Product Code Database
Hvar (; Chakavian: Hvor or For; ; ; ) is a island in the Adriatic Sea, located off the coast, lying between the islands of Brač, Vis and Korčula. Approximately long, with a high east–west ridge of Mesozoic limestone and dolomite, the island of Hvar is unusual in the area for having a large fertile coastal plain, and fresh water springs. Its hillsides are covered in pine forests, with vineyards, olive groves, fruit orchards and lavender fields in the agricultural areas. The climate is characterized by mild winters, and warm summers with many hours of sunshine. The island has 10,678 residents according to the 2021 census, making it the fourth most populated of the Croatian islands.
The 16th century was an unsettled time, with the Hvar Rebellion, coastal raids by pirates and the Ottoman army from the mainland, resulting in some unusual fortified buildings on the northern shore to protect the local population. After a brief time under Napoleonic rule, the island became part of the Austrian Empire, a more peaceful and prosperous time. On the coast, harbours were expanded, quays built, fishing and boat building businesses grew. At the same time, the island's wine exports increased, along with lavender and rosemary production for the French perfume industry. However, this prosperity did not continue into the 20th century as wooden sailing boats went out of fashion, and the phylloxera blight hit wine production. Many islanders left to make a new life elsewhere. One industry, tourism, has however continued to grow and is now a significant contributor to the island's economy. The formation of the Hygienic Association of Hvar in 1868 for the assistance of visitors to the island has been instrumental in developing an infrastructure of hotels, apartments, restaurants, marinas, museums, Art museum and cafés. Today, the island of Hvar is a tourist destination, consistently listed in the top 10 islands by Conde Nast Traveler magazine.
The island has a typical Mediterranean vegetation, mostly bare with woody scrub at higher, steeper elevations, turning to pine forests on the lower slopes with Quercus ilex, ( Pinus halapensis) and black pines ( Pinus nigra dalmatica). The islet of Šćedro is especially rich in various Mediterranean trees and plants.
Hvar island is long, and only at its widest point. It covers an area of , the 4th largest of the Adriatic islands by area, and has a coastline length of . The highest peak is Sv. Nikola, at .
Since records began in 1858, the highest temperature recorded at the Hvar weather station at an elevation of was , on 8 August 1956. The coldest temperature was , on 24 January 1942.
Following Roman victory in the Second Illyrian War against Demetrius of Pharos, the island became a part of the Roman Republic in 219 BC and the Greek name Pharos was changed to Pharia. After the fall of the Roman Empire in the west, the island was under the control of the Byzantine Empire or Eastern Roman Empire. The population increased in the Late Antiquity with an abundance of archaeological finds. A large number of new villa rustica in Stari Grad Plain and also on the previously vacant eastern shores were built. In the early Middle Ages, Slavic tribes occupied the island. In the first half of the 7th century the Narentines took over the island. Venetian sailors saw the island while sailing towards the south and were threatened by the Narentine pirates from the island. In the 11th century the island joined the Kingdom of Croatia. In the 12th century, the rise of the Republic of Venice brought vines and wine cultivation which blossomed into a major industry for the island in the Middle Ages. The island eventually again fell under Byzantine rule, and then under the Kingdom of Croatia and Hungary. In 1331 the Venetians put the island under protection from threats of piracy. According to the 1358 Treaty of Zadar, the island was handed over to the Kingdom of Hungary. For short time in the summer of 1390, it was held by the Bosnian king Stephen Tvrtko I. In 1409, the Republic of Venice finally again became its long-term owner. The island became prosperous from fishing, and the cultivation of rosemary, lavender and olives.
Hvar is important to the history of Croatia as it was one of the centres of Croatian literature during the Renaissance, with writers such as Petar Hektorović and Hanibal Lucić. In Stari Grad, tourists can see the Petar Hektorović fortress/villa called Tvrdalj Castle, architectonically designed by the poet himself. Churches on the island contain many important paintings and artworks by famous Venetian artists, including Tintoretto, Paolo Veronese, Giovanni Bellini and others. In 1797 Hvar was annexed with the fall of the Venetian Republic by the Habsburg monarchy as per the Treaty of Campo Formio. But forces of the French Empire seized it in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars before finally being taken by British marines and sailors in 1812. The regained control of the island in 1815 with the Treaty of Vienna. The beginning of the 20th century brought a period of relative prosperity. The Italian army occupied the island from 1918 until 1921, when Hvar with the rest of Croatia joined the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. In 1939, an autonomous Croatian Banate was formed that included the island. During WWII, it was under the control of Independent State of Croatia, but under military occupation of Fascist Italy until 1943. After 1945, it became a part of People's Republic of Croatia, a constituent republic of Communist Yugoslavia. Juan Vucetich, the man who perfected dactyloscopy at the turn of the 20th century, came from Hvar island. In the 21st century, Hvar's citizens include football player Igor Tudor and politician Tonči Tadić.
Hvar town is the main tourist centre. It features a large public square (St Stephen's Square/ trg Sv. Stjepana) that is open to the sea. During the tourist season, the port is filled with large and . All-night discos attract large crowds of young visitors.
Another major economic activity is the cultivation of lavender, used for aromatic oils and soaps. Hvar is often called the "island of lavender".
Hvar is also one of the two most famous winemaking zones in Croatia. on the southern side of the island are famous for red wines produced from the Plavac Mali grape. The central plain between Stari Grad and Jelsa is famous for its white wines.
From the 7th century onwards, the Byzantine Theme of Dalmatia, including Fara, was settled by the Pannonian Avars and Croats. However, the population initially remained culturally Illyro-Roman and part of the Byzantine Roman world. Under the linguistic influence of the newcomers, the official name became Quarra – because the Slavic languages did not originally have the /f/-sound. Later, the name was Slavicisation further as Hvar.
Since the late 11th century, the Italian language name of the island has been Lesina or, in Venetian, Liesena. These names appear to have their origin in the Proto-Slavic root les-, meaning "wood" or "forest". Liesena was the official name during the era of Venetian Dalmatia (16th and 17th centuries).
|
|
