Orebic or Sabbioncello on Italian is a port on the
Adriatic coast in Dubrovnik-Neretva county of Croatia. It is small
pristine town with a friendly atmosphere and even friendlier
climate. Orebic is a port municipality of 4,101 inhabitants in the
Dubrovnik-Neretva region in Dalmatia. It is located on the peninsula
of the same name. Before the 16th century it was called Trestenicco
or Trestenico (Trstenica). Orebic is connected with ferries to the
city of Korčula, located on the island of the same name. Tourism is
important in the region and a popular attraction is the Franciscan
monastery.
According to the 2001 census the municipality of
Sabbioncello had 4,165 residents, of which 93% declared themselves
to be a Croatian mother tongue and the remainder mainly Bosgnacco
and Albanian. The Dalmatian town had an Italian mayor until the late
nineteenth century.
The city is located on the south side of the peninsula, protected by the 961 m high Sveti Ilija (Saint Elias). Directly opposite Orebić is the important Adriatic passenger port Korčula, at the same time of historical importance. Orebić itself owns a ferry port to the island of Korčula and, with one of the rare sandy beaches in Croatia, is once again becoming an important holiday destination in southern Dalmatia.
There are over 40 churches and chapels in the municipality of
Orebić, which testifies to the Catholic tradition in this area. At
the very top of Pelješac, at an altitude of 961 m, are the remains
of the church of St. Elijah the prophet. It is mentioned in the
visitation of the Ston diocese no. 10 of July 2, 1621. Today only
the foundations of it remain. It was abandoned during the 19th
century, probably due to lightning damage, but during the 19th and
20th it was a destination for pilgrims and excursionists and
occasionally served for Mass. During the World War II and after the
site suffered from vandalism by picnickers and negligence of the
authorities. In the excursion house near the top there is a
decapitated baroque statue of St. Elijah the Prophet from the 17th
century. On it is an inscription in Latin: "OBSCERO DOMINE, TOLLE
ANIMAM MEAM" (I pray Lord, take my life). The very top on which the
church is located is the border of the cadastral municipalities and
is located on the border of the municipalities of Orebić and Trpanj.
There are 17 Catholic cemeteries within the municipality of
Orebić. As a memorial to the fight against the Italian occupiers in
the Second World War, there are numerous monuments to partisan
fighters and victims of the occupiers throughout the municipality.
There are 7 fountains from the 19th century in the settlement of
Orebić. Neo-Renaissance fountains were erected in 1880, when a
waterworks was built through the place. Peljesac got a new water
supply system (Neretva) only in the 80s of the 20th century. Houses
were obligatory, and some still have cisterns, ie reservoirs. The
old water supply system is still functioning today and can come to
the rescue when the supply from the mainland disappears. Outside the
settlement of Orebić, on a hill is the monastery of Our Lady of the
Angels with a lookout that also served as an observatory during the
time of the Dubrovnik Republic. The viewpoint offers a view of the
entire Pelješac Channel, an archipelago of about 20 islands located
between Pelješac and Korčula. The most important is the island of
Badija, where the monastery is located. Not far from the monastery
are the villages of Bilopolje and Žukovac. It is home to several
residents. There are several ruins of old large manor houses from
the 19th century.
If you want to take a view of the entire city of Orebic and do some hiking, then Mount of Saint Elijah (Sveti Ilija) is a place to start. The hiking trails are well marked with signs pointing in the direction of the peak that reaches the height of 961 meters above the sea level. Hilltop of the mount is covered by ruins of an old Church of Saint Elijah. Its construction began on July 1621. However it was abandoned in the 19th century. The building fell prey to the elements and local quarrying. Today only few signs of foundation remain. However on some occasions Christian mass is observed on the ruins of the old Orebic church.
The most famous tourist attraction in the city is the Franciscan monastery of Our Lady of Angels. It stands on a Peljesac peninsula, 2 km West of Orebic. Franciscan monastery is a modest Romanesque monastery perched on a side of a hilltop 152 meters above the Adriatic Sea. Franciscan monastery was found in late 15th century under supervision of Michal Radisic during a period of the Republic of Ragusa with a capital in Dubrovnik. The main church of the monastery was found in 1534. Other buildings here were reconstructed several times over a course of centuries.
Franciscan Monastery is surrounded by a protected cypress grove and a small cemetery for local fishermen and traders. It is no wonder that cloister is highly respected among residents of Orebic. Local fishermen and traders alike have a tradition of greeting the monks of the monastery and their dead ancestors with three calls with their ship sirens. Franciscan monks would answer the call by ringing tower bells.
Another interesting place to visit is the Maritime Museum. It traces the history of sea faring heritage that is particularly venerated by the citizens of Orebic. The museum has a collection of artifacts, ship models and a collection of paintings on the subject.
Besides the Adriatic sea and surrounding islands can be very interesting if you like scuba diving, sailing and other water sports. Besides local fishermen can take you on a boating trip around Orebic and its surroundings for a modest pay that is usually very affordable.
The area of the municipality of Orebić includes a rich cultural
heritage within 22 historical settlements or their parts, with
numerous sacral buildings and cemeteries, 28 archaeological zones
and sites and 16 spatial complexes of architectural and natural
heritage.
Orebic was founded at the end of the 15th and the
beginning of the 16th century, in the area of the then Republic of
Dubrovnik, and from the very beginning it turned to the sea as a
source of profit. In 1586, sailors from the Orebić family rebuilt
the castle in the middle of a fortified settlement, which was named
Orebić after them. Until the 16th century, the place was called
Trstenica. From the 14th to the 19th century it was the seat of the
prince. During that time, Orebic was under the administration of the
Republic of Dubrovnik. It has long developed as a maritime center.
Maritime tradition
From the 17th century, Pelješac ships
formed an important part of the Dubrovnik merchant navy. Shipowners'
families became more and more powerful and began to invest in joint
sailing ships. Their rise continued under Austrian rule, especially
in the second half of the 19th century, when, in 1865, a joint stock
company for the "construction (and operation) of long-distance
ships" was founded in Orebić, later the Pelješac Maritime Society,
and in 1875 acquired is equipment for the social shipyard in Orebić.
The shipyard was ceremoniously opened by Emperor Francis Joseph. It
was mainly used to repair ships, and during its working life (13
years), it also built 3 long sailing sailboats. Today, Orebic is an
important tourist center and offers a variety of accommodation,
recreational and gastronomic offer. In summer, theaters are hosted
here, and various cultural and entertainment performances are
organized. July 16 is the feast of Our Lady of Carmen, the patron
saint of Pelješac sailors.