Friends of Konavle Heritage
friendsofkonavle@gmail.com

The lijerica and gusle are traditional bowed instruments that play an important role in the musical culture and historical memory of the Croatian people. Their use and meaning differ depending on the area in which they developed. Both instruments testify to the connection between music, history and everyday life. Pavo Martinović, gusle player, early 1970s It is important to point out that stringed instruments as we know today were not known in ancient Greece and the Roman E

Along with Easter, there are two important days that mark spring in Konavle. Annunciation Day on March 25th, which is closest to the spring equinox, and St. George's Day on April 23rd, after which we know winter is gone. With this date, called Pramajeće, the warm half of spring starts and introduces us to summer time. Between these two dates, nature turns completely green, and with it the rest of life. The bird songs get louder, and snakes, lizards, and other reptiles that do

KUD = Kulturno-umjetničko društvo = Cultural and Artistic Society This year, KUD "Stjepan Radić" from Pridvorje celebrates 30 years of its existence. A round anniversary, like all previous ones, certainly deserves a celebration. However, it has given us the incentive to pause for a moment, look back and ask ourselves where we started and why everything we do as a cultural and artistic society is important. On October 22, 1996, the founding assembly for the society was hel

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