Korčula: Little Dubrovnik and the Birthplace of Marco Polo
Korčula is a historic walled town on the eastern coast of the island of the same name, in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County, Croatia. The municipality has a population of 5,634 inhabitants (2011 census), with the urban core of the city holding around 2,600–2,900 people. Built on a small peninsula, with its walls, towers, and herringbone street layout, it has earned the popular nickname of "Little Dubrovnik."
History The island was colonised by Greeks from Cnidus in the 6th century BC, who called it Korkyra Melaina ("Black Corfu"). It passed to Roman rule in the 1st century BC and subsequently to Byzantium, medieval Croatia, and Venice, which held it from 1420 to 1797. The Statute of Korčula, drawn up in 1214, is one of the oldest medieval legal documents in the Adriatic region. The city is world-famous as the reputed birthplace of explorer Marco Polo (c. 1254), although some historians dispute this attribution.
Heritage The historic core is an extraordinary testament to Adriatic Gothic and Renaissance architecture: 85% of its buildings predate the 17th century and 48% date from the 15th–16th centuries. The Cathedral of St Mark (1301–1806), in Romanesque-Gothic style, dominates the highest point of the peninsula. The herringbone street layout was designed to capture sea breezes in summer and protect from cold winter winds. The 12 original towers —7 of which survive— and the medieval walls encircle the ensemble. The medieval sword dance Moreška is performed weekly for tourists during summer. The island produces the white wines Grk and Pošip, both nationally acclaimed.
Points of interest: - Population: 5,634 (municipality, 2011); ~2,600–2,900 (town). - The historic core is on UNESCO's World Heritage Tentative List. - Getting there: Ferry or catamaran from Split, Dubrovnik, Hvar, and other islands.