Fortica

This fortress (also known as Španjola) sits on the hill overlooking Hvar Town. Its position and heavy cannons protected the town. It was designed in 1557 by Venetian and Spanish military architects. It was built on the ruins of a 16th century medieval fortress. The buildings inside the stronghold were built during the rule of the Austrian Empire. There is a unique view from the fortress over Hvar Town to the Pakleni Islands.

The French Fortress (Napoljun)

This fortress is also known as Napoleon’s Fortress, since it was built for Napoleon in 1811, to the west of Fortica, on St. Nicholas’ Hill. Its position meant it could be used as a look-out point and watch-tower. Although the fortress has been preserved, it is not open to the public. It houses the Hvar observatory and a seismic research centre.

St. Stephen’s Square (Pjaca)

Its 4,500 square metres were paved in 1789 using white marble. It is the largest in Dalmatia.

St. Stephen’s Cathedral

Hvar Cathedral, with its many adaptations and additions, was originally the church attached to the Benedictine convent of St. Mary of Lesna. It was founded in the 13th century when the bishop moved his see from Stari Grad to Hvar Town. It suffered damage at the hands of the Turks in 1571, when it was still unfinished. It was dedicated to St. Stephen the Martyr, the patron saint of the diocese and Hvar Town. The cathedral is built in the Renaissance style with a central Gothic tower, which remains from the earlier building.

The façade and bell-tower are masterpieces of 16th century Croatian Renaissance art, built by Nikola Karlić of Korčula. The façade took over 200 years to finish, according to a unique design. The altar-piece and other paintings are by Venetian masters such as Longhen, Celesti, Tremignon and Palma. The Baroque altar dates from the 17th century. Close by is the Hektorović family altar with a Madonna and 13th century inscription. The cathedral’s double doors, with reliefs depicting scenes from Sacred Scripture, in conjunction with scenes from Hvar’s existential tradition, were created recently by Kuzma Kovačić, a sculptor from Hvar.

Bishop’s Palace

The Bishop’s Palace used to be a Benedictine convent and has an inscription dated 1249. It borders St. Stephen’s Square (Pjaca) to the east, next to the cathedral. Today it houses a museum exhibiting valuable ecclesiastical and liturgical silver and fabric items, with icons from Hvar churches.

Arsenal

South of the square is the Arsenal, a covered storage area for war galleys. In 1530, the Venetians began building the new Arsenal and it acquired its present appearance, with a huge arch over the west, sea-facing façade, upon its completion in 1559. In 1612, the upper floor was partititioned and there is a public theatre in the east section.

City well – Gustirna

In the centre of the square in front of the cathedral is the city well, built in 1529.

Theatre

Hvar drama blossomed between 1516 and 1623 and was most closely linked to four great Croatian dramatists and poets: Hanibal Lučić (The Slave Girl), Mikša Pelegrinović (The Gypsy Girl), Martin Benetović (The Girl of Hvar) and Marin Gazarović (Murat the Pirate). The precursors of theatrical drama were church pageants and were staged in the cathedral, and the first literary dramas were probably performed on the square in front of the Lodge.

Following the model of Italian court drama, the Hvar prince Pietro Semitecolo had the upper floor of the ancient Arsenal partitioned and turned into a theatre, and since the commune’s money was used, this became the first communal theatre in Europe. Since then, the works of Croatian writers have been performed here.

The exterior of the theatre has been preserved in its original form, while the interior features 19th century architecture.

Hanibal Lučić’s summer residence

Hanibal Lučić had his summer residence built around 1530, in the High Renaissance style, within easy reach of the town. It consists of two buildings; the east wing, which is elegant and stylised, and the west wing, which was the working wing. The spacious park is bordered by a footpath and the crests of the Lučić and Gazarović families can be seen on the well cover in the centre of the garden.

Franciscan convent

The Franciscan convent church of St Mary of Mercy is in the south part of Hvar Town. The baptistery, with its monumental rounded arcades and central fountain, dominates the entire Renaissance complex. The convent is set in gardens surrounded by a wall. In the garden in front of the refectory there is a 300-year old cypress tree, impressive in size and strange in shape.

Inside the convent there is a museum housing a collection of old books, coins and a particularly valuable depiction of the Last Supper from the early 17th century. Hanibal Lučić is interred in the church, beneath the main altar. The first Croatian dramatist was a prominent member of the Great Council and was for many years the Warden of the Franciscan church and convent.

Benedictine convent

The Benedictine convent and church dedicated to St. Anthony the Monk are housed in the building in which Hanibal Lučić was born in 1485. Julija, the widow of Hanibal’s illegitimate son, Antun, left the palace in Groda to the Benedictine nuns, and they turned it into a convent.

The Benedictine convent houses Hanibal Lučić’s art collection. The kitchen has remained unchanged since the Lučić family lived there, and contains a valuable collection of decorative embroidery and lace. The Benedictine nuns are famous for making lace from agava threads.

St. Mark’s Church

The former church of the Dominican monastery, founded in the 14th century, and dissolved during the French administration in the 19th century, was for centuries the seat of the aristocratic Great Council. Many aristocratic families had their own altars and graves in the church. The main altar was the gift of Hanibal Lučić’s son, Antun, who is buried in St. Mark’s Church.

The former Dominican church today houses the Archeological Collection and Lapidary of Dr. Grga Novak. It consists of prehistoric, Greek and Roman artefacts and items. There is also a collection of underwater archeological finds.

Loggia (The Lodge)

The communal Lodge was first mentioned in the 13th century and appears in the 14th century Hvar Constitution. The New Lodge, one of the most beautiful Late Renaissance buildings in Dalmatia, was built by the master builder Tripun Bokanić and finished at the end of the 16th century, during the time of Victor Diedo. Hanibal Lučić held the elevated title of judge and defender of the Hvar Commune several times during his lifetime, and was a firm defender of the Hvar aristocracy’s privileges.