History and Culture in Stari Grad

DOMINICAN MONASTERY AND CHURCH OF ST. PETER
The Dominican monastery in Stari Grad was founded in 1482 and later on the church of St. Peter was built here. The church preserves several paintings of exceptional artistic value, (amongst others there is the famous work of the Venetian painter J.R. Tintoretto from the 16th century "Placing into the tomb",) a cross that was made by Giacomo Piazetta in the 18th century, a renaissance cross on the main altar, archives, library with old manuscripts, a collection of stone monuments, a collection of ancient coins, ancient tombstones, a very interesting Greek epigraph from 4 B.C. and the oldest stone inscription found in Croatia (whose original is safeguarded in the Archaeological Museum in Zagreb). During the tourist season it is open to visitors between 10 a.m. –noon and 6 p.m. -8 p.m., and during the low season the visits are possible during the mornings, but must be announced by phone 021 765 442.

TVRDALJ
Tvrdalj was built as a fort for defence from the Turks by the renowned poet from Hvar Petar Hektorović. It was erected by filling up the sea and one could enter it only over a bascule bridge. In the centre of Tvrdalj, Hektorović designed and built a Romanic park with a fishpond. Tvrdalj has numerous stone inscriptions, but the one saying "Omnium Conditori" is the most significant one, since with it, Hektorović dedicated his Tvrdalj to God, the Creator of everything.

CHURCH OF ST. JOHN
The church of St. John represents the oldest sacral centre of the island of Hvar and as far back as 1147 it was the Episcopal see. It was erected on the location of the former ancient temple. It is interesting that right beside the church of St. John, an early Christian baptistery from the 6th or 7th century was discovered, but today it is covered up for its preservation.

CHURCH OF ST. STEPHEN
The construction of this church began in the 17th century on the location where the first cathedral on the island of Hvar stood in the 12th century. The bell tower of this church is especially interesting since it contains stone blocks of former ancient buildings and preserved the Roman relief of a galley. In the church there is an old baptistery and the triptych of Francesco da Santacroce.

NAVAL COLLECTION, Palace Biankini
In the 19th century during the period of sailboats Stari Grad marked the development of the shipping industry and naval construction. There is a rich naval collection preserved in Palace Biankini in Stari Grad. The collection was founded by the Centre for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage of the island of Hvar in 1966 and besides documentation on naval construction; it also displays various nautical instruments, paintings of Hvar captains, old nautical charts and literature on navigation. During the tourist season the collection can be seen from 10 a.m. to noon and from 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. During the low season, it is necessary to announce your arrival to the Cultural Centre by phone (+385 21 765 910).