The attractions of Stari Grad

Stari Grad is a town on the northern coast on Hvar Island. It is one of the oldest cities in Europe, located in the northern part of the island, in the head of 6-kilometer-long bay.

At first, Stari Grad was named Faros by Greek settlers from Paros Island, who arrived here in 384 BC. In the Roman period the town was known as Faria. The name Hvar appeared with the arrival of the Slavs. At that time, the administrative center of the island was moved to the south, to the present town Hvar. The old town became known simply as Stari Grad.

The main attractions of Stari Grad are the Dominican Monastery, the Basilica of St. Mary and St. John, numerous churches in the city and its surroundings.

Dominican Monastery

The Dominican Monastery is one of the well preserved and restored monuments of Stari Grad on the island of Hvar.

The Dominican monastery of St. Peter the Martyr was built in 1481. The monastery was badly damaged during an attack by Algerian pirates in 1571, after which the eastern and western parts were rebuilt.

Numerous works of art of this monastery can be seen on the altars. The most beautiful of these is the large painted crucifix on the main altar and in the monastery museum. The most valuable painting is "The Lamentations of Christ" by the Venetian master Jacopo Tintoretto (1518-1594), which was at one time on the altar of Hectorovic in the church. The oldest inscriptions to paintings found in Croatia have been preserved in this museum. They are written in Greek and testify about the vibrant life of the Greek city of Faros from the 4th to the 2nd century B.C. The monastery has a large library with manuscripts and incunabulas (first printed books). Part of the heritage of these books is exhibited in the monastery museum.

The Dominican Monastery is open to visitors from May to October.

Basilica of Saints John and Mary

The first church dedicated to Saint Mary and Saint John was built in the 5th century in the south-eastern part of the town near the city walls. In the 6th century, a new church was built on the same site. It was basilica with a baptistery dedicated to Saint Mary and Saint John.

Numerous churches

It is also interesting to look at the many churches in Stari Grad and its surroundings.