Makarska is a coastal town in the Split-Dalmatia County, located
at the foot of the mountain Biokovo. It is the center of the
Makarska Riviera (known as the Makarska Riviera), a micro-region
that stretches from Brela in the west to Gradac in the east.
Makarska with the town of Veliko Brdo has 13,834 inhabitants.
Historically, Makarska is significant as the former seat of the
Makarska diocese, and today's Split-Makarska archdiocese bears the
Makarska name.
Name
It is believed that Makarska was named
after the nearby village of Makru. There is speculation that the
name Makar comes from the Phoenician name for crimson or purple
(mucar). In support of this theory is the fact that the port of
Makarska is rich in volchima, a type of snail from which the
Phoenicians produced the color after which they are named.
It is believed that Makarska was named after the
nearby village of Makru. The first inhabitants of the area of
today's Makarska were the Illyrians, who founded a settlement called
Muccurum in the 4th century. The Battle of Makarska on September 18,
887 took place between the Venetian Republic and the Neretva
Principality. The Neretvans won.
The name Makarska was first
mentioned in a document from the 16th century, during the Turkish
conquests. The Turks kept the army and the imperial tax collector in
Makarska. After Turkey, Makarska fell under Venetian rule, then
under the Habsburg Monarchy. After Napoleon's victories at the
beginning of the 19th century, Makarska also fell under his rule.
Napoleon encouraged culture and built roads that connected Makarska
with other coastal towns. A monument to his Marshal Marmont, known
today as Napoleon's monument, was erected at the western entrance to
the city. Although Napoleon encouraged the development of Makarska's
culture and connections, Austro-Hungary was responsible for the
flourishing of tourism.