Čiovo (pronounced ) is an

island An island or isle is a piece of land, distinct from a continent, completely surrounded by water. There are continental islands, which were formed by being split from a continent by plate tectonics, and oceanic islands, which have never been ...

located off the Adriatic coast in

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

with an area of (length , width up to ), population of 5,908 inhabitants (2011). Its highest peak is the 218 m Rudine. The centre of the island has geographical coordinates of , and the annual rainfall is about .

Geography

Čiovo is located in central Dalmatia, protecting the town of Trogir and Kaštela gulf. On its South Eastern part it is only two km from the Cape Marjan; on its Northern part it is connected to the mainland with a small bascule bridge in the old centre of Trogir. Trogir spread itself onto the island. Besides Trogir, there are several villages on the island including: Arbanija, Žedno, Okrug Gornji, Okrug Donji, Slatine and Prizidnica. The vegetation is typically Mediterranean, consisting mainly in understory ( holm oak, myrtle, wormwood, juniper etc.). On the northern side (exposed to the wind '' bura'') are forests of

pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. ''World Flora Online'' accepts 134 species-rank taxa (119 species and 15 nothospecies) of pines as cu ...

and cypress. Major crops include

olive The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'' ("European olive"), is a species of Subtropics, subtropical evergreen tree in the Family (biology), family Oleaceae. Originating in Anatolia, Asia Minor, it is abundant throughout the Mediterranean ...

s, figs,

almond The almond (''Prunus amygdalus'', Synonym (taxonomy)#Botany, syn. ''Prunus dulcis'') is a species of tree from the genus ''Prunus''. Along with the peach, it is classified in the subgenus ''Amygdalus'', distinguished from the other subgenera ...

vine A vine is any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent (that is, climbing) stems, lianas, or runners. The word ''vine'' can also refer to such stems or runners themselves, for instance, when used in wicker work.Jackson; Benjamin; Da ...

s and citrus fruit.

Connection to the mainland

Since 1964, the island has been connected by a bridge to Trogir which is itself connected to the mainland by another bridge. The development of tourism generated so much traffic that this connection suffered severe capacity shortages in high season. The construction of a new bridge which connects Čiovo directly with the mainland began in February 2015. It was opened to traffic on July 17, 2018. The new long bascule bridge is located about east of the old one. Its navigational clearance when spans are closed is .

History

The remains of forts and walls, as well as the artefacts dating back to the Antiquity indicate that, the Island of Čiovo, on the western side of which there is the present-day Municipality of Okrug, was already inhabited in the prehistoric times. During the period of the Roman Empire it served as a shelter for the exiled, and in the 5th century it also became an eremitic retreat. If we exclude the religious hermits who used to live next to picturesque churches that may still be seen today, during the second half of the early Middle Ages the Island was not inhabited. The situation changed in 1451 when, due to ever more frequent Ottoman sieges, the Republic of Venice, under the dominion of which the Town of Trogir had been since the year 1420, allowed the population of the Dalmatian interior to settle onto the nearby islands. In the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

, Čiovo had many villages and it was a place for lepers. Remains of the pre- Romanesque church of St. Peter have been found near Slatine, in the ''Supetar'' cove. The medieval church of St. Maurice (''Sv. Mavro'') has been preserved in Žedno and the pre-Romanesque church of Our Lady at the Sea (''Gospa pokraj mora''). The population of Čiovo increased in the 15th century through the settlement of refugees who fled from the Turks.''Croatia'' by Robin and Jenny McKelvie
!-- publishing info needed --> Simultaneously, the suburban areas of Trogir also extended to Čiovo. A small chapel named Lady of Prizidnice (''Gospe od Prizidnice'') located on the south side of the island can still be visited today. Owing to its hidden location, it was used as a safe place to hold ceremonies during the occupation of the Turks.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ciovo Islands of Croatia Islands of the Adriatic Sea Landforms of Split-Dalmatia County