Korčula is a town on the east coast of the
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 ...
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 ...
, in Croatia, in the
Adriatic.
Population
The City of Korčula has a total population of 5,634, in the following individual
settlements:
*
Čara
Čara is a village on the island of Korčula in Croatia. Korčula the island, is part of the Dalmatian coast and it belongs to the Dubrovnik-Neretva county.
The village is situated twenty-five kilometers west of the old town of Korčula (town), Ko ...
, population 616
* Korčula, population 2,856
*
Pupnat, population 391
*
Račišće, population 432
*
Žrnovo
Žrnovo is a village on the island of Korčula in Croatia. Korčula is an island on the Dalmatian coast of the Adriatic Sea and administratively belongs to the Dubrovnik–Neretva County of Croatia. The village is situated four kilometers west of t ...
population 1,368
Climate
Since records began in 1981, the highest temperature recorded at the local weather station was , on 5 August 2013. The coldest temperature was , on both 6 March 1987 and 8 January 2017.
Construction
The old city is surrounded by walls, and the streets are arranged in a herringbone pattern allowing free circulation of air but protecting against strong winds. Korčula is tightly built on a promontory that guards the narrow sound between the island and the mainland. Building outside the walls was forbidden until the 18th century, and the wooden drawbridge was only replaced in 1863. All of Korčula's narrow streets are stepped with the notable exception of the street running alongside the southeastern wall. The street is called the ''Street of Thoughts'' as one did not have to worry about the steps.
Historic sites
The town's historic sites include the central
Romanesque-
Gothic Cathedral of St Mark (built from 1301 to 1806), the 15th-century
Franciscan
The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...
monastery with a
Venetian Gothic cloister
A cloister (from Latin , "enclosure") is a covered walk, open gallery, or open Arcade (architecture), arcade running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle (architecture), quadrangle or garth. The attachment of a cloister to a cat ...
, the civic council chambers, the palace of the former
Venetian governors, grand 15th- and 16th-century palaces of the local merchant nobles, and the massive city fortifications.
Cursola, as it was called in
Latin
Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
, became an episcopal see in the early 14th century, when the bishop of
Ston (Stagnum in Latin) asked to be authorized to transfer his seat there because of Serb pressure on Ston. This was granted and he was made bishop also of a new diocese of Cursola united with his previous one. In 1541, the
Ragusans asked for the separation of ecclesiastical jurisdiction over Ston, which they had conquered, from Cursola, which in the previous century had become a Venetian possession. In 1828, when both the Korčula and Ragusa (Dubrovnik) belonged to the
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire, officially known as the Empire of Austria, was a Multinational state, multinational European Great Powers, great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the Habsburg monarchy, realms of the Habsburgs. Duri ...
, the territory of the diocese of Cursola was made part of that of
Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik, historically known as Ragusa, is a city in southern Dalmatia, Croatia, by the Adriatic Sea. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean, a Port, seaport and the centre of the Dubrovni ...
. No longer a residential bishopric, Cursola is today listed by the
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
as a
titular see
A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular metropolitan" (highest rank), "titular archbi ...
.
Architecture
The architecture of Korčula is represented by many well-preserved buildings such as churches, palaces, piazzas, and towers. Majority of the buildings in the Old Town were built in Venetian Renaissance style excluding the cathedral which was constructed in Gothic Style.
Along with the construction of stone walls surrounding the city, 12 towers were erected throughout the Middle Ages to provide protection for the town. Some of these towers are Tower Zakerjan, Tower Kanavelic, Tower of Sea Gate, Tower Mala Knezeva Kula, Tower Velika Knezeva Kula, Tower Revelin, Tower of All Saints, and Forteca. Of the twelve original towers 7 are still standing today. Another landmark of the town is the many small chapels and churches which can be found within the narrow streets of the town. One of the great architectural pieces of the town is St. Mark's Cathedral which is located at the highest point of the peninsula. The Cathedral is a Gothic-Rennaissance style and was constructed by local craftsman who specialized in stone masonry. Ornament of statues and fluted roses decorate the facade of the cathedral along with lion figures and statues of Adam and Eve framing the main entrance.
A large representation of Venetian Architecture within the town can be seen in the palaces of Korčula. These palaces were built using several architectural styles such as Gothic, Baroque, and Renaissance. Popular palaces in the city are the Arneri Palace, Governors Palace, Gabrielis Palace, Bishops Palace and Caenazzo Palace. Majority of the palaces of Korčula belonged to the wealthy families living within the town. Some of the palaces such as the Arneri Palace were built varying architectural styles. The design of this palace contains a Gothic facade along with Gothic ornamentation. The covered walkway of the palace was built using Renaissance and Baroque styles.
Culture
The devout
Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
inhabitants of Korčula keep alive old folk church ceremonies and a
weapon dance, the
Moreška, which dates back to 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 ...
. Originally danced only on special occasions, in modern times there are performances twice a week for tourists.
The city's Town Statute dating back to 1214 prohibited
slavery
Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...
.
Gallery
File:CHURCH AND MONASTERY OF SAINT NIKOLA, KORCULA, CROATIA.jpg, Church of Saint Nicholas
File:La vecchia guardia.jpg, Town walls at dawn
File:Korčula iz Orebića5090116.jpg, View of the town
File:Moreška in Korčula.jpg, Moreška
File:Au fond Korčula.jpg, Sunset at Korčula
File:Korčula city wall.jpg, Korčula town walls
File:Korcula City.jpg, Panorama view of Korčula
File:Grad Korčula - uska ulica.JPG, A narrow street in the old town
File:Korčula - plaža Luka korčulanska.JPG, Luka Korčulanska Beach near the town
File:Grad Korčula - zastava 700-te obljetnice smrti marka Pola.jpg, Flag on the city walls dedicated to the seven hundredth anniversary of the birth of Marco Polo
Marco Polo (; ; ; 8 January 1324) was a Republic of Venice, Venetian merchant, explorer and writer who travelled through Asia along the Silk Road between 1271 and 1295. His travels are recorded in ''The Travels of Marco Polo'' (also known a ...
References
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External links
Korculainfo.comThe official web site of Korčula
{{DEFAULTSORT:Korcula (Town)
Korčula
Cities and towns in Croatia
Populated places in Dubrovnik-Neretva County
Kingdom of Dalmatia
Populated coastal places in Croatia
City walls in Croatia