Čara, Korčula
Encyclopedia
Čara is a village on the island of Korčula
in Croatia
. Korčula the island, is part of the Dalmatia
n coast and it belongs to the Dubrovnik-Neretva county
. It has a population of 566 residents. The village is situated twenty-five kilometers west of the old town of Korčula
and is just above a field Čarsko Polje. In the center of the village is the parish church of St Peter, which was built in the 16th century. The church has a painting by the Renaissance
Venetian
painter Leandro Bassano
which is called "Visitation of Jesus Christ to His Disciples". The painting is placed above the church altar. Čara is 13 km west of Pupnat
and 3.35 km east of Smokvica
.
Čara is part of a wine
growing region and it produces Pošip
and Marastina dry wines. Cultivation of olives is also part of Čara's rich agriculture pallet. The wine cellar is located south of Čara towards the bays of Zavalatica and Zitna. The bays have become a tourist attraction in recent modern times. Zavalatica was a summer resort of the Croatian poet Petar Kanavelić
.
established two colonies on Korčula in the 6th century BC and the 3rd century BC (Lumbarda Psephisma
). There were Greek villas on the island and it is believed that the field below Čara, called Čarsko Polje (Croatian
/pronounced Charsko), its name is of ancient Greek
origins. The Great Migrations
of the 6th and 7th centuries brought the Slavic
tribes invasions into the old Roman
province of Dalmatia
, which then was under Byzantine
rule. The Croatians arrived along with other Slavic tribes and the Avars
. They settled in the region. It is believed that the islands off the coast were settled by the Croatians at a later stage. Korčula was settled by Croatians in the 8th century. Čara is one the oldest villages on the island of Korčula and as a settlement was established in the 8th and 9th century. Christianization of the Croatian rural inhabitants of the island Korčula begun in the 11th century (Chapel of Saints Cosmas and Damian/Kuzma i Damjan). According to recent studies done at the University of Zadar
, Croatians accepted Christianity fully in the 14th and 15th Century.
The small church of Our Lady in Čarsko Polje is mentioned in a manuscript of 1329. Tradition holds that in 1686 Our Lady appeared to a shepherd girl on the south side of Čara and since then pilgrims have come to this site every year, especially on July 25. In the church there is a painted relief of alabaster, of English origin, from the 14th or 15th century, with four scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary (the Annunciation, the birth of Jesus, the gift of the Three Kings, and the Coronation).
Korčula is mentioned during Republic of Venice
's eastern expansion of Dalmatia. In the late 10th century Pietro II Orseolo
the Doge of Venice attacked the Neretvian pirates and in the process secured Korčula.
The Korčula Statute from 1214 http://www.korculainfo.com/history/statute-korcula-town-1214.html mentions Čara. In the Statute there are recommendations on the defense of the old town of Korčula as well as Blato, Smokvica
, Pupnat
and Žrnovo.
Čara used to be called Hara . The Austria-Hungary
census registered Čara's name as Kcara.
(Spalato) and the rebellion was crushed. The Crnomir family were killed and Čara was burned to the ground.
Kumpanija dance is performed in Čara on Saint Peter's Day (Sveti Petar) in the memory of Petar Crnomir.
Marinko Gjivoje wrote about the find in 1972. The script was found in an old wine cellar (konoba) of the Baničević family. It describes a clash between the Croatians and the Venetian army. The story has now become part of the Island of Korčula's rich oral stories.
The Venetian army was ambushed by the villagers of Čara and a Venetian Nobleman and his dog were killed. The Venetian army managed to regroup and subdued the Croats. There followed a famous interaction between the two groups before the Venetians executed the Croats. The Venetian's asked " Who killed the Nobleman?" The locals answered " The hammer did!". The Venetian's then asked "Who was carrying the hammer?" The locals answered back "We were all carrying a hammer".
Korcula
Korčula is an island in the Adriatic Sea, in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County of Croatia. The island has an area of ; long and on average wide — and lies just off the Dalmatian coast. Its 16,182 inhabitants make it the second most populous Adriatic island after Krk...
in Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
. Korčula the island, is part of the Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
n coast and it belongs to the Dubrovnik-Neretva county
Dubrovnik-Neretva County
The Dubrovnik–Neretva County is the southernmost Croatian county located in south Dalmatia. The county seat is Dubrovnik and other large towns are Korčula, Metković, Opuzen and Ploče...
. It has a population of 566 residents. The village is situated twenty-five kilometers west of the old town of Korčula
Korcula (town)
Korčula is a historic fortified town on the protected east coast of the island of Korčula in the Adriatic. It is geographically located at 42°57′N, 17°07′E.-Population:...
and is just above a field Čarsko Polje. In the center of the village is the parish church of St Peter, which was built in the 16th century. The church has a painting by the Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
Venetian
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
painter Leandro Bassano
Leandro Bassano
Leandro Bassano , also called Leandro dal Ponte, was an Italian artist from Bassano del Grappa, the younger brother of Francesco Bassano the Younger and third son of Jacopo Bassano, who took their name from their town of Bassano del Grappa...
which is called "Visitation of Jesus Christ to His Disciples". The painting is placed above the church altar. Čara is 13 km west of Pupnat
Pupnat
Pupnat is a village on the island of Korčula in Croatia. Korčula, the island, is part of the Dalmatian coast and is situated within the Dubrovnik-Neretva county. Inhabitants of Pupnat consist mostly of Croatians of Slavic roots. Pupnat has a population of 439 residents...
and 3.35 km east of Smokvica
Smokvica
Smokvica is a village on the island of Korčula and a municipality in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County in Croatia. It has a population of 1,210 , in which the absolute majority are Croats . Smokvica is located in the centre of the island of Korcula, about 4 kilometers west of Čara, 13 kilometers east...
.
Čara is part of a wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
growing region and it produces Pošip
Pošip
Pošip is an autochthonous white wine grape that is primarily grown in the Dalmatian region of Croatia on the island of Korčula, although small amounts are also being grown on the Pelješac Peninsula...
and Marastina dry wines. Cultivation of olives is also part of Čara's rich agriculture pallet. The wine cellar is located south of Čara towards the bays of Zavalatica and Zitna. The bays have become a tourist attraction in recent modern times. Zavalatica was a summer resort of the Croatian poet Petar Kanavelić
Petar Kanavelić
Petar Kanavelić was a Croatian writer. He is regarded as one of the greatest Croatian writers of the 17th century. He signed himself as Pietro Canaveli or De Canavellis...
.
History
The GreeksGreeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
established two colonies on Korčula in the 6th century BC and the 3rd century BC (Lumbarda Psephisma
Lumbarda Psephisma
Lumbarda Psephisma is a stone inscription telling about the founding of a Ancient Greece settlement on the island of Korčula, in modern-day Croatia. The Psephisma is from Lumbarda, a small village where it was discovered in 1877 by Božo Kršinić...
). There were Greek villas on the island and it is believed that the field below Čara, called Čarsko Polje (Croatian
Croatian language
Croatian is the collective name for the standard language and dialects spoken by Croats, principally in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serbian province of Vojvodina and other neighbouring countries...
/pronounced Charsko), its name is of ancient Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
origins. The Great Migrations
Migration Period
The Migration Period, also called the Barbarian Invasions , was a period of intensified human migration in Europe that occurred from c. 400 to 800 CE. This period marked the transition from Late Antiquity to the Early Middle Ages...
of the 6th and 7th centuries brought the Slavic
Slavic peoples
The Slavic people are an Indo-European panethnicity living in Eastern Europe, Southeast Europe, North Asia and Central Asia. The term Slavic represents a broad ethno-linguistic group of people, who speak languages belonging to the Slavic language family and share, to varying degrees, certain...
tribes invasions into the old Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
province of Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
, which then was under Byzantine
Byzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
rule. The Croatians arrived along with other Slavic tribes and the Avars
Eurasian Avars
The Eurasian Avars or Ancient Avars were a highly organized nomadic confederacy of mixed origins. They were ruled by a khagan, who was surrounded by a tight-knit entourage of nomad warriors, an organization characteristic of Turko-Mongol groups...
. They settled in the region. It is believed that the islands off the coast were settled by the Croatians at a later stage. Korčula was settled by Croatians in the 8th century. Čara is one the oldest villages on the island of Korčula and as a settlement was established in the 8th and 9th century. Christianization of the Croatian rural inhabitants of the island Korčula begun in the 11th century (Chapel of Saints Cosmas and Damian/Kuzma i Damjan). According to recent studies done at the University of Zadar
University of Zadar
The University of Zadar is a university located in Zadar, Croatia. It was founded in 2002.- University Departments :The University of Zadar is entirely integrated university, consisting at present of over 20 departments:...
, Croatians accepted Christianity fully in the 14th and 15th Century.
The small church of Our Lady in Čarsko Polje is mentioned in a manuscript of 1329. Tradition holds that in 1686 Our Lady appeared to a shepherd girl on the south side of Čara and since then pilgrims have come to this site every year, especially on July 25. In the church there is a painted relief of alabaster, of English origin, from the 14th or 15th century, with four scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary (the Annunciation, the birth of Jesus, the gift of the Three Kings, and the Coronation).
Korčula is mentioned during Republic of Venice
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
's eastern expansion of Dalmatia. In the late 10th century Pietro II Orseolo
Pietro II Orseolo
Pietro II Orseolo was the Doge of Venice from 991 to 1009.He began the period of eastern expansion of Venice that lasted for the better part of 500 years...
the Doge of Venice attacked the Neretvian pirates and in the process secured Korčula.
The Korčula Statute from 1214 http://www.korculainfo.com/history/statute-korcula-town-1214.html mentions Čara. In the Statute there are recommendations on the defense of the old town of Korčula as well as Blato, Smokvica
Smokvica
Smokvica is a village on the island of Korčula and a municipality in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County in Croatia. It has a population of 1,210 , in which the absolute majority are Croats . Smokvica is located in the centre of the island of Korcula, about 4 kilometers west of Čara, 13 kilometers east...
, Pupnat
Pupnat
Pupnat is a village on the island of Korčula in Croatia. Korčula, the island, is part of the Dalmatian coast and is situated within the Dubrovnik-Neretva county. Inhabitants of Pupnat consist mostly of Croatians of Slavic roots. Pupnat has a population of 439 residents...
and Žrnovo.
Čara used to be called Hara . The Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
census registered Čara's name as Kcara.
Petar Crnomir
In 1006, Petar Crnomir from Čara went to the town of Korčula (during a Venetian tax collecting period) to have a word with the local Venetian Authority. According to local tradition the meeting didn't go too well and Petar Crnomir was to be arrested, but instead avoided capture and fled the old town. The Venetian army launched a man hunt and caught up with him. During confrontation between him and the Venetians, he was mortally wounded. Shortly afterwards he died from his wounds. The family of Petar Crnomir and the village of Čara organized an armed rebellion against the Venetians. The Venetians were overwhelmed and had to bring in reinforcements from SplitSplit (city)
Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...
(Spalato) and the rebellion was crushed. The Crnomir family were killed and Čara was burned to the ground.
Kumpanija dance is performed in Čara on Saint Peter's Day (Sveti Petar) in the memory of Petar Crnomir.
Stone writings in Zavalatica
Inscribed stone scripts in the bay of Zavalatica were found in 1968. The stone writings were made in the 16th century and are dedicated to events from 889 AD.Marinko Gjivoje wrote about the find in 1972. The script was found in an old wine cellar (konoba) of the Baničević family. It describes a clash between the Croatians and the Venetian army. The story has now become part of the Island of Korčula's rich oral stories.
The Venetian army was ambushed by the villagers of Čara and a Venetian Nobleman and his dog were killed. The Venetian army managed to regroup and subdued the Croats. There followed a famous interaction between the two groups before the Venetians executed the Croats. The Venetian's asked " Who killed the Nobleman?" The locals answered " The hammer did!". The Venetian's then asked "Who was carrying the hammer?" The locals answered back "We were all carrying a hammer".
Čara vernacular
- Čara Speak: Alavia / English: It's Ok! / Croatian: U redu
- Čara Speak: Bevanda / English: Wine with water / Croatian: Vino sa vodom
- Čara Speak: Buža / English: Hole / Croatian: Otvor
- Čara Speak: Cilo / English: Wine without water / Croatian: Vino bez vode
- Čara Speak: Fumati / English: Smoking / Croatian: Pušiti
- Čara Speak: Soldi / English: Money / Croatian: Novac
- Čara Speak: Zrcalo / English: Mirror / Croatian: Ogledalo