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KORČULA , CROATIA                www.Korcula.com.hr

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Architecture

Korcula had been throughout history built, destroyed and renewed, so it is hard to speak about the exact time of its establishment. Its oldest parts today were built in the early middle-age. The Town is built in the shape of a heart, its narrow side streets from two sides, in a fish-bone pattern, are linked vertically to the longitudinal centre one. The streets are differentiated according to the width and profile of their connection to the centre (about 2 m on average) and the residential blocks between the streets are from 11 to 16 metres. The buildings and palaces get fresh water by collecting rain from the rooves and storing the same in their own reservoirs. The Town was once fully surrounded with a high defensive wall with towers, and for a long time in its history it was connected with the island land by a movable bridge. It has two entrances, one from the southern side (Land Gate) and the other from the western side (Sea Gate). Within the Town there are 9 churches with the cathedral of St. Mark on the centre square.

 Marco Polo                

According to the legend and according to many historical semi-proofs (medieval documents) and according to unique continuation of the surname (variants: Polo, Depolo, Dupolo) the Town of Korcula is rightfully considered to be the birth Town of the greatest world traveller. Also, because of common appearances of male names such as Marco, Nicholas and Matthew (his father and uncle), and also because of the fact that the already aged Marco beneath the Town of Korcula (07.09.1298) under the Venetian flag, with his own big galley and paid crew, entered into a battle against the armada of Genova for supremacy over the sea and Korcula itself. The birth house of Marco Polo is situated in the Centre of the Old Town, to the north from St. Mark's cathedral.  

 Brotherhoods

Also, one of the historical remarkablenesses of the Town of Korcula are certainly the 3 brotherhoods (All Saints - "Sasvetani", St. Rocco - "Rokovci", and St. Mihovil - "Mihovilci") of which the All Saints is the oldest, established 08.09.1301. The people of Korcula, members of the brotherhoods come to Town on the annual gathering day. Many of them that day come from other continents. By procession through the Town streets, in old uniforms, carrying big candles and crusifices, they tradionally celebrate their gathering and the Day of their Patron.

 Moreška              

A traditional sword dance once spread on the Mediterranean, has only been retained in the Town of Korcula. The people of Korcula have been dancing More¹ka for full 400 years and with its performance around the world they fittingly represent their Town. The dance consists of a display of a war fight with swords between two armies of whose kings have waged war to each other by reason of love of a beautiful girl (so-called "Bula"), who the "black" king had snatched away from the "red" king. Exceptionally strong and impressive dance-war parts of this play with swords are performed with accompanying original orchestral music.