Makarska
The town, port, and tourist center of the Makarska Riviera, located under rocky mountain of Biokovo (the highest peak is St. Jure, 1,762 m). It lies in a large cove that is closed by the promontory Osejava in the south east, and by the promontory St. Peter in the south-west. The climate is Mediterranean, and winters have lots of strong northern wind. People grow vineyards, olives, and figs, and they are also fishermen. The town developed in the shape of amphitheater along the coast, at the foot of Biokovo. It consists of the old core of the Mediterranean type, and the newer part with hotels, restaurants, shops, and auto camp. Park and pine forest border the 1,500 meters long beach in Donja Luka and there are also numerous sand beaches. The settlement that existed in this area in antiquity (probably Muccurum) was destroyed, according to the tradition, in 548 A.D. by Totila, the king of the Eastern Goths. Later, it became one of the main strongholds of Slavic tribe of Neretljani that defeated Venetian fleet near Makarska in 887. On the coast there is baroque church of St. Filip Neri and the building of the former monastery of St. Philip. In the courtyard of the church there are a few grave-stones. The monument in the shape of a pyramid was raised in honor of the marshal Marmont. Today, on the location of the former Benedictine abbey, is the Franciscan monastery with cloister from 1400, renovated in 1540. The old, monastery church with one nave and baroque balfry from 1715, has the painting. The Assumption of Our Lady from 1760, on the main altar. In the cellars of the monastery there is the Malacological Museum with very rich collection of shells (about 10,000 items). The monastery has a library, archive, and rich collection of art objects and paintings from the period of Baroque. On the square there is the baroque parish church of St. Marko from the 18th century, baroque fountain from the 1775, and the most beautiful baroque building in the town the Ivanišević Palace. There is also a sculpture of the Franciscan poet, Andrija Kačić-Miočić.
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