Hvar (town)

Hvar
Town
Grad Hvar
Town of Hvar
Clockwise: View of Hvar, Spanish fortress, Franciscan Monastery of Our Lady of Grace, Loggia former Governor's Palace, Hvar Cathedral,
Flag of Hvar
Flag
Coat of arms of Hvar
Coat of arms
Hvar is located in Croatia
Hvar
Hvar
Location of Hvar in Croatia
Coordinates: 43°10′17″N 16°26′36″E / 43.17139°N 16.44333°E / 43.17139; 16.44333
Country Croatia
County Split-Dalmatia
Government
 • MayorRikardo Novak (Ind.)
 • City Council
13 members
Area
[1]
 • Town75.7 km2 (29.2 sq mi)
 • Urban
27.8 km2 (10.7 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[2]
 • Town3,979
 • Density53/km2 (140/sq mi)
 • Urban
3,519
 • Urban density130/km2 (330/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
21450
Area code021
Websitehvar.hr

Hvar (Chakavian: For, Greek: Φάρος, romanized: Pharos, Latin: Pharus and Pharina, Italian: Lesina) is a town and port on the island of the same name, part of Split-Dalmatia County, Croatia. The municipality has a population of 4,251 (2011) while the town itself is inhabited by 3,771 people, making it the largest settlement on the island of Hvar.[3] It is situated on a bay in the south coast of the island, opposite from the other nearby towns of Stari Grad and Jelsa.

The town of Hvar has a long and distinguished history as center for trade and culture in the Adriatic. A commune, part of the Venetian Empire during the 13th to 18th centuries, it was an important naval base with a strong fortress above, encircling the town walls and protecting the port.[4] Cultural life thrived as prosperity grew, and Hvar is the site of one of the oldest surviving theatres in Europe, opened in 1612.[5] The seven-hundred-year-old walls still survive, as do many of the noble houses and public buildings from the 15th – 17th centuries.

By the 19th century, the port of Hvar was no longer a military base, and The Hygienic Society of Hvar (Higijeničko društvo u Hvaru), celebrating 150 years in 2018,[6] took the economy of the town and the island in a new direction. As one of the earliest "tourist boards" in Europe, it was founded in 1868 with the purpose of providing "good care for visitors". Today, the town has a variety of hotels, galleries, museums, and exhibitions, including the Arsenal, Loggia, the Croatian Institute, and the Hvar Heritage Museum with its art and archaeological collections.[7]

The port of Hvar, set in a picturesque natural bay, with the Pakleni Otoci island chain protecting it to the south, is a safe haven for boats year round. The town is a common port of call for yachts sailing around the Adriatic, especially in the summer months. There are regular catamaran ferry services from the port between Hvar and Split, Brač, Korčula, Lastovo, and Vis.[8]

  1. ^ Register of spatial units of the State Geodetic Administration of the Republic of Croatia. Wikidata Q119585703.
  2. ^ "Population by Age and Sex, by Settlements" (xlsx). Census of Population, Households and Dwellings in 2021. Zagreb: Croatian Bureau of Statistics. 2022.
  3. ^ "Population by Age and Sex, by Settlements, 2011 Census: Hvar". Census of Population, Households and Dwellings 2011. Zagreb: Croatian Bureau of Statistics. December 2012.
  4. ^ Novak, Grga (1960) [1924]. Hvar Kroz Stoljeća (Hvar Through the Centuries). Historijski Arhiv – Hvar (Historical Archives of Hvar) (in Croatian). Vol. I (2nd ed.). Narodni Odbor Općine Hvar (National Council of Hvar Municipality).
  5. ^ Ring, Trudy; Salkin, Robert M.; La Boda, Sharon (1996) [1995]. Robert M. Salkin; Sharon La Boda (eds.). International Dictionary of Historical Places (Vol 3: Southern Europe) (2nd ed.). Taylor and Francis. pp. 331–334. ISBN 978-1-884964-02-2.
  6. ^ "150th Anniversary of the Hygienic Society on Hvar". Total Croatia News. 6 April 2018. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  7. ^ Tourist Board of City of Hvar. Archived from the original on 26 June 2009. Retrieved 14 July 2009.
  8. ^ Ferry Schedule. Jadrolinija Ferries. Retrieved 21 July 2009.