Page 137 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Croatia

D ALM A TIA  135

destroyed by the Goths in 548,
and rebuilt at a later date. It
belonged to the Kingdom of
Croatia until 1499, when it
was conquered by the Turks,
for whom it was a port and
trading centre until 1646, the
beginning of Venetian rule.
There are two ancient
monasteries in Makarska. St
Philip Neri (Sv. Filipa Nerija) was
built in 1757, and has medieval
and Roman-era fragments in
the cloister. The Franciscan
monastery (Franjevački
Samostan), built in 1614 on the
foundations of a 15th-century The beach at Gradac, one of the longest in the eastern Adriatic
monastery, houses the
Malacological Museum (4 miles) long, the beach is lined folklore collection, an art gallery,
(Malakološki muzej), with a with hotels and campsites. and a library and archive where
collection of mollusc shells. In the town itself there are documents about the period
The centre of the modern two large 17th-century towers of Turkish occupation are kept.
town is the square called while nearby, in Crkvine, the The Dalmatian scholar Andrija
Brother Andrija Kačić Miošić, remains of a Roman staging Kačić Miošić (1704–60) lived
dedicated to the 18th-century post between Mucurum (the and died in the monastery.
Dalmatian scholar and author present-day Makarska) and Around 20 km (12 miles) from
of theological and philosophical Narona (see p136) have been Gradac, towards Makarska, is
works. Two seafront promenades found. Gradac gets its name Živogošće, one of the oldest
extend towards the wide from the fort (grad) built in the settlements on the Makarska
beaches and Kalelarga, where 17th century to defend against coast. Today it is a busy tourist
there are 18th-century buildings. the Turks. resort, but it was once famous
for a spring which flowed from
E Malacological Museum Environs the rocks.
Franjevački put 1. Tel (021) 611 256. west of Gradac, is a Franciscan A Franciscan monastery
monastery (Franjevački was founded near this spring in
samostan) founded in the 1616, and its beautiful church
f Gradac 16th century and completed boasts an ornate Baroque altar.
a century later. The façade of the The mon astery is famous for
Map E5. * 1,200.
n (021) 697 375 (high season only). church has an inscription its well-stocked library and
∑ gradac.hr written in Cyrillic script. In the archives, which are the main
rooms around the beautiful source for the study of the area
This town’s fame and popularity cloister there is a fascinating around the Biokovo massif.
are due to the fact that it has
one of the longest beaches in
the eastern Adriatic. Over 6 km The Vineyards
of Dalmatia
Vines are grown all
along the coast of
Dalmatia, and on
many of the islands.
Vineyards first start
appearing around
Primošten, near Trogir
(see p113), where the Vines protected by dry-stone walls
good quality red wine Babić is made, and become part of the
landscape along the Makarska coast. Built on stony hillsides,
these vineyards are often “fortified” with low dry-stone walls,
painstakingly constructed with geometrical precision by peasant
farmers. Low-growing vines cultivated inside the walls are protected
from the cold north winds and kept cool in the hot summer months.
A monument to human toil, the result of immense patience and
effort, without these walls it would notbe possible to cultivate this
The Franciscan monastery, Makarska, difficult ground.
now a museum

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