Stari Grad

Stari Grad Review

The site of the original Greek settlement on Hvar, called Pharos by the Greeks, Stari Grad is a conglomeration of smaller communities; it's also the entry-point to the island for bus transportation from the mainland, as well as passenger ferries. The town is 10 km (6 mi) east of Hvar Town.

Tvrdalj. The main sight is the Tvrdalj, the fortified Renaissance villa of the 16th-century poet Petar Hektorovic. The home has been renovated twice over the centuries, first in the 18th-century baroque style; a partial restoration was also done in the 19th century. Hektorovic attempted to create a "model universe" to be embodied in his home. To that end, a large fish pond is stocked with gray mullet, as they were in the poet's own time, representing the sea; above the fish pond in a tower is a dovecote, representing the air. Ivy was allowed to cover the walls to tie the home to the land. Quotations from his poetry are inscribed on many walls. Trg Tvrdalj bb, Stari Grad, Hvar, 21460. 021/765-068. 10 Kn. May, June, Sept., and Oct., daily 10-1; July and Aug. daily 10-1 and 5-8.