Page 140 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Croatia

138  CRO A TIA AREA B Y AREA

l Korčula VISITORS’ CHECKLIST

Dense forests of Aleppo pine, cypress and oak are found all Practical Information
over this island, one of the largest in the Adriatic at 47 km Map E6. * 17,000. n Obala dr.
(29 miles) long. Mountains run the length of the island, Tuđmana 4, Korčula, (020) 715
701. _ Moreška, Jun & Sep: 9pm
reaching 560 m (1,837 ft) at their peak. Inhabited since Thu; Jul & Aug: 9pm Mon & Thu.
prehistoric times, the Greeks named the island Korkyra Lumbarda: n (020) 712 005.
Melaina (Black Corfu). After 1000 AD, it was fought over by Blato: n Trg dr. Franje Tuđmana 4,
Venice and the Croat kings and later by the Genoese and the (020) 851 850. _ St Vincenca’s
Day (28 Apr). n Vela Luka: Obala
Turks (in the 1298 naval battle between Genoa and Venice, 3 br 19, (020) 813 619. ∑ visit
the Genoese captured Marco Polo, said to be a native of the korcula.eu ∑ tzvelaluka.hr
island). Today it is a popular holiday spot for its cliffs and Transport
sandy beaches, its villages and Korčula, its main town. 4 from Orebić, Split and Rijeka.
Korčula: @ (020) 711 216.
4 Vela Luka: (020) 715 410.
4 (020) 812 023.
main road are designed to lessen
the impact of the bora wind.
Facing Trg sv. Marka, the paintings include St Mark with
central square, is the town’s St Jerome and St Bartholomew
main monument: the 14th- by Tintoretto. On a wall are
century Cathedral of St Mark trophies recalling the Battle
(Katedrala Sv. Marka), built in of Lepanto of 1571.
pale, honey-coloured stone. Next to the cathedral, in the
Most of it dates from the end Bishop’s Palace, now the Abbot’s
of the 15th century. The skill of House, is the Abbey Treasury
Korčula’s sculptors and stone (Opatska riznica), which is
masons is evident in the door, particularly known for its
where two lions guard the Dalmatian and Venetian art,
entrance, decorated with thin including a polyptych by Blaž
spiral columns and a lunette
with the figure of St Mark,
Land Gate, main entrance to the Old Town attributed to Bonino of Milan.
of Korčula Two further doors open onto
side aisles. On the left stands an
Korčula Town imposing, 30-m (100-ft) bell
The town sits atop a peninsula, tower, which visitors may climb.
surrounded by strong 13th- Inside are large columns with
century walls, reinforced with elaborately decorated capitals
towers and bastions by the and several important sculptural
Venetians after 1420. The whole works: a 15th-century holy
town is enchanting. The Land water stoup, a font from the
Gate (Kopnena vrata) was 17th century, and the tomb
fortified by a huge tower, the of Bishop Toma Malumbra,
Revelin, which overlooked a attributed to the workshop of
canal dug by the Venetians to Marko Andrijić, who also made
isolate the town. There are the ciborium in the presbytery
now steps in this area. Narrow in 1481. There is also a statue of Impressive entrance to the Gothic Cathedral
streets branching off the St Blaise by Ivan Meštrović. The of St Mark, Korčula

PROIZD
Prigradica KORČULA
Vela Luka

Blato Čara
Potirna
Zavalatica
Key Prižba Brna
Major road
Minor road
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp228–30 and pp240–45

138-139_EW_Croatia.indd 138 20/10/16 12:32 pm