto (Old Port) in the south, as well as by the construction of the Placa (Stradun). Stradun thus became the centre of the town and its main street, connecting two opposite town gates: the Ploce Gate in the east and the Pile Gate in the west.