Hello, friend, traveler, visitor!
You may have already heard the saying that every stone has a story to tell. I believe that the city of Hvar, with its stones, has told you a story or two, or whispered a secret about its rich centuries-old past. During that time, this small island town was surely an intersection of various maritime routes and an unavoidable port for Mediterranean sailors, merchants, fishermen, and explorers.
A walk from the main Hvar square and the small port - Mandrac along the Fabrika coast has brought you to me, the Rotunda. Allow me to introduce myself: I am a semicircular stone building with benches for sitting where you can relax and enjoy the view of Hvar. I was built in the mid-19th century by local mason Antun Milošević on the site of the demolished fortress "Gospine bitnice" (Batteria della Madonna). Instead of serving for defensive purposes, I have since been used for performances of the town brass band.
However, I am also a place of remembrance of times before that, and I have my own stories. I would love to tell them to you with the sound of the wind in the pine trees, the smell of the sea, and the sound of the waves in the Hvar harbor. I will take you on another journey where you will meet different people... ships... fish...
Throughout history, Hvar has experienced different administrations, better and worse times, its golden age, as well as bad weather and wars. But its inhabitants have always survived thanks to the sea, maritime affairs, fishing, and agriculture. Along with fish processing, wine production, cultivation of figs, olives, almonds, carob, and lavender, tourism started in Hvar around the time I was built. It slowly but surely prevailed over the others. Fishing and fish processing, which had been the main economic activity of the Hvar people for centuries, became "undesirable" due to the intense smell of fish waste.
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The Rotonda is a small, roofless semicircular building located on the promenade leading from the historic core of Hvar town along the historic Fabrika coast towards the beaches. It was once part of the town's defense system and is therefore part of the material cultural heritage. Cultural heritage encompasses previous ways of life, good practices, the objects created through them, the spiritual value created in a humane environment, and the landscape created by centuries of human interaction with the natural environment. It is the complex social code of a community of people in a particular place and the foundation for creating new values, a better society, and a more harmonious coexistence between man and his natural environment. Cultural heritage is the wealth of a community, and past ways of life to which new value has been added can become the foundation for a better life in the present and future. Of course, the precondition for this is the recognition, valorization, and communication of heritage. Museums are the traditional way of interpreting cultural heritage. However, in the past fifty years, the communication of heritage has taken a much more democratic direction thanks to ecomuseology. Ecomuseology is based on the principle that the bearers of heritage, i.e., those who create it and who have inherited it from previous generations, are the best interpreters of heritage because it is part of their identity and their way of life. The connection between a particular community and its place of life is important in this respect. The Rotonda Interpretation Center is a new type of museum that uses modern technology and interpretation methods to tell the story of Hvar town and its people. The center is located in the Rotonda, a historical building that was once part of the town's defense system. It will use exhibits, interactive displays, and multimedia presentations to tell the story of Hvar's past, present, and future. The Rotonda Interpretation Center will be a valuable resource for visitors and locals alike. It will provide a deeper understanding of Hvar's rich cultural heritage and its importance to the community. The center will also be a place where people can come together to learn, share, and celebrate their heritage.
During the 19th and 20th centuries, fish were landed and salted on the Fabrika, and the lottery for fishing posts - bruškit - was held, as well as inspections of their ships and nets - trata.
During the Austrian administration, in 1845, a path was built from the Fabrika to the Rotunda "for the comfort and enjoyment of the citizens". The Fabrika was the main city promenade until the early 20th century. Built by connecting stone blocks with a "tongue and groove" technique, it is one of the oldest preserved waterfronts on the Croatian Adriatic.
The Fabrika Waterfront is a protected cultural heritage site of the Republic of Croatia.