Korcula
Island undoubtedly holds
a privileged position
among Croatian islands.
Here are perhaps even
more legends, tales and
monuments than anywhere
else.
The island has a number
of famous towns including
Korcula, Lumbarda and
Vela Luka. The oldest
written monument in Croatia,
the "Lumbardska psefizma",
in Greek, was found in
Lumbarda.
According to legend, Korcula
was established by the
Trojan hero Anthenor in
the 12th century BC. Korcula
is, after Lokrum and Mljet,
the third most densely
wooded island of Croatia.
There is much evidence
of a highly-developed
social life on Korcula
even in the 13th century.
The Statute of Korcula,
signed in 1214, prohibited
the slave trade for the
first time in Europe.
It also spoke about the
order and management of
the city. The famous travel
writer, Marco Polo, was,
according to some sources,
born in Korcula.
The people of Korcula
were famous stonemasons,
shipbuilders and seafarers.
They left their mark in
stonework's, sculptures
and buildings all over
Dalmatia, but they saved
their best works for their
own city. In its long
history, the town streets,
laid out in a regular
herringbone pattern, have
seen many battles. Nowadays,
each summer they come
to life with the old knight's
dance of Moreska, dating
from the 15th century.
The dance evokes the battles
with the Moors and was
popular all over the Mediterranean.
But today it has only
been preserved on the
island Korcula. Representing
good and evil, the white
and black kings fight
with their armies for
a maiden. Fortunately
the white king prevails.
In Blato, situated like
Rome on seven hills, there
is another, equally interesting
knights' dance called
"Kumpanija"
(company). It symbolizes
the struggle for freedom.
