Friends of Konavle Heritage
friendsofkonavle@gmail.com

In the heart of Cavtat, immediately next to the remains of the Dubrovnik fortifications and beside the parish church of St. Nicholas, stands the Rector’s Palace of Cavtat. It was originally the residence of a Cavtat captain and served as the military, administrative, and governmental center of Cavtat during the period of the Dubrovnik Republic. Today, it houses the largest personal collection in the region – the Baltazar Bogišić Collection.   Baltazar Bogišić monument Until t

Konavle is an agricultural region. In the past, when people lived only by their own resources, they had to live in accordance with natural cycles. They tracked the weather and followed the annual rhythm in order to be as successful as possible in producing their goods. Natural cycles determined economic activities, which in turn affected the rhythm of social events throughout the year. Festivals became the markers between the different agricultural activities. Thus, the seaso

Review of: The Parish of Konavle before the Establishment of the Dubrovnik Republic Administration Croatian title: Župa Konavle prije uspostave dubrovačke uprave   See the bottom of this article for an explanation of surname evolution.   Since Konavle was under the rule of Dubrovnik from the beginning of the 15th century, we have been able to follow the historical events and social dynamics of the area thanks to the Dubrovnik Archives. Documents on legal and other types of ev

There is a Skuce family in California with many branches. They are descended from Đuro Skvrce and his wife Marija Sablić who emigrated from Pločice, Konavle, around 1910 and changed their surname to Skuce. When I was a boy, there was a Nick Skuce, my mother’s second cousin, who occasionally visited my family near Fresno, CA. I learned this history of the Skvrce/Skuce family, as described above, from my mother.   In 1999, when I first visited Croatia to find genealogical infor

Last week at the “Open House of Silk and Embroidery - Gruda 2025”, the people of Konavle and their guests enjoyed programs that focused on preserving the cultural heritage of Konavle. The event was from 7 to 10 August, and was organized by Friends of Konavle and AR Atelier with the help of sponsors: The Tourist Board of Konavle and Dubrovnik-Neretva County. This year's multi-day program consisted of workshops, lectures, musical evenings and interactive content dedicated to th

170 years ago, on July 4, 1855, the great Croatian painter Vlaho Bukovac was born in Cavtat. He is most significant for the Croatian cultural scene as the founder of Croatian Modernism. He enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts in Paris in 1887 and graduated in the class of Professor Alexandre Cabanel (1823-1889). As a Parisian student, he became famous by  participating in the Paris Salon* , thus gaining European fame very early on. He was most popular as a portraitist, and ki

Donna F. Mekis and Kathryn Mekis Miller Authors of Blossoms Into Gold: The Croatians in the Pajaro Valley We spent six years conducting research on the history of the Croatians in the Pajaro Valley for our book, Blossoms Into Gold: The Croatians in the Pajaro Valley . Throughout those years several important themes emerged, and we would like to share them with you.   When people migrate from one country to another, their unique traditions, perspectives, and ways of life accom

We had a festive Saturday night on May 17, 2025, in Pridvorje. The Proljeće pri Dvoru event was held, which for several years now the Stjepan Radić Cultural Association has been organizing in front of the Rector’s Palace in Pridvorje, as its central annual event.   In the past, the Rector’s Palace was the heart of Konavle and was its administrative center during the Republic. Fortunately for the people of Konavle and for those who love Konavle, the palace was renovated  by t

Easter is the most important Christian holiday. The date varies each year and depends on the movement of the moon in the period after March 21. Lent is a forty-day preparation for Easter and begins on Ash Wednesday, which can fall anywhere between February 4 and March 10. During this period, the Church oversees renunciations, various services, spiritual renewal, and expressions of fasting and almsgiving. The custom of Lent as a time of penance and renunciation was established

The celebration of St. Blaise (Sv. Vlaho) has been held continuously every year since 972. According to legend, that year the saint, with a “heavenly army”, protected Dubrovnik from the Venetians, who stopped outside the port of Dubrovnik under the pretext of needing provisions to extend their journey East. That night St. Blaise and his army appeared in a vision to the priest Stojko, and warned him that the Venetians would soon invade the city. Stojko notified the Councilors