History and Culture in Jelsa

CIVITAS VETUS IELSAE
The old city of Jelsa was situated on the peninsula Gradina and the defence wall, that was built on the western side of the peninsula and extended to the coves of Mina and Bočić, is partially still preserved. The former wall was 172 m long and had an enclosed wall, 800 metres in length. Today, on the location of the former Augustine monastery, of which only a church with a bell tower from 1605 is preserved, lies the present cemetery in Jelsa.

CHURCH AND SQUARE OF ST. JOHN
In the very centre of Jelsa, not far from the Square (Pjaca) there is a beautiful renaissance-baroque square of St. John with a small baroque church. Around the square there are stone houses with picturesque balconies that were built as far back as the 16th century.

CHURCH OF THE ASSUMPTION
Todayʼs parish church, the Church of the Assumption was erected on the foundation of the early gothic church and was expanded and fortified in 1535. The church vestry preserved valuable liturgical vestments and several crosses of artistic value and the painting of "Mother of God and the torture of Fabian and Sebastian" of the Flemish-Venetian painter Pietera de Costera is especially valuable.

CHURCH OF OUR LADY OF HEALTH
The votive Church of Our Lady of Health built in 1535 is situated above Jelsa on the hill Račić from where one can experience a magnificent view of the port of Jelsa. The church preserves the works of Palma Junior and valuable wooden sculptures from the 17th century and a renaissance icon from the 16th century.

GRAPČEVA CAVE
On the southern part of the island of Hvar there lies the Grapčeva cave, the most significant prehistoric site in the Adriatic. Items from a culture from 4 B.C. were discovered in the cave and they show that the prehistoric cave inhabitants were acquainted with polychrome ceramics from the Ionian and Aegean Sea. It is interesting that right in this cave the oldest depiction of a boat in Europe was discovered on fragments of one piece of pottery. The cave is full of stalactites and stalagmites and contains a large and a small hall, with numerous less accessible branches. You can reach the cave that is situated 239 metres above the sea level from Jelsa passing the Greek fort Tor or from the southern side from Gromin Dolac, passing the Virak cove. Still, the simplest way is to come by car from Jelsa to Humac and then take the field path to the cave.

TOR-THE GREEK FORT
The monument that has special archaeological significance is definitely Tor, a megalithic square stronghold built from stone blocks that are over 2 metres in height on an earlier Illyrian building. Situated south-east of Jelsa, at 230 m above sea level, in 4 B.C. it was a Greek observation post that, due to its position, dominated the entire channel of Makarska, all the way to the entrance of the port of Stari grad.

CITY-FORT GALEŠNIK, remains of the mediaeval city
At 210 m above sea level and above Jelsa, somewhat to the east of the Illyrian-Greek fort Tor, are the remains of the mediaeval city fort -Galešnika. The city that was 20 metres wide and surrounded by walls 80 metres long was erected on the foundations of Illyrian architecture and additionally constructed during the Roman rule. In the early Middle Ages, the fort was a sanctuary of the noble family of Galeš Slavogost who rebelled against the Venetian rule, but in the end the Venetians conquered the city and demolished it. You can reach this interesting historical location from which there is a magnificent panoramic view of Jelsa and the surrounding places, the island of Brač and the Makarska Riviera, by foot from Jelsa, walking through a pleasant picturesque pathway that passes through the fields and olive groves and ends with an old paved Roman path that leads to the City fort.