So here we are again, in the beautiful and mysterious landscape of the Stari Grad Plain. It is quiet, almost meditative. And it hides its treasures. One has to put in the effort to find what they want to see. There's quite a lot here, and the search is definitely worth it.
Stone and dry stone wall
Perhaps the most characteristic element of the Stari Grad Plain landscape is stone. You'll simply see it everywhere here, and where it isn't, there's very fertile soil exposed, thanks to which everything here once originated.
Because stone hindered cultivation, it was used for various constructions. Most often using the “suhozid” technique. This is a method of construction where individual stones are laid on top of each other without any binding material. This technique was even inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List, and although few people today know how to build suhozid, a recent initiative of the same name has emerged, restoring stone walls and thus keeping the suhozid technique alive.
The main walls dividing Starogradsko polje, as well as the walls of individual parcels, are built using this technique. The stone walls differ in size and construction method: single-row walls stacked stone on stone up to 1 m high, multi-row walls up to 2 m wide and equally high, which are most often built along ancient roads and in the directions of ancient land division. The walls must be restored and are thus the result of more than two thousand years of effort and work by the island's inhabitants. Just imagine the hours and hours, days and days of working with stones.
Large terraces, which protect fertile soil from water currents caused by heavy rains, are also built using the suhozid technique. Trims were also created by suhozid, and one beautiful trim can be seen near the main road from Stari Grad to Vrboska. There are over 700 trims on the entire island of Hvar, and many of them are still in use today.
On the Stari Grad Plain, there are also numerous “gomile” - small, larger, or enormous piles of stones. Most often, they were created during the clearing of land from stones, which were piled up in infertile areas. However, some gomile were originally ceremonial sites and conceal a tomb inside.
Roads and Canals
Roads intersecting at right angles originated in the Greek period 2400 years ago. Many of them have been widened over time, but some have remained at their original width, just enough for a person with a donkey.
Starogradsko polje also has numerous canals for draining sudden rain and regulating streams. Today, water rarely flows through these canals, as the forests on the hillsides around Starigrad Plain largely retain the water.
However, there were no pine forests here before. Today, these forests hide a network of terraces where grapevines and later lavender were cultivated until the beginning of the 20th century.
Dračevica
Since I'm talking about the water on Starogradsko polje, I must also mention a place called Dračevica. It is one of the most photogenic places on the plain, and the nearby stone house is probably on all brochures about Starogradsko polje.
The surrounding tall grass in the setting sun creates a beautiful golden scenery.
Dračevica is the only place on Starogradsko polje with a surface water spring. In winter, this water abundantly floods the surrounding vineyards, so much so that they actually float.
The place is surrounded by vineyards and is very green in terms of vegetation.
Dračevica is also a Neolithic site proving settlement in ancient times (6,000 to 3,000 years BCE). In 1880, Neolithic tools were found here. These are the oldest archaeological artifacts found on Starogradsko polje. This was also probably the first permanent human settlement on Starogradsko polje.
We visited this place in September, and although the temperatures were still pleasantly high during the day, the spring between the stones was still wet, and a little water was visible. I would love to visit Starogradsko polje sometime off-season during periods of heavy rain, when the landscape is saturated with water.
GPS Dračevica: 43°11’19.7″N 16°37’49.9″E; 43.188791, 16.630534
Mirje
Near the main road from Stari Grad to Vrboska lies the Roman villa rustica Mirje. This Roman villa was built and used in the first century AD. It is the most extensive archaeological site in Starogradsko polje. The dominant feature of the site is a 4.5 m high wall, which rests on a dry stone wall within which mosaic tesserae were found. At the same time, it is the best-preserved ancient wall on the eastern Adriatic coast in terms of height. On the inner wall, you will see openings that remained from the floor structure.
Around Mirje are the remains of walls and foundations of the former agricultural-economic complex.
From Mirje, a significant part of the Stari Grad Plain and nearby Vrboska are visible, so don't rush and really look around.
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Finding Mirje, however, requires a bit of determination. The path is not marked at all. From the main road to Vrboska, you turn onto a macadam road and from there onto a “goat path”. There are no markings anywhere, the path is overgrown. If there's no other option, your phone with a map will lead you to the place. It's worth the effort.
GPS Mirje: 43°10’35.6″N 16°39’26.0″E; 43.176554, 16.657230
Carevac
Not far from Mirje, right by the main road from Stari Grad to Vrboska, are the remains of another Roman villa rustica Carevac. Unfortunately, the site has undergone significant devastation, and today there are truly only remains. At first glance, one would not even think that these are the remnants of a rural Roman villa.
In the 1930s, ancient walls, mosaics, and a pool were discovered on the site. Today, it's hard to imagine a pool or a larger water reservoir there. This confirms that the place was much better supplied with water in the past.
GPS Carevac: 43°10’50.0″N 16°38’34.8″E; 43.180551, 16.642991
Starogradsko polje will open up to you like a book if you wish. And if you look, you'll find many interesting things and places there. If each of those stones could tell a story, they would certainly be interesting tales. For now, the wind playing in the olive tree crowns tells them. You just need to listen.
If you are more interested in the history of Starogradsko polje, there is a very nice book with the simple title Starogradsko polje by archaeologists Sara Popović and Aldo Čavić. I drew many interesting pieces of information in this article from this beautiful book. You can buy it at the museum in Stari Grad. The book also includes a very useful map, where the main sights are marked, and what is very useful, the paths are distinguished by whether it is an asphalt road, a macadam road, or a walking trail. This greatly facilitated our discovery of the plain's beauty. So go ahead, and next time you visit Hvar island, don't miss Starogradsko polje.
You can find more about Starogradsko polje here: https://zijemechorvatskem.wordpress.com/2021/03/28/starogradsko-polje-na-ostrove-hvar-tady-se-zastavil-cas/
