PHOTO: ALAN GRUBELIĆ
Top Insular Heritage to Discover

Top Insular Heritage to Discover

Faust Vrančić Memorial Centre

On the small island of Prvić, protected by the Croatian Ministry of Culture and located close to the town of Vodice, famous Croatian inventor, engineer, historian, linguist, diplomat, humanist and bishop Faust Vrančić spent his childhood. The tomb of that great man is placed in the Church of St. Mary of Mercy, and only a few meters away visitors can see the temporal exhibition of the models of his inventions, counting about 50 hand-made. Some of Vrančić's inventions on display include: the mill on the boat, the mill with the contact wheel, the iron bridge, the bridge in Vienna, Homo Volans or a flying man, the sundial, the oil press, the sea-bottom cleaner, as well as the dictionary of five European languages, including the first Croatian and Hungarian printed dictionaries ever.

Krapanj Monastery

On the island of Krapanj there is the Monastery of the Holy Cross that has significant historic value. On its place a church was constructed in 1523 and rebuilt in 1937, contributing to today's look of the monastery. The monastery keeps many valuable objects protected by the state. The most valuable exhibits are "The Last Supper" (a beautiful fresco by the 16th century Italian artist Francesco da Santa Croce) and "The Black Madonna on the Throne" (a prised Renaissance painting). In its library there are many other values, such as the Bible from 1474 and 23 incunabula. There is also a little museum containing sponges, corals, amphorae and old pottery collections.

Betina Museum of Wooden Shipbuilding

The charming Museum of Wooden Shipbuilding in the village of Betina on Murter Island offers an interactive stroll through the history of exceptional craftsmanship. The museum reveals the story of the old master builders and specifies the reasons why they have achieved such international renown in building outstanding wooden ships. The permanent exhibition highlights the skills of Betina's shipbuilders and educates about distinctive and colourful first-rate vessels, from small fishing boats called "kaić" to larger cargo ships. However, the pride and joy of Betina is definitely "gajeta", a 5 to 8 m long and 2 to 2.6 m wide boat with the sail as an elementary navigational tool, protected by the Croatian Ministry of Culture as a part of the national intangible heritage.

The Tureta Fortress

The Fortress of Tureta is the most significant fortress in Kornati National Park, dating all the way back to the Byzantine period. The fortress is located on Kornat Island and probably dates from the 6th century, when it was presumably built for military purposes (for protecting the shores and monitoring navigation in this part of the Adriatic Sea).