Turistička zajednica Šolta

Tourist Board, Island of Šolta

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Heritage

Flora and Fauna

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Šolta like other middle Dalmatian islands with its rich vegetation and flora has always attracted local and foreign botanists. The data of many enthusiasts who did research of flora and fauna at their own expense were very helpful.

Considering the size of the island - 57,8 km2, it wasn’t probably completely researched and it hides many species and subspecies that weren’t yet registered on the island.

Vegetation of the island of Šolta belongs to the eastern Adriatic euro Mediterranean zone that used to be covered with holm-oakwood. But under the influence of people the number of trees was reduced and their place was taken by evergreen underbrush, bushes and rocky pastures. The main district of central evergreen area that includes Šolta is characteristic for weak humidity and the longest summer droughts so it is not strange that hardy plants like dry weed grasslands and holophilic vegetation at steep cliffs are rooted.

There were rocky dry pastures while Šolta’s economy was based on pasture of livestock but today they turn into shrubs dominated by groundsel, feather-grass, sage and others. Weed vegetation can be seen in smaller areas. In nitrophilic areas developed nettle vegetation. On the southern part of the island where the coast is very steep and exposed to strong blows of the sea developed vegetation of vertical rocks that is fragmentary. These are fleabane, hair-grass (busina bjelusina) and knapweed of Dubrovnik.

On the coastal cliffs can be found characteristic species: local - “mrizica”, “petrovac” or “sculac”. According to the information from different books on the island of Šolta are registered 299 species of higher plants. However considering the size of the island the number of species is much larger what will be probably proved in further research. Together with evergreen underbrush that blooms 10 months a year Šolta offers dozens of aromatic, kitchen and medicinal herbs that represent priceless treasure while Šolta’s honey made of self-grown rosemary is one of the most famous in Europe (already in1877 Šolta’s honey won medals on an exhibition in Paris).

 

Fauna of the island of Šolta is very numerous and widespread so that on Šolta were registered 17 species of birds that weren’t seen on the island of Brač.

For example on Šolta can be found 105 species of birds from 33 families. The most typical bird of the island of Šolta that is also its symbol is “cuvitar” (screech owl) that is a subspecies of the owl and it belongs to strigidae, while its Latin name is Otus scops. It nests on the island, and eats different insects. A characteristic bird of the island is also a pheasant. It belongs to Phasina idae. It lives on the island, it is very frequent and it nests in fields and evergreen underbrush. Agriculturalists and wine-growers don’t like it because it eats their fruits so very often it is killed off. There are also “skanjac”, sparrow-hawk, hawk and others.

It is interesting that on Šolta was seen a steppe-eagle (aguila rapax) and this is the only place in Croatia where it was found.

Of forest animals the most interesting is hare. Tourists can see it very often and at night hours it is almost impossible to pass the main road by car without this small animal jumping in front of you. Passing through the woods even close to the paths it makes a lot passages for the escape. Its biggest flaw is that it is very delicious food so it is a very frequent target of local hunters.

The richness of Šolta’s sea world is the proof of virgin clearness of the sea that surrounds the island. The emperor Diocletian built his fishery in Nečujam for this very reason. Numerous species of fish and shellfish that live there can’t be all numbered but the most interesting fact is the appearance of a protected species - Mediterranean monk seal that comes only to the cleanest parts of the Adriatic! And if you’re lucky maybe by the Šolta’s coast you’ll be greeted by one of the noblest mammals in the world – dolphin.

Interesting facts

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Tourist community every summer season organizes a contest for the best decorated and arranged apartment, house lot and a village. The main purpose of this is to stimulate and encourage competition between the owners of apartments and houses but also of the villagers so that the whole island of Šolta can greet its dear guests as beautiful as possible. Every year as a prize the best get diplomas so if you see such a diploma in the house you’re staying in be sure that the owner did his best to welcome you!
According to a legend on the mount above the bay of Senj there was Teuta’s castle. According to this legend fishermen would throw a part of the caught fish to all four parts of the world in order to have the favor and mercy of the queen Teuta for further fishing.
In the past the boats of the Greeks, Italians and Spaniards who sailed in the Adriatic towards the East would stop by the coast of Šolta and take fish from the nets and fish traps. In empty nets and fish traps they would put money in bags and put them back in the sea.
The filmmakers of "Velo Misto" used parts of Šolta streets, homes, towers, houses and courtyards in order to evoke the atmosphere of old parts of Split.

The movie "The fall of Italy" was entirely filmed on Šolta.
In the time of French rule in Dalmatia a special commission declared that Šolta’s honey was the best not only in that district but also in the whole Europe.

On the international exhibitions in Tetschen, Bratislava, Steyr and Paris Šolta’s honey wins medals. The most famous honey is the one made of self-grown rosemary.
In the graveyard in Gornje Selo there is a grave with an inscription FOR TRAVELERS. It was made for every unknown traveler who dies on the island.
Donkey (local “tovar”) is one of the most reliable ways of transportation of the island people. People say it is the most stubborn and the laziest animal on the island but on difficult Šolta’s paths it is of a great help. Did you know that old Romans used donkeys as help in building roads? They would let it in front of them knowing that it is so lazy that it would surely find the shortest and the easiest way.
It is also a very interesting story about the highest Venetian officers who would only walk in the middle of the road because of the pride and honor while the common people who were with them would walk only on the edge of the road. On nice and paved town roads it was very pleasant but when they came to Šolta, poor officers got very tired and hurt their feet on the road from one village to another while the village people who were with them were rested. The common people sneered at the poor officers because they didn’t know that the edge of the road was much more comfortable because it was well-trodden by carts while in the middle of the road there were uncomfortable stones and thorny shrubs.

Monuments

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Throughout its rich history Šolta was being conquered, defended, attacked by pirates and discovered by artists. Whether a conqueror, villager or an artist – each of them left a trace of his age. From prehistoric period, antiquity and old Christian period to after-war period – each of these periods left a trace in Šolta’s stone in order to tell us a story of the past times.

Localities and finds

  • Gradac
    - prehistoric hill-fort
  • Mirine west of Donjeg Sela
    - remains of villae rusticae
    - remains of the walls from antiquity near Donje Selo
    locality "Pod Mihovil"
  • Grohote
    - covers of ancient sarcophagi in front of the parish church
    - a part of an ancient sarcophagus in the parish house
    - old Christian sarcophagus in an old field
    - remains of an old Christian basilica
    - baptismal font of a basilica and other remains
    - chapel in the wall
  • Rogač
    - Banje - capital from the late antiquity period
    - remains of villae rusticae
  • Nečujam
    - ancient grave
    - St. Peter’s ruins
    - memorial house of Marko Marulić
  • Stipanska
    - remains of an old Christian basilica
  • Gornje Selo
    - remains of a building from the late antiquity period
    - cover of an ancient sarcophagus locality "Stomorija"
  • Sv. Jele
    - old Christian sarcophagus
  • Maslinica
    - the castle of the Marchi family from 1706.

Gornje Selo
remains of a building from the late antiquity period
"Stomorija" locality
cover of an ancient sarcophagus


Grohote
remains of an old Christian basilica
Grohote
baptismal font of a basilica and other remains

Sv. Jele
old Christian sarcophagus		 Nečujam
St. Peter’s ruins

Maslinica
the castle of the Marchi family from 1706.
Nečujam
memorial house of Marko Marulić

Grohote
chapel in the wall
Shrine for the victims of World War II

 

Art

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Although there are no towns where the contemporary art could be developed – and the 20th century art is the art of urban people, urban art – nevertheless on the island there are some activities in that field, especially in church architecture and also last few decades in monumental sculpture and naive painting. The most prominent results can be seen in the field of church architecture because the church has always been the place for social gathering and also the symbol of the social and cultural development.

EUGEN BUKTENICA He was born in Grohote in 1914. He aroused wide interests in Croatia and also abroad. His paintings are naive paintings. His main interests are a motif and a story. He wants to show a part of his native place, of the island, of the village. The motifs are domestic animals, houses, boats, villagers… the paintings of Buktenica draw your attention with their spontaneity, his observance and imagination. He is the painter but also a chronicler of his village, of his island and of his people.

MARIN KALAJZIĆ There are many similarities in motifs and techniques between this Šolta’s naive painter and Buktenica. He was born in 1911 in Grohote but he starts painting in 1979. Kalajzic’s main wish is to represent a certain object or an event in as faithful way as he can. Recently he’s been painting still lifes, fish, and flowers.


DINKO SULE This painter was also born in Grohote in 1953. He starts painting in 1987, and the motifs of his oil paintings are characteristic island scenery dominated by the rocks, southern vegetation and the sea. He‘s both attracted to the atmosphere of a fishermen’s home and to the life of fishermen and farmers. Beside painting he also writes poetry.


CHURCH ARCHITECTURE AND ART

Many new churches that are usually very large and spacious were built on the location of a small parish church with remains of Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque style. The old church was usually used as a sanctuary of the new one – from the western side of the old church they would build the new one. The plans for building would come from Vienna but the local people built it. They have cut-stone walls that contributed to the beauty and solidity of a building. It was local stone and it was cut by local stone-carvers. The largest and the most beautiful church on the island is St. Stephen’s Church in Grohote, whose interior decorations are breathtaking.

The list of churches on Šolta:

- St. Nikola’s in Stomorska
- Our Lady in Nečujam
- Our Lady of Pines (Gospe od Bori) in G. Selo
- St. John’s in G. Selo
- St. Stephen’s in Grohote
- Our Lady of Lourdes in Grohote
- St. Mihovil’s in Grohote
- St. Martin’s in D. Selo
- St. Jelena’s in D. Selo
- Our Lady of Kadalor
- St. Teresa’s in Rogač