Blato (often Blato na Korčuli, lit. 'Blato on Korčula') is a municipality on the island of

Korčula Korčula () is a Croatian island in the Adriatic Sea. It has an area of , is long and on average wide, and lies just off the Dalmatian coast. Its 15,522 inhabitants (2011) make it the second most populous Adriatic island after Krk. The populat ...

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 ...

. It can be reached by the main island road from town of

. The road runs through the forests in the middle of the island of Korčula.

Geography

The town was amphitheatrically built on several hills around a small central valley (40 km away from the town of

). A long avenue of linden trees called Zlinje runs through it, along with the town public buildings (recently built: schools, hotel, bank, shops, municipal building, medical centre etc.). There is a park that provides exceptional shade during the summer months. The climate in Blato matches the entire island of Korčula - it is located in the

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

which has a

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...

climate, characterized by long, quiet, dry and hot summer days with clear, short and mild wet winters. During the entire year the temperatures go below 10 °C in January and February, while June, July, August and September they average above 20 °C. Rainfall is typically Mediterranean, with a peak in late autumn and early winter and a minimum in July.

History

Blato got its name from a neighbouring field which flooded on a regular basis until 1911. The Blato field was occasionally drained. This created a lake that dried up during summer. The construction of

canals Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flow u ...

and

tunnels A tunnel is an underground or undersea passageway. It is dug through surrounding soil, earth or rock, or laid under water, and is usually completely enclosed except for the two portals common at each end, though there may be access and ve ...

channelled drainage water into the sea on the north coast. It created conditions for successful exploitation of more fertile land in this region. The town itself is one of the oldest settlements on Korčula and is situated in the middle of the western part of a field. The area of Blato is believed to have been settled during

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

times. There is a church, 'Our Lady of the Field', located on the Blato Field that has Roman floors that place its beginnings in the 4th century. Archaeological remains of Roman Junianum (agricultural estate) have been discovered. Other remains have been found in the local area dating back to prehistoric and

Illyria In classical and late antiquity, Illyria (; , ''Illyría'' or , ''Illyrís''; , ''Illyricum'') was a region in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula inhabited by numerous tribes of people collectively known as the Illyrians. The Ancient Gree ...

n times. Between

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

and

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

phylloxera Grape phylloxera is an insect pest of grapevines worldwide, originally native to eastern North America. Grape phylloxera (''Daktulosphaira vitifoliae'' (Fitch 1855) belongs to the family Phylloxeridae, within the order Hemiptera, bugs); orig ...

attacked the grape vines, causing them to perish en masse. This greatly contributed to the economic crisis that was happening within the newly formed

Yugoslavia , common_name = Yugoslavia , life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation , p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia , flag_p ...

. Blato was facing a mass exodus. It was the sixth largest place in

Dalmatia Dalmatia (; ; ) is a historical region located in modern-day Croatia and Montenegro, on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea. Through time it formed part of several historical states, most notably the Roman Empire, the Kingdom of Croatia (925 ...

, then a region of

Austro-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...

(Blato in 1910 had a population of 7,102). During 1924 and 1925, about 890 residents abandoned their homes and left Blato. Whole families emigrated to

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

and

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

(especially

São Paulo São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...

). During World War II, Blato was bombed by the

Allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not an explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are calle ...

Municipality of Blato

The Municipality of Blato, situated on the island of

, administratively falls under the

Dubrovnik-Neretva County The Dubrovnik-Neretva County (; , ) is the southernmost county of Croatia. The county seat is Dubrovnik and other large towns are Korčula, Metković, Opuzen and Ploče. The Municipality of Neum, which belongs to neighbouring Bosnia and Herz ...

. The municipality is made up of Blato and Potirna. It has access to the sea on both sides of the island. Once the main port of Blato, Prigradica is located about 3 km north of the town of Blato. The municipality's coastline is 36.3 kilometers in length. Within the area are olive trees and vineyards.

Demographics

According to the 2021 census, its population was 3,330 with 3,282 living in the town proper. According to the 2011 census, the Municipality of Blato had a population of 3,593. The vast majority of the population are

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

s. In 2021, the municipality consisted of the following settlements: *Blato, population 3,282 * Potirna, population 48

Economy

During the long history of Blato, the economy has been oriented around the production of

agricultural Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created f ...

products, especially

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink made from Fermentation in winemaking, fermented fruit. Yeast in winemaking, Yeast consumes the sugar in the fruit and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Wine is most often made f ...

. Olive oil, wine, carob and fig trees are the most significant products of the region. In the early 20th century Blato produced over 1000 carts of wine and 30 wagons of

olive oil Olive oil is a vegetable oil obtained by pressing whole olives (the fruit of ''Olea europaea'', a traditional Tree fruit, tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin) and extracting the oil. It is commonly used in cooking for frying foods, as a cond ...

for export. In addition, they produced

legumes Legumes are plants in the pea family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or the fruit or seeds of such plants. When used as a dry grain for human consumption, the seeds are also called pulses. Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for human consu ...

and cereals for their own use. Strong development of agriculture led to the development of ancillary services such as crafts and commercial activities. After the Second World War, Blato began a new cycle of development. They further developed the metal industry, textile industry, tourism and the agricultural industry. The population continued to decline, albeit more slowly than before. Industrial production in Blato, in recent times has seen a down turn with the closure of the textile factory Trikop. Metal industry and agriculture remains important for the economy.

Tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...

now plays an important role. Hotels and private apartments in Prizba and Prigradica have given new momentum to the economy of Blato. The main economic entities in Blato today are: *Radež Inc., a company known for manufacturing marine equipment and steel structures, the largest employer on the island. *Blato 1902 d.d, a company known for processing and trading agricultural products, especially

and virgin olive oil. *Small artisans (craft and other services associated in the Association of Craftsmen) *Individual agricultural production of wine and olive oil. *Tourism (apartments, houses and hotels for rent as well as a growing popularity of

Airbnb Airbnb, Inc. ( , an abbreviation of its original name, "Air Bed and Breakfast") is an American company operating an online marketplace for short-and-long-term homestays, experiences and services in various countries and regions. It acts as a ...

accommodations) *Trade (trade houses and chains) *Plumbing Blato d.d *EKO d.o.o., a company for utility contracting. *Schools, municipalities and other government institutions and offices.

Education

*Blato Elementary School *Blato High School

Culture

The town is known for a famous

sword dance Weapon dances incorporating swords or similar weapons are recorded throughout world history. There are various traditions of Solo dance, solo and mock-battle (Pyrrhic dance, Pyrrhic) sword dances in Africa, Asia and Europe. Some traditions use ...

, the Kumpanija, which is performed on April 28, the day of Saint Vincenca, the town's patron saint, Blato Public library, sanctuary, ethno-museum, etc. A bronze

foundry A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal into a mold, and removing the mold material after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals pr ...

located in Blato is one of only three bronze foundries in Croatia and the only one outside of

Zagreb Zagreb ( ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, north of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the ...

Sports

The local chapter of the HPS, ''HPD "Spivnik"'', was founded in Blato on 12 January 1936, and their first climb was the hill ''Spivnik''. In 1937, its president was Anton Bosnić. In 1938, its president was Nikola Telenta.

Notable people

Marija Petković Marija Petković, also known as The Blessed Mary of Jesus Crucified Petković; (, ), (10 December 1892 - 9 July 1966) was the founder of the Catholic Congregation of the Daughters of Mercy. She was recognized by the Catholic Church as Venerable o ...

, a nun who was declared blessed, the founder of Congregation of Daughters of Mercy of St. Francis, the only religious community founded in Croatia (1892-1966) * Ivan Milat Luketa, painter (1922-2009) *

Pavle Dešpalj Pavle Dešpalj (18 June 1934 – 16 December 2021) was a Croatian composer and conductor. Biography Pavle Dešpalj graduated from Music Academy in Zagreb where he studied composition with Prof. Stjepan Šulek. In 1961 he founded Zadar's festiva ...

, classical music composer and conductor (1934-2021) *

Ante Žanetić Ante Žanetić (18 November 1936 – 18 December 2014) was a Croatian professional football (soccer), footballer who played as a midfielder. Club career During his club career he played for NK Hajduk Split, Club Brugge K.V. and R.W.D. Molenb ...

, football player and Olympic gold medalist (1936-2014) * Meri Cetinić, singer/songwriter (b. 1953) * Ante Milostic, aka Mario, singer in Deep image band

References

External links

Municipality of Blato

Tourist Association of The Municipality of Blato
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blato, Korcula Populated places in Dubrovnik-Neretva County Korčula Municipalities of Croatia