Paoča is a

village A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...

in the

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

of Čitluk,

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...

History

The name Paoča is of Slavic origin. This is shown by one

stećak Stećak (plural stećci; Cyrillic стећак, стећци) is the name for monumental medieval tombstones, that lie scattered across Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the border parts of Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia. An estimated 60,000 are found w ...

from the cemetery, which was probably placed at the end of the Middle Ages. In addition, on November 18, 1432, the people 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 ...

recorded that the men of Prince Marko Grgurević (Milatović) and the men of Duke Vukašin Milatović attacked the Dubrovnik caravan near Paoča (a Chotaoza). Friar Petar Bakula in his book Schematismus from 1867 states: ''Paoča is named after the famous spring Paočak or Palačak. It is characterized by a large noble cemetery and the production of excellent wine''.

Demographics

According to the 2013 census, its population was 427, all

Croats The Croats (; , ) are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and other neighboring countries in Central Europe, Central and Southeastern Europe who share a common Croatian Cultural heritage, ancest ...

Sights

In Paoča there is a small chapel dedicated to the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It was finally completed in 1984 with the constant work and effort of the locals. Every year on the Immaculate Conception, December 8, the people of Paoča gather around the chapel where holy mass is celebrated. Next to the chapel there is also a monument to the fallen veterans from Paoča, built in 1996. The people of Paoča are proud of their fellow resident Fr. Didak Buntić, to whom they built a monument in 1995, the work of Acad. sculptor Bernardo Pešorda. The monument was unveiled by the then Minister of Defense of the

Republic of Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in 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 Herzegovina and Mont ...

Gojko Šušak Gojko Šušak (; 16 March 1945 – 3 May 1998) was a Croatian politician who held the post of Ministry of Defence (Croatia), Minister of Defence from 1991 to 1998 under President Franjo Tuđman. From 1990 to 1991 he was the Minister of Emigration ...

. In the village there is also an old noble cemetery, Krešića greblje. It is a medieval necropolis in which there are about fifteen

s. They are in the form of plates and boxes, and are divided into two groups. They are oriented west–east. They are decorated with rosettes. These tombs originate from the late

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 ...

References

Populated places in Čitluk, Bosnia and Herzegovina {{HerzegovinaNeretvaCanton-geo-stub