Korčula

Korčula (Italian Curzola, Greek Korkyra Melaina meaning "Black Corfu") is the modern Croatian name for an island in the Adriatic with a long Byzantine and Venetian history. The island of Korcula is about 25 miles long and about 4 miles across that lies lengthwise on the Dalmatian coast.

The town of the same name is an ancient fortified town on the protected east coast, also the main port facing the Pelješac (Sabioncello) peninsula, separated from it with the narrow Strait of Pelješac (between 900 and 3,000 meter wide).

The church (a Roman Catholic cathedral 1301 - 1806), and the 15th-century Franciscan monastery, with its beautiful Venetian Gothic cloister, the civic council chambers, the palace of the former Venetian governors, grand 15th and 16th century palaces of the local merchant nobles, and the massive fortifications give the city interest.

History

There are neolithic burial mounds, possible Phoenician settlement, a Greek colony founded from Cnidus — "Black Corcyra" — perhaps for its dark pine forests.

Along the Dalmatian coast, Slavic invaders from the upper Balkans had seized control of the area where the Narenta (Neretva) River enters the Adriatic, as well as the islands such as Hvar (Lesina), Korčula (Curzola) and Lastovo (Lagosta) that protect the river mouth. A painting dated 1800 in the museum at Curzola patriotically represents “The arrival of Croatians at the sea”, showing a group of medieval knights that from the neat mountain heights of the Croatian coast admire the bright vista of the Adriatic Sea.

At first Venetian merchants were willing to pay annual tribute to keep their shipping safe from the "Narentine" pirates of the Dalmatian coast, but in 998 Curzola came under direct Venetian control, and eventually Venetian diplomacy and force established hegemony in the upper Adriatic. Doge Pietro II Orseolo assumed the title Dux Dalmatinorum ("Duke of the Dalmatians") During the 12th century the hereditary Counts of Curzola were loosely governed from Hungary and Genoa in turn, and also enjoyed a brief period of independence; but after 1255 its hereditary counts again submitted to Venice. Marco Polo was born at Curzola in 1254, to an established Venetian family of merchants. Genoa defeated Venice at Curzola in 1298, but in the long run was eliminated from the Adriatic.

"Curzola" as it was then called, surrendered to the Hungarians in 1358, was purchased by Ragusa (1413-1417), and finally declared itself subject to Venice in 1420. In 1571 it defended itself so gallantly against the Ottoman Turks at the Battle of Lepanto that it obtained the designation Fidelissima. From 1776 to 1797 Curzola succeeded Lesina as the main Venetian fortified arsenal in this region. During the Napoleonic wars it was ruled successively by Russians, French (Illyrian provinces) and British, ultimately passing to Austria in 1815.

Under its Croatian name Korcula it has been part of Yugoslavia between 1918 and 1990 and since then of Croatia.