Culture and excursions
Some cultural monuments are of magnificent importance:
Blaca
Formerly a famous hermitage of the Glagolitic Order erected on the high, steep cliff, Blaca
in one of the most beautiful mountain resorts on Brač today. This had already been noted in
many scientific and travel-descriptions. Blaca is a unique monument on our coast. A visit
here is not to be missed. Blaca is situated on the fringes of a long valley, in the southern
part of the island, between Bol and Milna, 3,5 kilometers inland from the sandy Blatačka uvala
(The Harbour of Blaca).
Blaca was established in the 16th century by the Glagolitic priests from Poljica.
This small hermitage of Blaca houses some objects of great monumental value. The church built
in the Renaissance manner was completed in 1588 and dedicated to the Ascension of Mary.
From the ethnographic point of view, the kitchen with the spacious open-air fire place is
especially interesting as an example of a gathering point.
Blaca's furniture will indisputably attract attention. We would, however, call your attention to the astronomical instruments of this world-wide known observatory, then to the rich collection of ancient weapons and old watches and finally, to the exceptionally rich library with still a number of unexamined archives, many of them written in Croatian cyrillic (e.g. poljičica).
DRAGON'S CAVE
The Dragon's Cave with its reliefs is a first class monument to the monastic life in the caves of the Glagolitic friars in the 15th century. Set about 200 meters above Murvica this cave served as dwelling and a temple to the Glagolitic priests who fled to these uninhabited steep southern slopes to begin here their monastic life and to develop it to a high standard..
The Dragon's Cave is 20 meters long. Three partition walls in it form four separate "halls". The first is the largest. In it the chapel dedicated to Our Lady was built while the interior walls of the cave are decorated with reliefs of which the one on the left to the west is of the dragon and the Madonna set in a half-moon shape which is 5,7 meters long and 2,5 meters high and in some places 80 cm wide.
The second hall is small (7 to 8 meters). On the western wall there is a water hole and on the opposite, eastern side, there are several strange forms scooped out in the cliff, which probably served as monastic niches.
On the eastern wall of the third hall, the level of which is half a meter higher than that
of the others, there is a water cistern.
The fourth hall is higher still by one meter (2,5 to 2,5). It had a wooden floor and it was
partitioned by walls to form the little cells in its sides.
The spiritual history of a people seems to be embalmed here containing its ancient pagan creed reconciled with Christian teaching...
DOMINIKANSKI SAMOSTAN
On its present site there was in 1184 the Episcopal palace in which that year the session
of the Brač Council was held under the patronage of the Prince.
This meeting in Bol and the document (Povaljska listina) issued thereupon and composed in
the Croatian language and script, is of outstandig importance to the history of Brač.
In the bishop's palace (in Palatio episcopati), the Dominicans established their monastic community. In 1475 they raised the monastery and the church of Our Lady of Mercy. In spite of its being built at intervals, this church has preserved some main characteristics of the late Renaissance. The church is partly paved with tomb-stones.
The altars at the sides are among the most beautiful ones on the island, especially the altar of Our Lady of Rosary. The paintings of the Croatian baroque painter T. Kokolja (1661-1713) on the cealing under the choir are very valuable.
The Monastery's Museum contains:
1. an interesting collection of prehistoric excavated items,
2. a rich numismatic collection,
3. a collection of underwater archeology,
4. a collection of Mass-robes,
5. rich archives
6. the collection of stone monuments
7. old Christian sarcophagus
8. the pre-Romanesque alter screen: the triangular gable...
The greatest attention in the monastery's gallery is drawn by the Tintoretto's altar painting Madonna with Child and Saints. The museum's gallery has some interesting 16th and 17th century Venetian paintings.
