Hvar Town
HVAR TOWN - "A BRIEF HISTORY & WALKING TOUR" By Owen Lipsett The Citadel overlooking Hvar Town is the best place to begin any exploration for two reasons. First, it affords an unparalleled view of the town, its harbor, and the surrounding countryside. Second, the zigzagging path uphill to the Citadel is completely exposed to the sun, making it a somewhat hot climb even on the coldest winter morning. (Of course that just shows how much sunshine Hvar receives!) This difficulty is compounded by the fact that you must climb Matije Ivanića (officially called a street but really a long and steep staircase) just to get there. Nevertheless, once you see the town and harbor appear before you you’re certain to feel justly rewarded and indeed encouraged to continue your ascent. Sometimes misleadingly referred to as the Spanjol Fortress, the Citadel was actually constructed by the Venetians in the 1550s but was of little use to them in 1571 when Uluz Ali destroyed the town. Somewhat strengthened, it was a more effective deterrent thereafter, although both Napoleon and the Hapsburg emperors were each able to take control in the early nineteenth century. Both further fortified the site, which today contains a small museum and a weather station, but unlike Ali spared the town. Although the fortress itself is closed in winter, the hilltop views over the harbor and inland provide an unmatched sense of the town’s beautiful surroundings.
Returning along Ivanića, you’ll see the intact Renaissance Benedictine convent on your right, and beyond it the surviving spire of the otherwise ruined Dominican Monastery, long a landmark for sailors. Continuing down you’ll glimpse an unfinished (but delicately carved) palace possibly commissioned by the Hektorović family, not to be confused with the next-door Palace Hotel, which attractively incorporates old the Town Loggia! The graceful area below, the heart of the harbor, merges with St. Stephen’s Square, a very evocative (but rectangular!) expanse overlooked by the sixteenth century Cathedral from which it takes its name. Outside of the busy summer season, its cafes are much beloved by Hvar Town’s inhabitants, although during Hvar’s hottest (and most popular) months they’re overshadowed by their counterparts along Hvar’s Riva (waterside) – which offer Croatia’s some of Croatia’s finest views.
Impressive though the theater (rightly regarded as one of Croatia’s finest buildings) is, you’ll have to travel a little further, past the Riva to find Hvar’s greatest architectural monument… That honors belongs to the stunning waterside Franciscan Monastery and its simple church, built in 1583. Walking back you’ll come to understand that Hvar’s true beauty isn’t a matter of any individual building but rather the ensemble, set together between its idyllic harbor and the mountains.
HVAR ACCOMMODATION Looking for a nice play to stay when visting Hvar?
|
