Cavtat (, it, Ragusa Vecchia, lit=Old Ragusa) is a village in the

Dubrovnik-Neretva County The Dubrovnik-Neretva County (; hr, Dubrovačko-neretvanska županija, ) is the southernmost county of Croatia, located in south Dalmatia. The county seat is Dubrovnik and other large towns are Korčula, Metković, Opuzen and Ploče. The ...

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = " Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capi ...

. It is on the

Adriatic Sea The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) to th ...

coast south of

Dubrovnik Dubrovnik (), historically known as Ragusa (; see notes on naming), is a city on the Adriatic Sea in the region of Dalmatia, in the southeastern semi-exclave of Croatia. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterranea ...

and is the centre of the

Konavle Konavle () is a municipality and a small region located southeast of Dubrovnik, Croatia. It is administratively part of the Dubrovnik-Neretva County and the center of the municipality is Cavtat. Demographics The total municipality population wa ...

municipality.

History

Antiquity

The original city was founded by the

Greeks The Greeks or Hellenes (; el, Έλληνες, ''Éllines'' ) are an ethnic group and nation indigenous to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea regions, namely Greece, Cyprus, Albania, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, and, to a lesser extent, ot ...

in the 6th century BC under the name of

Epidaurus Epidaurus ( gr, Ἐπίδαυρος) was a small city ('' polis'') in ancient Greece, on the Argolid Peninsula at the Saronic Gulf. Two modern towns bear the name Epidavros: '' Palaia Epidavros'' and '' Nea Epidavros''. Since 2010 they belong t ...

(or Epidauros, el, Ἐπίδαυρος). The surrounding area was inhabited by the

Illyrians The Illyrians ( grc, Ἰλλυριοί, ''Illyrioi''; la, Illyrii) were a group of Indo-European-speaking peoples who inhabited the western Balkan Peninsula in ancient times. They constituted one of the three main Paleo-Balkan populations, a ...

, who called the city Zaptal. The town changed its name to Epidaurum when it came under Roman rule in 228 BC.

Justinian I Justinian I (; la, Iustinianus, ; grc-gre, Ἰουστινιανός ; 48214 November 565), also known as Justinian the Great, was the Byzantine emperor from 527 to 565. His reign is marked by the ambitious but only partly realized '' renov ...

the Emperor of the Byzantine Empire sent his fleet to Cavtat during the

Gothic War (535–554) The Gothic War between the Eastern Roman Empire during the reign of Emperor Justinian I and the Ostrogothic Kingdom of Italy took place from 535 to 554 in the Italian Peninsula, Dalmatia, Sardinia, Sicily and Corsica. It was one of the l ...

and occupied the town. Cavtat3

The city was sacked and destroyed by the Avars and

Slavs Slavs are the largest European ethnolinguistic group. They speak the various Slavic languages, belonging to the larger Balto-Slavic branch of the Indo-European languages. Slavs are geographically distributed throughout northern Eurasia, main ...

in the 7th century. Refugees from Epidaurum fled to the nearby island, Laus (Ragusa) which over time evolved into the city of Dubrovnik.

Middle Ages

The town was re-established in the Middle Ages ( it, Ragusa Vecchia). After a short while it came under the control of its powerful neighbor, the

Republic of Ragusa The Republic of Ragusa ( dlm, Republica de Ragusa; la, Respublica Ragusina; it, Repubblica di Ragusa; hr, Dubrovačka Republika; vec, Repùblega de Raguxa) was an aristocratic maritime republic centered on the city of Dubrovnik (''Ragusa'' ...

. The modern

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = " Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capi ...

n name for the city reveals its ancient origins and its link with Dubrovnik. Cavtat is derived from ', which means ''old city'' in

Latin Language Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of ...

Economy

Today, Cavtat is a popular tourist destination with many hotels and private households that rent rooms and apartments. The seafront is filled with shops and restaurants. There are several beaches in Cavtat and its surroundings, among them Pasjača, as well as Ključice, Obod, Rat and Žal. A ferry boat connects the town to neighbouring Mlini and

. There are often many private luxury ships and yachts along the strand.

Culture

The town cemetery on the hill contains a

mausoleum A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be cons ...

belonging to the Račić family and decorated by the sculptor

Ivan Meštrović Ivan Meštrović (; 15 August 1883 – 16 January 1962) was a Croatian sculptor, architect, and writer. He was the most prominent modern Croatian sculptor and a leading artistic personality in contemporary Zagreb. He studied at Pavle Bilinić's ...

. In year 2004 Cavtat got the title ''European Competition for Towns and Villages in Blooms'', especially for the well-tended green areas and flower arrangements on the beach promenade. The Epidaurus Festival of Music has been held annually in Cavtat since 2007.

Notable people

Vlaho Bukovac Vlaho Bukovac (french: Blaise Bukovac; it, Biagio Faggioni; 4 July 1855 – 23 April 1922) was a Croatian painter and academic. His life and work were eclectic, for the artist pursued his career in a variety of locales and his style changed great ...

(1855–1922), painter *

Tino Pattiera Tino Pattiera (27 June 1890 – 24 April 1966) was a Croatian-Dalmatian Italian tenor, born in Cavtat, near Dubrovnik. Prior to taking up the repertory for which he became famous, he was notable in operetta. Cervenka, Gottfried (18 April 2006)"S ...

(1890–1966), opera singer * Luko Zore (1846–1906), philologist and Slavist *

Frano Supilo Frano Supilo (30 November 1870 – 25 September 1917) was a Croatian politician and journalist. He opposed the Austro-Hungarian domination of Europe prior to World War I. He participated in the debates leading to the formation of Yugoslav ...

(1870–1917), politician * Baltazar Bogišić (1834–1908), jurist, law historian and ethnologist * Niko Koprivica (1889–1944), politician *

Dinko Zlatarić Dominko "Dinko" Zlatarić (1558–1613) was a Croatian poet and translator from Republic of Ragusa, considered the best translator of the Renaissance. Life Dominiko was the most famous member of the Zlatarić noble family from Dubrovnik. Din ...

(1558–1613), poet and translator * Raimondo Cunich (1719–1794), humanist * Ljudevit Vuličević (1839–1916), Serbian writer and patriot

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

Cavtat is twinned with: *

Bochnia Bochnia (german: Salzberg) is a town on the river Raba in southern Poland. The town lies approximately halfway between Tarnów (east) and the regional capital Kraków (west). Bochnia is most noted for its salt mine, the oldest functioning i ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

Watsonville Watsonville is a city in Santa Cruz County, California, located in the Monterey Bay Area of the Central Coast of California. The population was 52,590 according to the 2020 census. Predominantly Latino and Democratic, Watsonville is a self- ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

, USA

Gallery

File:Cavtat, Croacia, 2014-04-19, DD 02.JPG, View from the harbour File:Iglesia de San Nicolás, Cavtat, Croacia, 2014-04-19, DD 03.JPG, St Nicholas church File:Cavtat, Croacia, 2014-04-19, DD 09.JPG, Shore at Cavtat File:Cavtat, Croacia, 2014-04-19, DD 11.JPG, Harbour File:Monasterio de Nuesra Señora de la Nieve, Cavtat, Croacia, 2014-04-19, DD 06.JPG, Monastery of Our Lady of the Snow File:Cavtat, Croacia, 2014-04-19, DD 12.JPG, Town hall File:Cavtat, Croatia - panoramio - Aleksandar Topuzović.jpg, The Hotel Croatia File:Lignje na žaru - Konoba Toranj (14912816982).jpg, Fresh local cuisine

References

;Notes

External links

Cavtat Info
Villa Vidak: Cavtat Information
Cavtatportal.com
Up to date news from Cavtat and vicinity {{Authority control Populated places in Dubrovnik-Neretva County Populated coastal places in Croatia 6th-century BC establishments Populated places established in the 6th century BC Konavle