Let your dream vacation be in Okrug!

The island of Ciovo is a popular holiday destination, located very close to the mainland and Split Airport (and of course, Split itself). Although it’s an island, Ciovo is in fact connected to the mainland by a modern bridge (opened in 2018).

Čiovo is a small island located off the Adriatic coast in Croatia with an area of 28.8 square kilometers (11.1 sq mi) (length 15.3 km (9.5 mi), width up to 3.5 km (2.2 mi)). In the Middle Ages, Čiovo had many villages and it was a place for lepers. Remains of the pre-Romanesque church of St. Peter have been found near Slatine, in the Supetar cove. The medieval church of St. Maurice (Sv. Mavro) has been preserved in Žedno and the pre-Romanesque church of Our Lady near the Sea (Gospa pokraj mora). The population of Čiovo increased in the 15th century through the settlement of refugees who fled from the Turks. Simultaneously, the suburban areas of Trogir also extended to Čiovo.

Nowadays it consists of many villages. On the east side, from Trogir crossing the bridge and then left, there is the village Mastrinka, then Arbanija and Slatine at the end. Over the hill there is the small settlement of Žedno. Again from Trogir crossing the bridge and then right, there is Okrug Gornji and the Okrug Donji, at the very end of the island. On the southern side of the island then there are Mavarstica (south-east), Businci and Rastici (south-west). All this villages are full of  apartments and villas, making of the island of Ciovo a big holiday resort which attracts many tourists all over the world.

Cultural heritage

Many are the churches which can be seen on the island of Ciovo.

Close to Trogir on the small hill Bilin Dolac, it is settled the Franciscan monastery of St. Anthony and the Church of St. Jerome which has preserved its appearance from the XVII. century. The convent guards the crown made of silver with jewels from XIV. century. The monastery keeps a painting by Palma the Younger and a sculpture of St. Magdalene by Ivan Duknovic.

Continuing on the west side of the island in the small village Arbanija at only 5 kilometres (3 miles) from Trogir you will find the church and the Dominican monastery of the Holy Cross (Sv. Križ), built in the 15th century by the masters Ivan Drakanović and Nikola Mladinov. The monastery features a nice cloister; the polychrome vault of the dining room has been preserved, as well as the paintings by Matija Poncun and other.

Along the cost, in the centre of Slatine it stands the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary from the XVII century. Following the eastern coast, up the cliff is the nicely located hermitage church of Our Lady of Prizidnica. The church in Prizidnice was built in 1546 by priest J. Strojdražić, the hermit of Prizidnice who had settled there years before. It is 460 years old and many stories and legends are connected with the place itself, which elder people from Slatine will gladly share when you visit it.

Going back and over the hill which starts at the church of the Holy Cross (Sv. Križ), in the small village Žedno, two other small churches will be found. The first one is in the centre of the village, the Church of the Blessed John from Trogir and the church of St. Mauro from the 4^th century. The church gives its name to the small settlement “Movarčica”, the today Mavarštica.

Following the route to Okrug Gornji, passing through a narrow passage, on your left side it stands the Parish Church of St. Charles Borromeo, built in its present form in 1735. Previously, in its place there was a chapel dedicated to the same saint. Today the church is a simple rectangular building with an apse and distaff with two bells on the front side.

Along the south-western side of Čiovo, vis-a-vis the beach, is a small island called Fumija, with the remains of the late antique or early mediaeval church of St. Fumija and farm buildings of the Benedictine monks from Trogir. Following the road in direction of Okrug Donji, it is erected the Chapel of St. John the Baptist. Unknown is the year of construction. The poet Andreis mentions it in the 17th century saying it was built by villagers.

On the other side, two bays, today very visited by the sailors, the Kancelirovac bay on the northwest coast of the island of Ciovo with remains of Citadel of Saint John, raised like a fortress on the rock cliffs and the bay of Racetinovac, with the rest of mansion of the family Racettin. This pious family builds the mansion and a church dedicated to St. Anthony in the year 1630.

Coming back to Trogir, long the sea side, not so far from Trogir and it the middle of the so called Copacabana beach, it stands the small Church of St. Theodore, located near the sea. The year of construction of the church is not known, but it is referred to 1439. The present church was built on the site of the demolished old Croatian church. The church was declared a cultural monument in 1963. The local cemetery is just next to the church.

Unique example in the history of European architecture

Due to its geographical position, Trogir has always been a perfect place for living. With its naturally protected port, many springs of drinking water, fertile soil in the hinterland and stone from local quarries, Trogir has been inhabited for more than 3,600 years.

This inspiring Mediterranean city has attracted many great masters ever since the time of the ancient Greeks. These masters lived in Trogir and created some of their most famous masterpieces here. Various artists, writers, craftsmen and travelers found their inspiration here and have left behind numerous marks of their work. Over the centuries, Trogir has turned into a magnificent treasury with many historical and cultural monuments, so UNESCO placed it on the list of protected cultural sites in 1997.

In its cobbled streets, Trogir preserves numerous traces of local and foreign masters that are just waiting to be discovered. Skillfully carved into the stone facades of the city, seemingly insignificant notches, dents, dashes, crescents, flowers, leaves and twigs, axes, blueprints and merels are revealed only to the keen eye of a curious observer. In these marks one can see all the richness of art and the joy of everyday life in Trogir.

Trogir is a unique example in the history of European architecture and it is the city with the largest number of such stone signs or marks in Europe. Each mark carries its own meaning. Some of them mark the end of the construction, some represent the personal signature of the master and some are engraved votive prayers. The masters also craved games into the stone, like chess and merel, that used for entertainment during the construction break. Discrete, but yet so powerful, these marks in stone can be seen on the facades and interior walls of the Cathedral of Saint Lawrence and Church of Saint John the Baptist. The Cathedral of St. Lawrence is the most famous church in Trogir. Its construction lasted for five centuries and the mixture of styles can be seen on the bell tower. The first floor was built in Gothic style, the second in Venetial floral style, and the third in Renaissance style. Several great masters contributed to the construction of the Cathedral. The main entrance of Radovan’s portal has the most significant artistic value. The portal is a sculptural masterpiece.

The great tradition of mastery in Trogir is still preserved by contemporary masters of art, crafts and gastronomy. Their workshops reveal a completely different world, one that arouses curiosity and fills you with happiness and contentment. Contemporary painters, sculptors and stonemasons produce art that will be engraved in your heart forever. The masters who make “rafiol”, carob products or olive oil will offer you a unique tasting experience, while cobblers, tailors and masters who make coral jewelry convey the spirit of the city all over the world.

Written by: Tourist bord Trogir
Source: trogirbyhearth.com