Hvar
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For the acronym, see HVAR.
Hvar (Italian Lesina) is a Croatian island in the Adriatic Sea, located off the Dalmatian coast. The island's length, east to west, measures approximately 80 km.
Hvar is separated from the island of Brač by the Hvar Channel (Hvarski kanal), from Vis by the Vis Channel, from Korčula by the Korčula Channel, from Pelješac by the Neretva Channel, while the east cape of the island is located just three nautical miles away from the mainland.
The major divisions of the island include:
- the town of Hvar (population 4,138 in 2001), the site of the first public theatre in Europe, opened in 1612.
- the town of Stari Grad, located on the north part of the island (population 2,817 in 2001), the site of one of the first human settlements on the Adriatic islands during the Antiquity Stari Grad is the main sea port on the island; most visitors arrive here via car ferries from Split.
- Jelsa is a town in the central-northern part of the island (population 3,672 in 2001)
- Sucuraj is a picturesque small town (more than 2,300 years old) on the east cape of the island Hvar in Croatia. The population of 400 people exists by tourism and fishing. Thanks to the very mild climate and beautiful countryside, many tourists come to Sucuraj. The town is the official centre of the east part of the island.
Along the southern coast of the island there are several smaller islands, notably the Paklenski otoci in the west and the Šćedro island in the south.
Residents of Hvar mostly work in the fishing and tourism industries. Hvar has a very mild Mediterranean climate, beautiful beaches and Mediterranean vegetation that make it one of the most attractive tourist centers in Europe. The island promotes itself as "the sunniest spot in Europe," with 2715 hours of sunlight in an average year.
Hvar town is the main tourist center. It features a large public square that is open to the sea. During the tourist season, the port is filled with large yachts. All-night discos attract large crowds of young visitors.
Another major economic activity is the cultivation of lavender, used for aromatic oils and soaps. Hvar is often called the "island of lavender".
Hvar is also one of the two most famous winemaking zones in Croatia. Vineyards on the southern side of the island are famous for red wines produced from the Plavac Mali grape. The central plain between Stari Grad and Jelsa is famous for its white wines.
Hvar is administratively part of the Split-Dalmatia county of Croatia.
[edit] History
In the 4th century BC the people of Pharos defeated Jasadini warriors and their allies. Their victory over much larger forces is immortalized an inscription, one of the oldest known inscriptions of Croatia.
The Hvar Culture lasted from 3500 to 2500 BC.
Venetian sailors saw the island while sailing towards the Neretva Channel and were threatened by pirates from the island.
In 925 the island was incoroporated into the Medieval Croatian state under the crown of King Tomislav.
Hvar is important to the history of Croatia as it was one of the centers of Croatian literature during the Renaissance, with writers such as Petar Hektorović and Hanibal Lucić. In Stari Grad, tourists can see the Petar Hektorović fortress/villa called Tvrdalj, architectonically designed by the poet himself.
Churches on the island contain lots of important paintings and artworks by famous Venetian artists, including Tinoretto, Veronese, Bellini and others.
During Croatian national renaissance, in the Age of national awakenings in Europe, Hvar gave a lot of persons, that contributed to Croatian national awakening in 18th and 19th century in southern Croatia, as well as among Croatia at all.
Ivan Vučetić, the man who perfected dactyloscopy at the turn of the 20th century, came from Hvar island. In today's Croatia, Hvar's most famous citizen in the world is football player Igor Tudor (Juventus), while most famous Croatian deputy in Sabor (awarded as the "Deputy of the year") is from island of Hvar, Tonči Tadić.
[edit] Names of the island
Originally known as Pharos after the Aegean island of Paros, the island was a Greek colony. The Greek poet Apollonius of Rhodes referred to the island as "Piteyeia" in the 3rd century BC. He came up with the name from either the Greek word "pitys", meaning spruce, or from the ancient Illyrian village of Pitve in the central part of the island.
Under the Roman rule (in the province of Dalmatia), it was known as Pharia and later Fara.
In the early Middle Ages, the Slavs settled the island and named it Hvar, replacing the consonant "f" with old Slavic consonant "hv". But, the island was still ruled by the romanized Illyrians. Croats' influence convinced the resident Roman population to once again change the official name to Quarra.
Since the late 11th century the Italians called it Lesina. Ironically, the name in Italian language is derived from Croat word "les", which means "forest" (an accurate description of the island at the time), or in Venetian Republic, Liesena.
The Italian name for it, Lesina, remained official during Venetian rule. Local Croat majority called it always - Hvar.
[edit] External links
- Official site of Hvar Island
- Tourist board of City of Hvar
- The Island of Hvar
- The town of Sucuraj on Hvar
- Private accommodation, apartments and rooms in Hvar
- Adriatic Islands Project: Contact, commerce and colonisation 6000 BC - AD 600
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